United Fight Back Fells Iron

Manchester United survived an early scare against Scunthorpe to begin their Carling Cup defence in winning style.

The hosts scored a shock opener when Josh Wright powered in, only for Darron Gibson to level with a fine lob.

United settled after Chris Smalling's volley before the break with Scunthorpe restricted to long-range shots.

Michael Owen tucked in when clean through, Ji-Sung Park blasted home and Owen tapped in the fifth, leaving Martyn Woolford to score a consolation.

With Sir Alex Ferguson in Spain watching Champions League opponents Valencia, Mike Phelan was handed managerial duties for a United team making wholesale changes from their win over Liverpool on Sunday.

It was a still a strong line-up, boasting Owen and Anderson - making their first competitive starts since February - as well as Rio Ferdinand in defence and although United came through as victors, the Championship side can be proud of their efforts in this captivating encounter.

The Scunthorpe caretaker boss Ian Baraclough, in only his third game in management, promised his team would not "sit back" and despite being unable to sustain the momentum in the second period, they did not let down the Glanford Park faithful.

The hosts peppered the United goal in the opening exchanges with Wright and Woolford going close and only an alert Tomasz Kuszczak kept out Eddie Nolan's rasping shot from 25 yards.

It wasn't long before the unthinkable, yet wholly deserved, opening goal arrived on 19 minutes.

Woolford danced his way through the defence and after feeding the ball into the path of the onrushing Wright, Kuszczak was soon picking the ball out of the net after a sensational 25-yard strike from the man brought from Charlton on a free last season.

The jubilation was short-lived though when four minutes later, the Old Trafford team, who last suffered a knock-out defeat in this competition in September 2007, unlocked the hard-working defence with their first major attack.

Smalling fired a long-ball down through the middle and after one bounce, Gibson lobbed the ball cutely over keeper Joe Murphy to level the scoring.

The team 15th in the Championship continued to press forward and they almost regained the lead with a Cliff Byrne header but the unmarked skipper could only find the seats behind the goal.

With both teams increasingly intent on exhibiting free-flowing football, the on-looking Phelan will have been hugely relieved as his players burst forward in numbers to take the lead.

Following a rather limp Anderson free-kick, Brown passed through to Park on the right whose low cross was volleyed in adroitly by Smalling from four yards.

Some may have predicted a capitulation from the hosts, but they stuck by their managerial directions and Kuszczak was very fortunate to see his save from Jonathan Forte bounce away just short of the goal line.

But despite Woolfrod and substitute Robert Grant troubling the United keeper with more shots, the second half belonged to the visitors.

Four minutes inside the second half, Owen, making a rare appearance up front, burst through after a sweet pass from Federico Macheda to chip over Murphy for his 10th United goal and stretch the lead to two.

The former England striker then turned provider as he headed down Anderson's corner for Park to blast home.

Park then returned the favour as his shot spilled from Murphy's hands for Owen to stroke in the fifth.

The drama continued in the last 20 minutes, with the sight of a male stripper running on to the pitch, United's Portuguese Bebe forward finally making his senior debut, leaving the irrepressible Woolford to poke in a late goal for Scunthorpe.


Michael Owen celebrates after scoring the Reds' third goal at Glanford Park