Scholes struck the same spot later on after being supplied by Sheringham

Scholes struck the same spot later on after being supplied by Sheringham.Leicester were not now the force they were, though in wider terms they have certainly become one. Neither are United yet the force they were, though you sense they will be.. Ask anyone in the industry, and they’ll tell you that it makes no difference what the sex of the creative team behind an advert is What matters is what we, the potential buyers, think of it. They should certainly have had one when Scholes dived to head another cross from Giggs, Kasey Keller parried and Sheringham seemed sure to score, only to stab the rebound on to a post.Seconds into the second half, another good run by Giggs ended with him caressing a low shot against Keller’s right post. With Paul Scholes replacing him, United suddenly looked more inventive.They might have had the lead when Scholes neatly chested the ball down to Giggs and, after his swift run and low cross, met the ball cutely, only for it to drift wide of a post.

Added to a penalty appeal turned down later in the half, when the excellent Matt Elliott’s header hit Teddy Sheringham’s hand, it was breathless stuff.It had seemed as if matters were worsening for United when Jordi Cruyff, pressed into service as leader of the attack, had to leave the field with an ankle injury Actually, they improved. O’Neill admitted: “We stuck manfully to it, but we ran out of steam at the end. In fact, a goodly time before the end.”But how freshly they began. When the two teams met here in May, Leicester were two goals ahead in 20 minutes.

This time they might have gone one better, with Emile Heskey presented with a trio of early chances.From Berg’s poor control, Neil Lennon found Muzzy Izzet, whose low cut- back Heskey turned just over the bar. Soon after, the talented 19-year- old Stuart Campbell won the ball from Keane, fed Ian Marshall and, from his through ball, Heskey shot low only for Schmeichel to save with his legs.Moments later, Heskey was in the clear again, from Pontus Kaamark’s chip, but his volley was weakly directed to Schmeichel. Given United’s weakness up front, they might have been even more ambitious by sending more men forward late on but by then their harrying style had taken its toll. We are still searching for penetration.”Martin O’Neill’s Coca-Cola Cup winners have not allowed their tricky start to the season to disturb the rhythm they established upon their return to the Premiership last season. He said: “We had plenty of possession without looking like winning the game. Only Schmeichel, Denis Irwin, Roy Keane and Ryan Giggs satisfied his standards. “The rest were average,” he said.In the absence of the injured Ole-Gunnar Solskjaer and Andy Cole, Ferguson conceded that United lack a cutting edge, despite the three strikes and not in.