Analysis of Man United 3 Wolves 2

In this sequence of grim results for Wolves, let's start with a positive.

If this performance doesn't get Matt Jarvis an England shout, nothing will.

Sadly, not even the latest in a lengthening line of stand-out displays by the team's most impressive player in the season to date could bring about a much-needed victory in a Carling Cup tie which veered crazily from dreadful to dazzling.

Make no mistake, a victory was there for the taking, regardless of the intimidating venue and opponents.

In truth, both were at half strength with Old Trafford's smallest crowd for five years looking down on Manchester United's much-changed team which, frankly, served to underline the point Wayne Rooney was making last week.

Wolves manager Mick McCarthy kept his alterations to a minimum – a first start for both Steven Mouyokolo and Stephen Hunt, much-needed run-outs for George Elokobi and Sylvan Ebanks-Blake.

All acquitted themselves well.

And his team had the opportunities to nail this game, many of them either inspired or provided by the second-half performance of Jarvis which embarrassed not one but two England full-backs in Wes Brown and Gary Neville.

But after twice levelling the tie in a second-half that was as wonderful as the first half was woeful, Wolves were floored by a winner from the new hero-in-waiting at United, Javier Hernandez, just 34 seconds from the end of scheduled time.

It was, as no Wolves fan needs reminding, yet another late, late opposition winner to test the patience and sense of fair play around Molineux.

Maybe this was another hard-luck story, typical of the shape of this campaign so far. Maybe.

But nagging away at the back of McCarthy's mind must be the thought that it is happening too frequently now to be purely a question of misfortune.

Despite producing some genuinely impressive form and having a big say in the glut of matches against top-flight opponents that have passed since they beat Stoke on the opening day – still the team's only win over a Premier League side – Wolves are coming up short. That is the cruel truth but one that needs speaking.

They may have deserved more, they may have earned more - but the cold reality is they haven't got it.

And now the Carling Cup has gone the same way as their hopes for a bright start to the League campaign.

As McCarthy now turns his attention to the third in this run of five arduous fixtures against the best in the country – Manchester City at Molineux this weekend – he knows his men must address this shortfall or risk sabotaging their season before it has barely begun.

Most of all, that means they must stop letting teams off the hook in front of goal.

You don't often get the chance to put United to the sword anywhere, never mind Old Trafford, but Wolves could have done just that in this tie.

But like West Ham and Chelsea before them, United got away with relatively minor damage.

Perhaps it was even more remarkable that such a barrage of goalmouth activity should emerge from a game which for 45 minutes was so featureless there is little point wasting any more time discussing it.

But what a contrast after the interval.

In the four minutes which followed the 52nd, beginning with Frederico Macheda's attempt to repeat his memorable goal against Villa but curling his shot just wide, we saw more action than in tha entire sterile opening period.

Taking his cue, Jarvis hinted at what was to come by cutting through the right side of United's defence to pull back a perfect set-up for Ebanks-Blake.

Indeed, the quality of Jarvis's final ball was a feature of the night; oh that his colleagues could have taken advantage.

On this occasion, the centre forward's strike was blocked by Jonny Evans and so the fun, at times pulsating and certainly deserving more than a meagre half-full stadium, began.

United broke upfield where an intended cross by Bebe looped up off George Elokobi's boot, taking off on a mischievous arc over goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey. Kevin Foley, covering on the line, headed the ball out from under his bar - but an assistant-referee judged not before it had crossed the line.

This was either a brilliant call or a lucky one because replays suggested the decision had rested on centimetres but Wolves' response was expansive.

Jarvis was the inspiration, another searing run setting up Hunt for a shot deflected away for a David Jones corner headed home by Elokobi - his first senior goal and Wolves first at Old Trafford since a Mel Eves winner 30 years earlier.

As Jarvis kept coming, United kept floundering.

Another precision set-up saw Hunt clip the bar when he should have scored - perhaps he will when fully fit - before Ebanks-Blake muscled Evans out of the way, crossed to Steven Fletcher but watched his colleague skew his left-footer wide.

Wolves could not take these liberties and expect to survive and in the 70th minute, Ji Sung Park enjoyed a little break as the ball ran back into his path from a Mouyokolo tackle on Macheda and Hennessey was beaten from 12 yards.

That was with 20 minutes left and six later Wolves were level again, Ebanks-Blake and Fletcher spadeworking the chance Kevin Foley tucked away with aplomb before once more, Jarvis flew away from all defenders and gave Ebanks-Blake a 79th minute opportunity to win it. His left-foot shot was a fraction wide.

United then won the battle from the dug out.

Wolves fans were surprised to see McCarthy withdraw both Ebanks-Blake and Jarvis for these final moments, as the manager felt he detected fatigue and the entrance of Hernandez compounded the loss of the visitors' two most threatening forwards.

His winner, though cruel, was a delightful blend of balance and composure after being played through by Darron Gibson.

Wolves desperately need to call on such qualities.

By Martin Swain