Leeds United 0 Manchester United 3

The competition that Sir Alex Ferguson turned into a breeding ground for future United legends suddenly became a platform for the veterans.

How times have changed.

Far from the days when Fergies youthful choices in the leagues tournament once prompted questions in parliament his Elland Road starting X1 was older than his opening line up against Chelsea.

Against the Londoners last Sunday in the Premier League the Reds average age was just short of 23, last night in Yorkshire it was just over 26!

Maybe the local Leeds MP will be proposing a motion in the House that the United manager is now destroying the trophy by playing 30-somethings.

Certainly Michael Owen and Ryan Giggs destroyed Leeds ambition to repeat their Old Trafford FA Cup win in January 2010.

The 37-year-old and 31-year-old may have had their noses pushed out by up and coming starlets in the Premier League but this was a reminder to those enjoying the heady delights of a rampant scoring start to the campaign that they darent let up or else.

Owen declared exclusively in M.E.N. Sport on the eve of this tie that his season was starting at Elland Road last night.

And what a storming start it was.

Bargain

His double took his stats to 11 goals in his last 12 starts. If those matches had been in successive games and not over two years hed be classed as the bargain free agent of the century.

But there is still time for that if he is given the opportunities he craves.

Only Giggs and Fabio started the Reds last Carling Cup match and that was the shambles at Upton Park last November against West Ham.

The Brazilian full back must have been a tad worried that he could end ! up being looked upon as a cup jinx because he was also in the line up that suffered that FA Cup stunner in 2010.

Dimitar Berbatov, starting his first game of the season, was the only other who had to endure the embarrassment of that Battle of the Roses humiliation.

Fergies nod towards the latest of Uniteds Academy batch was to hand 19-year-old central defender Ezekiel Fryers his first team debut as a starter and then introduce French youngsters Paul Pogba to the big time at half time.

The rookie Mancunian Fryers might have had a senior midfield as a partner at the heart of defence in Michael Carrick and a makeshift right back in winger Antonio Valencia close by but Uniteds rearguard was never in serious trouble all night.

The home fans may have been hoping to revive memories of the halcyon days when they were on an equal footing with the Reds or even the magic from that Old Trafford upset but they never came close.

Control

United hardly had to switch from second gear to take complete control of this tie.

The names on Uniteds list at the start of the match might not have appeared to fit quite perfectly into the jigsaw but there was nothing disjointed about their performance.

After a scramble in the fifth minute when a succession of Red bodies guarded Ben Amos goal with their lives United proved that theyve got ruthlessness in abundance in their ranks.

Owen grabbed his first in the 14th minute when he was released in the box by Ji-sung Park.

The striker turned Lees easily in the box and then dragged his shot they way hed come to catch keeper Lonergan flat-footed.

You could maybe cruelly call his strike a scuff but his second could only be described as crisp and powerful.

After 32 minutes the former England hitman controlled Mae Dioufs cross with one touch then crashed in his shot.

Even Leeds fans gasped at the finish an! d they w ere in awe again when Giggs completed a comprehensive first half performance by leaving Lees for dead then lifting in his second goal in successive starts with the outside of his left foot.

The introduction of Paul Pogba at half time for Giggs and then Danny Welbeck for Diouf later in the second half, plus a late debut for another Manchester lad Larnell Cole brought Uniteds average age down a bit but the elder statesmen had already done enough damage to allow the Reds to stroll through to the next round without breaking sweat.

The Reds ended with a central defence of Carrick and Berbatov when Fryers was forced off with all subs used up but even then Leeds couldnt nick a consolation.

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