Owen helps United´s understudies see off Barnsley in League Cup

Danny Welbeck and Michael Owen fired 10-man Manchester United into the League Cup quarter-finals as their goals clinched a 2-0 win over Barnsley on Tuesday.

Welbeck put United ahead on six minutes before Owen doubled the holders’ advantage on the hour mark with his third goal of the season.

But United’s passage into the last eight was made more difficult than it should have been when captain Gary Neville received his marching orders on 63 minutes for raking his studs down the shin of Adam Hammill.

United manager Sir Alex Ferguson wielded the axe in spectacular fashion following United’s 2-0 defeat at Liverpool on Sunday.

He made 11 changes to his starting line-up and recalled Owen along with Neville, Wes Brown and Anderson.

Owen partnered Federico Macheda in attack as Ferguson gave the Italian teenager a rare chance to get his season back on track.

Ferguson also handed a debut to three million pounds signing Gabriel Obertan following his close-season switch from Bordeaux.

The French winger has been stuck on the sidelines recovering from back and knee injuries but this was his chance to show supporters why Ferguson rates him so highly.

Ferguson had tasted a cup defeat at Oakwell before, 11 years ago when United crashed out of the FA Cup 3-2 in a fifth round replay.

But another upset looked far-fetched when United took just six minutes to take the lead and stun home supporters into silence.

Some of Mark Robins’s players have enrolled on a plumbing course at college but it was the Tykes defence that sprung a leak in no time.

Owen was unlucky to see a header deflected just wide from Obertan’s cross but from the resulting corner Welbeck was left unmarked and had the simple task of guiding a close range header past Luke Steele.

Welbeck almost doubled United’s lead moments later but saw his low drive blocked by Steele’s legs as Ferguson’s men threatened to run riot.

Steele was quickly becoming Barnsley’s saviour and rescued the home side again on 19 minutes when he denied Obertan with a fine save following Owen’s clever pass.

Despite struggling to get out of their own half the home side almost equalised on 23 minutes with their first attack of the game.

Hammill’s corner found captain Stephen Foster and he jumped above Macheda only to see his header strike the crossbar.

Foster was off target with two other efforts in quick succession as the Tykes began to gain some confidence.

The Tykes threatened again on the stroke of half time when Daniel Bogdanovic found space on the right to cross but his centre evaded Hugo Colace by inches with Foster’s goal at his mercy.

Barnsley could sense another shock on the scale of their 2008 FA Cup victories over Chelsea and Liverpool as United went off the boil.

But Owen had a great chance to stop the home side’s momentum four minutes after the re-start.

He was sent clear of the defence by Welbeck and only had Steele to beat but somehow managed to slice his shot horribly wide.

Owen then made amends, nutmegging Darren Moore before charging towards goal and drilling a low finish into the bottom corner to double United’s advantage.

But United were set for a nervy finish when Neville was dismissed on 63 minutes for the fourth time in his career.