Holders United cruise into League Cup quarter-finals

Manchester United got back on track after their defeat against Liverpool as the League Cup holders moved into the quarter-finals with a 2-0 win over Barnsley on Tuesday.

Sir Alex Ferguson’s side suffered only their second loss of the season at Anfield on Sunday, but there was no hangover at Oakwell as goals from Danny Welbeck and Michael Owen saw off the Championship outfit.

United played the last 27 minutes with 10 men after United captain Gary Neville was shown a red card by referee Chris Foy for his lunge on Adam Hammill.

The Tykes are managed by Mark Robins, the former United striker whose winning goal in an FA Cup third round tie against Nottingham Forest in 1990 is widely held to have saved Ferguson from the sack.

But there was never any chance of another headline grabbing win for Robins, even though Ferguson made 11 changes to the team beaten by Liverpool, with young French winger Gabriel Obertan making his debut.

Welbeck, who scored the winner against Wolverhampton in the last round, put United ahead in the sixth minute when the 18-year-old headed Anderson’s corner past Luke Steele.

Although Barnsley captain Stephen Foster headed against a post before half-time, Owen put United in control with a fine individual effort in the 59th minute before Neville saw red.

Tottenham remain on course for a third successive League Cup final appearance after a 2-0 win against Everton at White Hart Lane.

Harry Redknapp’s team, runners-up to United last season and winners in 2008, took the lead when Tom Huddlestone volleyed in David Bentley’s 31st minute cross.

Robbie Keane eventually got Tottenham’s second goal in the 57th minute. His penalty was saved by Tim Howard, who also kept out follow-ups from Keane, Bentley and Gareth Bale but was beaten at the fourth attempt by Keane.

Aston Villa defeated Sunderland 3-1 on penalties after a dull tie ended goalless after extra time at the Stadium of Light.

Sunderland had a chance to win it in normal time but Kenwyne Jones’s penalty was saved by Brad Guzan. Steve Bruce’s side fared no better in the shoot-out, as Guzan saved three of their four spot-kicks to hand Villa a last eight spot.

Portsmouth, the Premier League’s bottom club, eased past Stoke with a 4-0 win at Fratton Park.

Paul Hart’s side have only scored five goals in the league this season but they ran riot after Frederic Piquionne headed in Nadir Belhadj’s 17th minute cross.

Danny Webber increased Portsmouth’s advantage in the 55th minute and Piquionne put the result beyond doubt four minutes later before Nwankwo Kanu completed the rout in the 81st minute with his first goal since April.

Blackburn showed no ill-effects from the swine flu outbreak sweeping Ewood Park as Sam Allardyce’s side claimed a 5-2 win over 10-man Peterborough.

Rovers admitted earlier this week that three players, including David Dunn and Christopher Samba, had been suffering from a virus believed to be swine flu.

But Dunn was fit enough to be on the bench as Morten Gamst Pedersen put Blackburn ahead after four minutes with a superb free-kick.

Peterborough found a crack in the Rovers rearguard after 17 minutes when Tommy Rowe produced a deep cross that Chris Whelpdal swept home.

Allardyce’s men regained the lead on the stroke of half-time when Joe Lewis was sent off for bringing down Pedersen and Steven Reid stroked home the resulting penalty for his first goal in three injury-hit years.

Peterborough equalised again through George Boyd in the 50th minute but Spanish right-back Michel Salgado restored Rovers’ advantage in the 57th minute when he beat substitute keeper James McKeown at his near post.

South African forward Benny McCarthy made the game safe in the 72nd minute and Nicola Kalinic’s 74th minute penalty capped Rovers’ five-star display.