League Cup: Rooney's last gasp winner puts United in final

Wayne Rooney's stoppage-time header sent Manchester United into the League Cup final with a pulsating 3-1 victory over Manchester City on Wednesday.

Trailing 2-1 after last week's bad-tempered clash at Eastlands, United turned the tie on its head with goals from Paul Scholes and Michael Carrick, only for their former striker Carlos Tevez to level it for City.

But with the aggregate score 3-3 and extra time looming, Rooney's 21st goal of the season crushed City's bid for a long overdue trophy and sparked ecstatic celebrations inside a crackling Old Trafford.

Holders United will take on Aston Villa at Wembley on February 28, a repeat of the 1994 League Cup final which Villa won 3-1.

It was the seventh time manager Alex Ferguson has taken the club to the League Cup final, while City's long wait for a first trophy since the 1976 League Cup continues.

"We were deserved winners because we dominated the game," Rooney told Sky Sports. "It was nice to score but it was a team performance tonight."

City manager Roberto Mancini had hoped to lead his team to a first final since 1981, just over a month after taking over as manager from Mark Hughes.

"We played the same level as them," Mancini said. "We played well but I'm just sorry we lost. That's football. Now we have the FA Cup and the Premier League."

Fears of crowd disturbances after several flashpoints in the first leg did not materialise, apart from one incident when City's Craig Bellamy appeared to be struck by a missile, with a packed stadium absorbed by a classic Manchester derby.

FRENETIC OPENING

It took until the second half for the match to come to the boil after a frenetic opening period in which Tevez, scorer of two goals in the first leg and booed by United's fans, came closest to scoring with a diving header.

Mancini's side looked comfortable and had the first chance after the break when a rampaging Micah Richards forced a great save from Edwin van der Sar.

A yellow card for Tevez for a foul on Rafael stoked the atmosphere and United went in front after 52 minutes with a clinical finish by Scholes.

The goal seemed to suck the belief from City's players and they were on the ropes with 20 minutes to go when Carrick's precise finish after being teed up by Darren Fletcher put United ahead on aggregate.

Rooney should have buried City when he somehow missed the target from inside the six-yard area and that looked costly when Tevez pounced, cleverly flicking in Bellamy's cross with the outside of his right boot.

United would not be denied, however, and swarmed forward looking for a winner. Shay Given produced a superb save to deny Fletcher but could do nothing when Ryan Giggs curled in a magnificent cross which Rooney nodded in.