BURN’S NIGHT!
Giant defender’s dreams come true as Toon end 47-year semi-final wait
DAN BURN’S first goal for his boyhood club set up Newcastle’s first League Cup semi-final since 1976 last night.
After a frustrating hour, the 6ft 6in boy from Blyth broke through, weaving past three defenders before finishing coolly.
Then on 72 minutes, Joelinton added a second goal to book Newcastle’s first trip to the last four of any competition since the 2005 FA Cup.
DEAN HOLDEN once blagged his way into Old Trafford disguised as a steward, but the Charlton manager could walk out of his boyhood club with his head held high last night.
There will be no appearance in the Carabao Cup semi-finals for the League One club and their magnificent army of 9,000 fans here, 76 years after Charlton last made it to the final four of a domestic cup competition.
But they took Manchester United all the way in this quarterfinal which was decided by a sumptuous strike by Antony and two late efforts from Marcus
Rashford. The fact that Antony cost £82million says all you need to know about the gulf between these two clubs. After an hour last night, Erik ten Hag turned to his substitutes and summoned Casemiro, Rashford and Christian Eriksen off the bench.
The fact that he had to bring on the big guns was testament to Charlton’s efforts and the danger they posed right until the death.
Holden, who like a true Mancunian, stood on the touchline in mid- January in just a jumper, should be proud of the way his players performed here.
But it is United who go through to the semi-finals with an 11th win in 12 games. They have met Manchester City at that stage of this competition in two of the last three years, and there is every chance that Saturday’s derby at Old Trafford will not be the last meeting between the two clubs this season.
Ten Hag picked a team with Saturday’s Manchester derby here in mind. Kobbie Mainoo, 17, made his senior debut and at the other end of the scale Tom Heaton got his first start for United at the age of 36 nearly 20 years after winning the FA Youth Cup with the club.
Lisandro Martinez was also in the starting line-up for the first time since lifting the World Cup, with rather less at stake here.
Indeed, when Diogo Dalot went down with an injury in the 34th minute, Ten Hag took no chances and immediately replaced him with Aaron Wan-Bissaka. If the United team looked rather unfamiliar,miliar, we have become used to seeing them on the front foot and last night was no different.dif AlejandroA Garnacho soon sets about terrorising Sean ClareC down the Charlton right, creating three chances inside the opening nine minutes.
Dalot fired the first of themt high into the East StandS before Garnacho tookto on the next two himself and fired both off target. If thet 18-year- old Argentine wasn’t giving Clare enough of a headache,headac the Charlton defender got another one when Heaton clattered into him at a corner.
Ryan Inniss bravely stuck his head in the way of Fred’s goalbound shot before the Brazilian had a hand in the opening goal for compatriot Antony in the 21st minute. The move started on the left with Tyrell Malacia and Garnacho before Fred switched play to the right where Antony was waiting.
Corey Blackett-Taylor went to close him down but Antony had already lined up a shot and curled it brilliantly with his left foot beyond Ashley Maynard-Brewer and into the top corner.
Fred was inches away from rewarding United’s dominance with another goal after he was fouled by Albie Morgan and got up to rattle the post with a 25yard free-kick.
Morgan had Charlton’s best opportunity to equalise from a similar position before half-time after Mainoo brought down Jesurun Rak-Sakyi, but his attempt was well wide.
Scott Fraser had another chance for the visitors at the start of the second half after Charlton caught United cold with an attack, but he fired over.
United hit back and Antony Elanga thought he had scored from Wan-Bissaka’s pass but soon realised he had already been flagged offside.
Maynard-Brewer then made fantastic saves to deny Garnacho and Erisken.
But Rashford prodded home late on to settle United’s nerves and then struck again in stoppage time to give the scoreline a rather flattering look. MANCHESTER UNITED (4-2-3-1): Heaton 6.5; Dalot 6 (Wan-Bissaka 34min, 6), Maguire 6, Martinez 6.5, Malacia 6; McTominay 6, Fred 7 (Eriksen 60, 6); Antony 7 (Rashford 60, 7), Mainoo 6 (Casemiro 60, 6), GARNACHO 7.5;
Elanga 6 (Pellistri 85).
Scorers: Antony 21, Rashford 90, 90+4. Booked: Malacia, Maguire.
Manager: Erik ten Hag 7.
CHARLTON ATHLETIC (4-4-2): Maynard-Brewer 6.5; Clare 5, Inniss 6, Ness 7, Sessegnon 6 (Stockley 82); Dobson 6.5, Rak-Sakyi 7 (Henry 82), Morgan 6 (Payne 66, 6), Fraser 6; Blackett-Taylor 6.5 (O’Connell 61, 6); Leaburn 6. Booked: None. Manager: Dean Holden 6.5.
Referee: Jarred Gillett 7.
Attendance: Not provided.