United 4 Barnet 1

MANCHESTER United's youngsters cruised to victory over 10-man Barnet in a one-sided Carling Cup clash at Old Trafford.

Liam Miller, Kieran Richardson, Giuseppe Rossi and Sylvan Ebanks-Blake all scored for the Reds, but the visitors' Carling Cup trip to the Theatre of Dreams took just 100 seconds to turn into a chilling nightmare.

Goalkeeper Ross Flitney had advanced a few yards out of his area as Barnet pushed forward but when United countered, the hapless goalkeeper got his measurements all wrong and plucked a routine pass forward out of the air under no pressure at all a yard before the ball had gone back into the area.

If ever there was a case for referees being allowed to use discretion in administering the game, this was it.

Virtually to a man, the 43,673 crowd - the lowest at Old Trafford for six years - disapproved of Beeby's decision to reach into his pocket with a shrug and wave the red card in Flitney's face.

After spending so long looking forward to a day he should have been able to remember with fondness forever, Flitney was inconsolable as he headed to the dressing room.

Spare a thought too for striker Louis Soares, the man sacrificed for the introduction of Flitney's replacement Scott Tynan, substituted without even kicking a ball.

The Reds capitalised instantly when Miller, a man who definitely had something to prove, exacted even further punishment by superbly curling the free-kick into the top corner.

Unexpected

Even Sir Alex Ferguson was probably shaking his head at the injustice of it all, but the unexpected development at least allowed his young side to give free rein to their talents.

As usual on these occasions, Ferguson had packed his side with youngsters. Three 18-year-olds, two 19-year-olds and a couple of 20-year-olds represented one of the most inexperienced United sides ever seen, in which Adam Eckersley and Richie Jones were handed their debuts.

It was also the first chance many Red Devils supporters had to cast their eye over Lee Martin, the England youth international whose promise persuaded Ferguson to commit £1million to luring him north from Wimbledon as a 16-year-old.

Martin's development has continued during the intervening two seasons and the Taunton-born teenager revelled in the extra space he found on the right wing even if his night was eventually to come to an unhappy end.

Equally impressive was Eckersley, whose darts forward from left-back were a constant source of menace to the Barnet defence.

Given he is now an England international, Richardson probably should have stood out against 10 men from a lower league. And, pushed into midfield, he duly did.

Floated

After bringing a superb save from Tynan not long after Miller had opened United's account, Richardson went on to double United's lead, although the effort had an element of freakishness to it, a touchline free-kick which floated across the box and into the far corner with no-one getting near it.

By that time, a close-range Giuliano Grazioli effort had been ruled out for offside, so Fairclough and his side presumably knew it was not going to be their night.

At least Tynan was enjoying himself as the man who expected to spend the night watching emerged as the main barrier to United recording a landslide victory.

On at least five occasions, Tynan came to his side's rescue, with Sylvain Ebanks-Blake the man most often denied.

There was nothing Tynan could do to stop Rossi making it three though.

Of all the youngsters on United's books, the US-born Italian has the most glowing reputation, having followed up his free-scoring season at reserve-team level last term with his first senior strike at Sunderland earlier this month.

And although he had wasted a couple of decent chances earlier, when Martin cut a cross back five minutes after the break, Rossi fired into the corner with clinical efficiency.

It proved to be Martin's last meaningful involvement before he was stretchered off in extreme discomfort after crashing into an advertising hoarding.

Dean Sinclair did bring the visiting fans to life late on when he seized on Gerard Pique's blunder and fired home.

But the final word went to United, and Ebanks-Blake, who nipped in after Rossi had knocked Miller's long ball into his path, swerved round Tynan and tapped into the empty net.

Fergie: Red card was harsh

SIR Alex Ferguson claimed the second-minute dismissal of Barnet keeper Ross Flitney did nothing to further the footballing education of his young United stars.

Liam Miller, Kieran Richardson, Giuseppe Rossi and Sylvan Ebanks-Blake were all on target during the 4-1 win but Barnet never had a chance once Flitney had been sent off for handling outside his area by referee Richard Beeby.

Ferguson felt the decision was tough on Flitney and believed it also disrupted a United side containing five teenagers.

"It was a harsh decision," said the United boss.

"It didn't help the game or our young players. They needed a test and when we scored immediately after the lad got sent off it became very difficult for Barnet.

"We didn't play the way we normally would. There was too much running with the ball and a few of them became individuals."

Flitney was in tears as he left the field and was consoled by former Fulham team-mate Edwin van der Sar at half-time after the Dutchman made his way down from the stand.

Wrecked

Dean Sinclair did net a consolation to give the visiting fans something to cheer about but Barnet boss Paul Fairclough felt Beeby's dramatic early intervention had wrecked what should have been a dream night.

Flitney was not the only one to suffer, but also young striker Louie Soares, who was substituted without kicking a ball as Fairclough was forced to call on replacement keeper Scott Tynan.

"It was a really cruel decision," said Fairclough.

"It ruined two players' nights. We all talk about the problems football has but there has got to be some soul and heart in the game.

"It wasn't malicious and Ross wasn't seeking to gain an advantage, it was just an error of judgement - surely a yellow card would have been enough.

"The lad was distraught, really distraught and we have also had to take off young Louie, who had not touched the ball and, like us all, had been looking forward to this night ever since the draw was made.

"Surely we need some commonsense. Everyone was stunned by it. It shattered a young boy's dream."

thanks to churchlangbee