Wayne Rooney came off the bench to head a late winner as Manchester United beat Aston Villa 2-1 in the Carling Cup final at Wembley. Rooney, who started as a substitute due to fatigue, a heavy cold and a minor knee injury, replaced the injured Michael Owen after the striker had equalised for United.
Villa had taken an early lead through James Milner's fifth-minute penalty, awarded when Nemanja Vidic pulled down Gabriel Agbonlahor. Vidic avoided a red card, much to the surprise of many, and was only booked in the second half.
United's equaliser came in the 13th minute when Richard Dunne lost possession to Dimitar Berbatov, who set up Owen for a clinical finish. However, Owen lasted only until the interval before suffering a hamstring injury, making way for Rooney.
Rooney's winner arrived late in the second half, a header from a cross that left Villa goalkeeper Brad Friedel with no chance. The victory gave Sir Alex Ferguson his first silverware of the season and United their fourth League Cup triumph.
Antonio Valencia impressed on the right wing, while Berbatov also had a strong game, keeping the Villa defence off balance. Villa, despite having the best defensive record in the Premier League, could not contain United's attack.
