Rooney was named man of the match

Manchester United hit Wigan with a second-half salvo to win 4-0 and claim the League Cup for the second time.

Wayne Rooney cashed in on confusion between Arjan De Zeeuw and Pascal Chimbonda to fire United ahead.

Gary Neville crossed for Louis Saha to score United's second before Stephane Henchoz gifted the ball to Saha to set Cristiano Ronaldo up for their third.

Rooney rounded off a blitz of three goals in seven minutes to ensure United will end the season with a trophy.

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In the opening seconds Gary Teale outstripped Mikael Silvestre to whip in a cross which Senegalese striker Henri Camara headed wide when well-placed, setting the template for an action-packed game.

There were only three minutes gone when Wigan keeper Mike Pollitt clutched his hamstring after innocuously fielding a ball and was clearly in trouble.

With replacement keeper John Filan warming up, Rooney thumped a header against the Wigan bar.

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Rooney was in ebullient mood and was the driving force as United applied the early pressure.

United were finding too much space for Wigan's liking and with Ronaldo at his mercurial slick-footed best, De Zeeuw and Henchoz were at full stretch in the heart of the Latics' defence.

There was little finesse about United's opening goal, inevitably scored by Rooney.

Edwin Van der Sar's long punt downfield was flicked on by Saha - and De Zeeuw and Chimbonda collided to leave Rooney with a clear run on goal to slot clinically past Filan.

Rooney coolly slots home Man Utd's opener

But Wigan showed the spirit which has typified their first season in the Premiership and Jason Roberts tricked his way past Neville and Wes Brown did superbly to head clear as Paul Scharner closed in.

Wigan carried the game to United at the start of the second half and Camara showed skill and pace to beat Rio Ferdinand but Van der Sar got his angles right to beat the shot away.

But just as Wigan were pressing for an equaliser, United struck a mortal blow to their hopes with a second goal.

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Ryan Giggs picked his way past a couple of tackles in midfield before sweeping a pass out to Ronaldo, who in turn laid the ball into Neville's overlapping run.

Neville's cross was met by Saha and although Filan saved his first effort, the Frenchman converted at the second attempt.

Graham Kavanagh and Stephane Henchoz know the game is up

United effectively killed the game off two minutes later when Henchoz gifted the ball to Saha who slid a pass for Ronaldo to fire a shot across Filan.

A rampant United made it three goals in seven minutes when Giggs' free-kick was won initially by Saha, and then Ferdinand headed the ball goalwards for Rooney to spin and tuck away his second goal.

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Although Wigan were staring at an act of damage-limitation, they went searching for a consolation but found United's defence in a mean-spirited mood.

Man Utd: Van der Sar, Neville, Brown (Vidic 83), Ferdinand, Silvestre (Evra 83), Ronaldo (Richardson 73), O'Shea, Giggs, Park, Saha, Rooney.
Subs Not Used: Howard, van Nistelrooy.

Booked: Ronaldo.

Goals: Rooney 33, Saha 55, Ronaldo 59, Rooney 61.

Wigan: Pollitt (Filan 14), Chimbonda, De Zeeuw, Henchoz (McCulloch 62), Baines, Bullard, Kavanagh (Ziegler 72), Scharner, Teale, Camara, Roberts.
Subs Not Used: Jackson, Johansson.

Booked: De Zeeuw.

Att: 66,866.

Ref: A Wiley (Staffordshire).