After an anxious afternoon, a calm tea-time audit. Six internationals primed for two mighty play-off occasions walked onto this slice of Stretford at three o'clock and almost two hours of sweaty endeavour later all six walked back off. Phil Neville, Paul Scholes, Andy Cole, Roy Keane, Emile Heskey and Steve Guppy: safe and sound.
Thus Kevin Keegan and Mick McCarthy were able to breathe easy. Had Craig Brown selected Matt Elliott for Scotland, he too would have been happy. Given that Elliott was marking two-goal Cole that may seem an unusual statement, but he could hardly be faulted for the startling opener and was an auxiliary forward come the second.
Such adaptability is typical of the City industry Martin O'Neill has manufactured at Filbert Street and it lent gravitas to the words of Elliott on Cole. "You can sense a quiet confidence in him," Elliott said. "His close control is better than it's ever been. If he plays for England, the Scottish defence is going to have to be alert."
Elliott has not featured in that Scottish defence since his dismissal in the Faroes yet there were moments when he left Cole looking bemused. These arrived mostly in an opening half-hour that Leicester dominated; two useful positions were created but Tony Cottee and Andy Impey wasted them.
United, meanwhile, were struggling to adapt to a Beckham-less formation. With Cole up the middle, Dwight Yorke and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer both appeared uncomfortable fulfilling semi-wide roles.
But on the half-hour came a half-chance. Neville's floated pass was met by a smart backwards header by Solskjaer; Cole, with his back to goal and Elliott looking, decided to gamble. It was an inspired choice, his scissors-kick from 20 yards skidding in off the far post with Tim Flowers nowhere. "It was a wonderful goal, fit to win any match," said O'Neill.
The breakthrough also released United from inhibition. With Keane and Scholes masterful in midfield, Ryan Giggs began to roam. After Flowers denied Yorke and Solskjaer and Cole passed up an inviting opportunity, Leicester snapped with five minutes left. Neil Lennon blocked Cole's initial effort but when the ball rebounded off a post, Cole finished it off, the 13th time he has done so this season.
Man Utd: Bosnich, Neville (Berg 83), Stam, Silvestre, Higginbottom (May 79), Solskjaer, Keane, Scholes, Giggs, Cole, Yorke. Subs Not Used: Van Der Gouw, Cruyff, Greening. Goals: Cole 30, 83.
Leicester: Flowers, Sinclair, Elliott, Taggart, Impey, Savage, Lennon, Izzet, Guppy, Heskey, Cottee (Walsh 79). Subs Not Used: Gilchrist, Arphexad, Oakes, Zagorakis.
Referee: P Durkin (Dorset)
