Capital One Cup: Manchester United see off Stoke to reach semi-finals

Manchester United overcame a hail storm to beat Stoke 2-0 and reach the quarter final of the Capital One Cup.

Both sets of players were led from the field just before the half-hour mark, with the inclement conditions at the Britannia Stadium leaving referee Mark Clattenburg unable to see the action unfolding in front of him.

In truth, there was not much to get excited about in a first half which was keenly contested but produced few opportunities of note.

It became increasingly apparent that a moment of magic would be required to break the deadlock, and Ashley Young produced just that on 62 minutes as he exchanged passes with Javier Hernandez and lashed a 20-yard thunderbolt past Thomas Sorensen.

United’s second also had a touch of class about it, with skipper Patrice Evra latching onto a pass from Young, bursting into the box and curling the ball into the corner with his right foot.