ENGLISH LEAGUE CUP: Manchester Utd 1 Wolves 0: MANCHESTER UNITED may not regard the League Cup with enduring affection but the holders still seem to regard it as a matter of duty not to relinquish the trophy.

Alex Ferguson’s team had to play for an hour last night with 10 men after Fabio da Silva’s first-half sending-off but still managed to navigate a safe passage into the fourth round courtesy of Danny Welbeck’s 66th-minute strike.

Perhaps their opponents will regret not being more adventurous once Da Silva had been ordered off the field for a professional foul. Wolverhampton Wanderers played well, controlling spells of the match, but the feeling still persists that they might have capitalised on United’s numerical disadvantage had they dared to believe a little more in themselves.

Instead, an experimental and often hesitant United side managed to get through a laboured night far removed from the near-unremitting drama of their last match here, against Manchester City. Their goalkeeper, Tomasz Kuszczak, kept out Wolves’s best effort, a Dave Jones shot from the free-kick that led to Da Silva’s red card, and the game was eventually won with a goal that was classy in its creation and clinical in its execution, a crisp one-two between Michael Owen and Welbeck and a confident finish by the 19-year-old.

Ferguson had not included a single player from the team that started Sunday’s derby, although it would be stretching the point to say it was a significantly weakened side. Ferguson still included eight full internationals.

The problem when there are so many changes is that it can have a detrimental effect on a side’s fluency. This was the first time, for example, that Owen had played alongside Federico Macheda and in their half an hour on the pitch together there were times when the cohesion was conspicuously missing.

It was difficult, though, not to sympathise with Macheda, the young Italian whose attitude has recently been questioned by United’s management. The scorer of that seminal goal against Aston Villa last season had a frustrating evening, being the player Ferguson decided to sacrifice immediately after Da Silva’s red card. Ritchie de Laet, the young Belgian, was brought on to take over at left-back, leaving Owen to play as a solitary striker, with Welbeck on the left.

Da Silva’s crime was to bring down Michael Kightly as United’s last man when the midfielder seemed on the point of running clear of the home defence. The left-back lost his balance at first and, sensing the potential ramifications of the mistake, he flicked out his hand to tangle Kightly’s legs.

It was a moment that reminded Wolves of their opponents’ vulnerabilities and, by half-time, Mick McCarthy’s side could reflect on some good possession in the United half. But even a man down United had their own chances. Owen wasted a clear header from Neville’s cross and the visiting goalkeeper, Marcus Hahnemann, had some nervous moments in the opening period, striking one clearance against Macheda and another against Welbeck. He was lucky on both occasions.

The goal almost came as a surprise and contained enough style and panache to feel out of keeping with the rest of the match. Michael Carrick started the move, feeding the ball into Welbeck, who move it on quickly to Owen and darted into the penalty area for the return pass. Once inside the penalty area Welbeck’s finish was clinical, right-footed into the bottom corner.

With nothing to lose, Wolves started to play with more adventure, the substitute Kevin Doyle making a particular impact. Yet the most entertaining contribution came from their supporters, seeing that three minutes of stoppage time had been added. “We want six,” they chanted.

Guardian Service

MANCHESTER UTD:Kuszczak, Neville, Brown, Jonathan Evans, Fabio Da Silva, Welbeck (King 81), Carrick, Gibson, Nani, Owen (Valencia 69), Macheda (De Laet 31). Subs not used: Amos, Ferdinand, Tosic, Eikrem.

WOLVES: Hahnemann, Foley, Berra, Craddock, Elokobi, Kightly (Keogh 77), Castillo (Milijas 46), Henry, David Jones, Ebanks-Blake (Doyle 66), Maierhofer. Subs not used: Ikeme, Halford, Zubar, Hill.

Referee: P Walton(Northamptonshire).