Man Utd 0-2 Coventry

Championship side Coventry sprung a major surprise by sending a re-shuffled Manchester United crashing out of the Carling Cup at Old Trafford.

United boss Sir Alex Ferguson changed his entire team from Sunday's win against Chelsea and paid the price.

Coventry, backed by 11,000 fans, went ahead after 27 minutes when Michael Mifsud turned in Michael Doyle's cross.

And Mifsud killed off United with 20 minutes left, firing high into the net after Jay Tabb fashioned an opening.

United may have rung the changes, but their side still contained six full internationals and the result is a major embarrassment for Ferguson.

Nani, United's £17m summer buy from Sporting Lisbon, was a serious disappointment with his final ball and shot almost always poor.

Mifsud's opener was no more than Coventry deserved as Old Trafford voiced its disapproval at United's struggles, taking advantage of good work by Doyle to score.

606: DEBATE Well done Coventry, you deserved it, and well done to your 11,500 fans Stretford-End

Ferguson delivered his own damning verdict on his side's performance by introducing Wes Brown and young striker Fraizer Campbell at the break.

A third - and final - change followed 10 minutes after the restart as Michael Carrick was introduced for Jonny Evans, but it was all to no avail.

The second period was halfway through before United carved out anything like an opportunity as David Marshall parried Dong Fangzhou's shot into the path of Carrick, whose follow-up effort was blocked at close range.

Coventry keeper Andy Marshall then produced an outstanding fingertip save to deny Dong after 69 minutes, whose header was floating into the top corner.

The value of that stop was proved within a minute as Mifsud doubled his tally.

He picked up possession on the left, then when Tabb overhit his first touch as he tried to collect the winger's pass, Mifsud raced on and rocketed the ball home.

Mifsud will probably never know how he failed to walk off with the match ball as keeper Tomasz Kuszczak pushed into his path, but he somehow failed to find the target.

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Man Utd: Kuszczak, Bardsley (Brown 45), Evans (Carrick 56), Pique, Simpson, Nani, Martin (Campbell 45), O'Shea, Eagles, Dong, Anderson.
Subs Not Used: Heaton, Eckersley.

Booked: Pique.

Coventry: Marshall, Osbourne (McNamee 88), Ward, Turner, Borrowdale, Simpson, Stephen Hughes, Doyle, Tabb, Mifsud, Best (Adebola 90).
Subs Not Used: Konstantopoulos, De Zeeuw, Thornton.

Goals: Mifsud 27, 70.

Att: 74,055

Ref: Mark Halsey (Lancashire).

Man Utd 2-0 Chelsea

Last Updated: Sunday, 23 September 2007, 16:57 GMT 17:57 UK E-mail this to a friend Printable version

Man Utd 2-0 Chelsea

By Mandeep Sanghera Tevez nods in for his first goal for Man Utd Manchester United added to Chelsea woes by beating their rivals in Avram Grant's first game in charge of the Blues after Jose Mourinho's exit. Chelsea put in a resolute showing but had Mikel Jon Obi harshly sent off for a rash tackle on Patrice Evra. United then went ahead after first-half injury-time had elapsed with a near-post Carlos Tevez header. Chelsea stubbornly kept the deficit to one goal until Lo

The Chelsea players had been firmly under the microscope at the start of the game after Mourinho's exit and came away with their pride intact after a battling display।

They traded high-fives and hugs in a show of unity as they gathered together just before kick-off.

If there was any fragility about the Blues' resolve, a professional United quickly tried to expose it as they took a stranglehold of the game.

United striker Wayne Rooney cut inside Ben Haim on the edge of the box and curled a shot on the visitors goal which keeper Petr Cech finger-tipped wide at full-stretch.

Chelsea heeded the warning and duly got into their stride, producing some promising periods of play - only to squander their good work with poor decisions and a lack of a cutting edge in the final third.

The home side were denied a penalty when a sliding Joe Cole appeared to make contact with Evra ahead of getting a touch on the ball, before Giggs then wasted a gilt-edged chance.

Michael Essien gave the ball away to Rooney and he crossed for Giggs, who side-footed a volley high from a tight angle at the far post.

Referee Mike Dean sends off Mikel to reduce Chelsea to 10 men

Chelsea suffered a setback when Mikel was sent off when he led with his studs as he chased down the ball and their resistance finally buckled on the stroke of half-time.

Giggs curled an outswinging cross to the near post with the outside of his left foot and Tevez got his head to the ball before Cech to head in his first goal for the club.

Chelsea will be unhappy referee Mike Dean did not blow for half-time before the goal as the allotted two minutes of added time had already elapsed.

United pressed for a second after the break and Giggs blazed a volley high but the home side struggled to create chances as a determined Chelsea held them at arm's length.

Joe Cole was fortunate to stay on the pitch for a lunge at Cristiano Ronaldo as Chelsea hoped to snatch an equaliser.

But the visitors' hopes were ended when Saha stroked in a penalty to move United up to second and leave the visitors five points adrift of top place in the Premier League.

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Man Utd: Van der Sar, Brown, Ferdinand, Vidic, Evra, Ronaldo, Scholes, Carrick, Giggs, Tevez (Saha 79), Rooney.
Subs Not Used: Kuszczak, Nani, Pique, O'Shea.

Booked: Rooney, Brown.

Goals: Tevez 45, Saha 90 pen.

Chelsea: Cech, Ferreira, Ben-Haim, Terry, Ashley Cole, Makelele, Essien, Obi, Joe Cole (Pizarro 76), Shevchenko (Kalou 59), Malouda (Wright-Phillips 69).
Subs Not Used: Cudicini, Alex.

Sent Off: Obi (32).

Booked: Joe Cole, Terry.

Att: 75,663

Ref: Mike Dean (Wirral).