Aston Villa – Manchester United

Join us at 1500 GMT, to see if Aston Villa can upset Man Utd in the Carling Cup final and claim the first trophy of the season.

Afternoon all and welcome to live commentary on the Carling Cup final between Aston Villa and Manchester United. It should be a cracker.

The big team news is that Wayne Rooney is on the bench and Michael Owen starts. Ooer.

Aston Villa: Friedel, Cuellar, Collins, Dunne, Warnock, Ashley Young, Milner, Petrov, Downing, Heskey, Agbonlahor. Subs: Guzan, Luke Young, Sidwell, Carew, Delfouneso, Delph, Beye.

Man Utd: Kuszczak, Rafael Da Silva, Vidic, Jonathan Evans, Evra, Valencia, Fletcher, Carrick, Park, Owen, Berbatov. Subs: Foster, Neville, Brown, Rooney, Scholes, Gibson, Diouf.

The teams are in the tunnel, and the atmosphere is what I'd describe as meaty. Here they come...

The nationl anthem now, sung by a lass who must be freezing in a sleeveless dress. There were concerns about the state of the pitch given all the rain we've had but it looks in perfect nick to me.

This is Michael Owen's first start in a Wembley cup final would you believe. His previous showpiece games came at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff. We're all set....

Referee Phil Dowd gets the 50th League cup final underway...

Villa win an early free kick which is nodded behind by Rafael.

Jonny Evans gets up to head clear the corner and United bring it away....

First Manchester United move as Park swings a cross in but Collins clears. A cagey opening...

PENALTY TO VILLA

Agbonlahor gets in down the left channel ahead of Vidic, then gets the ball caught under his feet but as he regroups the defender lunges in and catches him. No card at all though. Why?

GOAL! Milner slots the penalty!

Well what a start for Villa. Vidic looked utterly ragged there and clearly his pace will be a worry. Why he didn't even get a card I will never know. It was a clear goalscoring opportunity.

United look for an instant response but Berbatov slips in the area before he can shoot, then Carrick blasts a shot over the bar.

Now Downing gets down the left after swapping wings with Young but he had strayed marginally offside.

A slight delay as Park and Warnock are enlisted to stamp on a few balloons on the field of play.

Friedel is out to claim a long ball for Berbatov. Players are slipping all the time on the wet turf.

Now Owen is felled by Collins and that will be a booking. The Villa players are making the point that Vidic didn't even get a yellow for the penalty tackle. How odd.

GOAL! Owen!

Richard Dunne loses the ball to Berbatov, who gets into the area but the defender recovers brilliantly to tackle him but the abll breaks loose and Owen sidles up to slot the ball into the bottom corner clinically.

The game has exploded into life and both sides look dangerous whenever they go forward now. Could be a classic.

Great run from Milner as he drifts inside Evra on to his left foot and belts one but Kuszczak saves well. Agbonlahor's follow up curls wide.

Nice ball from Evra to Owen who tries to turn in the area but he ends up returning the ball to the left back. Then Downing hacks him down by the touchline and gets a booking.

Terrible delivery from Carrick, like one he turned in a few minutes ago. He doesn't even beat the first man.

Phil Dowd is all over the place here. Now Carrick chops down Heskety but doesn't even get a talking to. Bizarre refereeing standards so far.

Lovely move from United as Park feeds Berbatov, he flicks it back into the Korean's path but he can't connect properly with his right foot.

Valencia gets an ocean of space on the right flank as Villa's defenders neglect to close him down. His eventual cross is poor though and Dunne clears.

Park tries to release Berbatov but the flag went up straight away.

Great run from Park who streaks away from two challenges. He plays a one-two with Valencia but Collins blocks the shot inside the area.

Rafael commits two fould within a minute, first on Young then Heskey but he gets a talking to from Phil Dowd and not a card. Villa's fans are disgusted.

Good shot on the turn from Heskey as the ball spilled into his path but it lacked the power to test Kuszczak.

Neat play from Villa around the area. Cuellar's cross nearly catches out Kuszczak, the Young's cross reaches the full back who feeds Downing. Eventually Milner shoots but it was hurried and well wide.

Now Carrick finds room for a shot but drags it harmlessly wide from 30 yards. He's been poor so far.

Berbatov is flagged offside.

Now Berbatov ignores runners in favour of a shot when he was 30 yards out and wide to the left. Poor decision.

A spell of United possession ends with a poor tackle from Cuellar on Evra. That should be a booking but Dowd doesn't take any action. He's forgotten how to ref.

The free kick is better from Carrick, and deep, but United win the corner.

The corner is taken short and worked to Carrick but his shot is charged down by Milner. Then Park crosses for Berbatov but Collins nods away. A good defensive header.

Manchester United are well on top now but they can't find a way through Villa's two banks of four.

Owen slips when he got the ball on the edge of the area but he's involved in the next move and has looked pretty tidy in possession so far. Valencia's cross from the right is now met by Friedel.

Now Villa break out and enjoy a spell of possession in United's half. Heskey finds Milner but a ball down the line for Young isn't collected.

Warnock and Valencia engage in a straight sprint down the right flank and the defender shows impressive speed to make the tackle.

Park is finding some space now and he looks for Berbatov in the area. Dunne gets a vital foot in.

Owen gets into the area but Dunne tracked him. Owen didn't fancy it on his left foot but wins a corner.

United's players appeal for handball as the ball hits him in the area. The linesman had a good view but said no.

Evra clips Ashley Young and now he goes into the book. Ironic cheers from the Villa faithful.

What a ball into the area from Ashley Young. Superb cross, but it was just too quick for Heskey.

Owen pulled something in that incident a minute ago and he has hobbled off. Guess who is on? Yep, Wayne Rooney.

Total confusion in the United rearguard after Evans' terrible back pass sends Kuszczak wide. Young closes him down and the 'keeper punts it out of play about 30 yards ahead of him.

Its deathly quiet in the stadium. The first half has flown by...

Berbatov nicks the ball from Collins now and suddenly Villa are stretched. Berbatov spurns Rooney and goes for goal himself but the ball dribbles into Friedel's arms. Then Petrov flies into Carrick but doesn't clip him. Still a free kick though.

What a chance! Valencia gets past Warnock on the right as the defender slips and cuts it back for Park, his shot hits the post, then Cuellar on the line before Milner gets involved and drags the ball to safety.

That's half time and a very entertaining 45 minutes indeed. Chances at both ends and good spells for either side. See you in 15 minutes...

We're off...

Rooney has a pop on the volley from 30 yards out and for a moment it looks good but he rather sliced it.

Downing ends a spot of Villa passing with a cross and Evra challenges Agbonlahor to decent effect. Kuszczak tidies up.

What a stop from Friedel! A superb save after Carrick met Rooney's flick, turned outside Collins and shot low and hard to the bottom corner.

Villa break and Downing releases Agbonlahor. He tries to take on Vidic but in the end hammers a shot-cum-cross wide of the far post.

A good interception from Milner but then a poor ball from Downing who looks again for Agbonlahor.

Young on the right goes past Evra and stumbles but doesn't appeal for a foul. Then Berbatov chests off to Rooney but a vital touch from Dunne removes the danger.

Carrick wastes his pass at the end of a slick United move. There's a goal coming here, I can smell it.

Great knock down the line from Young who then beats Fletcher for pace. His cross is poor, then his second is too long for Agbonlahor and the chance is gone when Petrov squirms a shot well wide.

Park asks too much of Rooney with a clip down the line but Collins hands the ball right back to United.

Milner does well to find Downing and he slams a low cross into the box but no-one can get on the end of it. Bit more space in midfield for Villa now. Young and Downing having more of an influence.

Villa's fans pipe up with their John Carew song. He sits there grinning on the bench.

Evra turns in a cross but Friedel grabs it comfortably.

Valenica's cross falls to Park's feet. He touches it to Rooney who tries an ambitious spin and shot but he hits it over the bar.

Rafael goes down after a stretch. Gary Neville goes out to warm up. It might even be cramp. After only an hour of play.

As play resumes Warnock's cross is too deep for any of his team mates. Gary Neville isn't ready to come on for Rafael though, because he's gone to the loo.

Rafael is back on as we await the return of Gary Neville. Ahh there he is. Must have been a number one.

Rafael off, Neville on. United corner.

Warnock puts the ball out because Petrov is winded after blocking Park's shot with his kidney.

Vidic finally gets a card, for a lunge on Agbonlahor. Compared to his earlier misdemeanour it wasn't even worth a talking to.

Young's free kick is gratefully claimed by Kuszczak.

Downing does well to win the ball and win a corner off Evra.

Carrick and Collins go up for the corner and the ball loops up for Ashley Young but he hits his volley into the ground and wide of the target.

The ball changes hands a few times by the corner flag as Evra nips it off Cuellar, then Cuellar gets it off Rooney but his attempted cross is smothered and United come away with the ball.

The ball comes to Young's feet on the left side of the area and he tries to cut inside Valencia but the winger gets a good foot in on the ball.

GOAL! Rooney!

Good work down the right between Berbatov and Valencia, the winger crosses and Rooney's looping header drops over Friedel and into the net.

Another Valencia cross, another Rooney header. A huge blow for Villa but they still have 15 minutes to rescue something.

Rooney finds Valencia in space on the right and his first time cross is narrowly ahead of Berbatov and Friedel claims.

Rooney's hit the post! Yet another Valencia cross to the back post, a free header for the striker but though he beats Friedel the ball comes back off the upright.

Brilliant touch from Fletcher to control a long ball in the area but his spin across the face is met by Dunne rather than a red shirt.

Villa change: Carew on, Cuellar off.

Dunne has gone up front for Villa and as a Downing cross comes in, Collins was in there but it flicked up off Vidic and Kuszczak is forced into a good save.

Now Rooney is accused of handball as the corner hit him in the stomach. Nothing doing but Villa win another corner.

Dunne met the header but he was climbing all over his marker Berbatov. Phil Dowd awards United a free kick.

Rooney skips round Warnock and crosses with outside of his right boot but Collins clears before Fletcher can meet it, then Berbatov got in on goal down the left side but slipped at the crucial moment.

Valencia now jinks into the area and lays it off to Berbatov but he skies his effort well over the bar. Final United change: Park off, Gibson on.

United have gone five in midfield now with Rooney dropping into that wide left position. Berbatov ploughs the lone furrow up top.

Gibson shows nice feet to get down the left wing and secure a corner.

What a lovely little interchange from Villa, they spread it wide to Downing who lofted it to the back post where Richard Dunne couldn't get enough on it to turn it home. Good opportunity.

Four minutes added....

Villa throwing caution to the wind and leaving big gaps. Valencia tries to exploit them by running the length of the field and having a pop from wide but he can only find the side netting.

The linesman's flag goes up for offside for some reason. Not entirely sure why.

Friedel's long punt is cleared by Evans. Throw in on the left. Time nearly up.

Young finds a cross and Agbonlahor flicks it wide. That should be game over.

FULL TIME. Manchester United have beaten Aston Villa to win the Carling Cup.

Muted celebrations really from the United players but Villa's lot look suitably gutted. Rooney says scoring the winner was "an unbelievable feeling."

I think we'll be hearing a lot more about the decision not to dismiss Vidic but he doesn't think he should have been sent off. He says Rooney is having a "magnificent season."

Villa start the long walk up the stairs to get their medals. They will be wondering what might have been had Phil Dowd given Vidic a red card. They played well in spells but didn't create too much.

Now United start their march up to lift the trophy.

Patrice Evra lifts the trophy and the United end erupts. Wembley blasts out some kind of soft rock anthem. Not sure about that....