Wednesday 3 December 2008
Eight Goal Thriller In Theater Of Dream
Sir Alex Ferguson offered a start to Manchester United goalkeeper Ben Foster, who made a highly anticipated first team debut at Old Trafford, and kept a similarly shaped side to the one that slayed QPR in round four.
United were also without one of their biggest goal threats this evening as winger Cristiano Ronaldo was suspended following his handball at the weekend.
However, that did not stop the Red Devils sticking five past the Blue and White stripes' defence.
Goals from Argentine international Carlos Tevez, who headed in from close-range, and then Luis Nani, who took advantage of a Tevez assist, ensured that the home side went into the break two goals to the good.
Within three minutes of the restart though South African hotshot Benni McCarthy, who had only come on as a half-time measure, struck home and proved to be an inspired substitution from troubled manager and former United player Paul Ince.
Any comeback was short-lived though as Tevez restored United's two goal cushion with a penalty conversion after being fouled by Martin Olssen.
He then sealed his hat-trick (his first in United colours) minutes later with a tap-in, increasing the scoreline to 4-1 and in so doing did his first team credentials no harm.
The Rovers tried to force a comeback in the dying stages of the game, as Englishman Matt Derbyshire took advantage of a McCarthy pass to get his first of the night, and Benni McCarthy brought the deficit back to one goal when Derbyshire returned his earlier favour.
Tevez though capped a fantastic and prolific performance, and guaranteed the match ball by powerfully striking again to seal a goal glut of a day, 5-3 to United.
Tevez has been an outcasted figure at Old Trafford during the current league season and will have now given Ferguson a selection headache as he was instrumental and unforgiving in United's attack.
LINE UPS
Man Utd
Foster - Da Silva; Neville; Evans; O'Shea - Nani; Gibson; Possebon; Anderson; Giggs - Tevez.
Subs
Kuszczak; Evra; Park; Vidic; Scholes; Welbeck; Manucho.
Blackburn
Robinson - Olsson; Nelsen; Ooijer; Warnock - Treacy; Kerimoglu; Mokoena; Emerton - Derbyshire; Roque Santa Cruz.
Subs
Brown; McCarthy; Pedersen; Villanueva; Fowler; Judge; Roberts.
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