Yaya puts City in FA Cup final

WEMBLEY, England (AP):

Yaya Toure kept Manchester City on course to end a 35-year trophy drought and ended Manchester United's pursuit of a treble by sending his big-spending club into the FA Cup final with a 1-0 victory yesterday.

Toure exploited calamitous defending for the only goal in the 52nd minute at Wembley Stadium.

City last reached the final in 1981 and have not won a major title since the 1976 League Cup.

"It's fantastic for the club, for the players and fantastic for the fans, because they have been without for 35 years," Toure said.

In a fiery conclusion to the Manchester derby, United midfielder Paul Scholes was sent off in the 72nd for a dangerous, high lunge on Pablo Zabaleta. And after the final whistle, City striker Mario Balotelli clashed with United midfielder Anderson after celebrating in front of opposition supporters.

Unguarded net

City was overrun for most of the first half and Dimitar Berbatov should have put United ahead when he lofted the ball over from close range in front of an unguarded net.

"We had opportunities and we didn't take them," United captain Nemanja Vidic said. "We lost concentration for one moment and they scored - that's hard to take. It is difficult, we are disappointed, but we have to forget this game."

After seeing a seven-match winning run ended, United's focus turns to winning two more prestigious trophies.

United are seven points clear at the top of the Premier League and will return to Wembley for the Champions League final next month if they can overcome Schalke in the semi-finals.

"We've got to recover and get ready for the game on Tuesday (against Newcastle)," United manager Alex Ferguson said. "It doesn't matter when you play, you know you've got to recover and get on a winning streak again."

In the FA Cup final on May 14, City will play the winners of today's semi-final between Stoke and Bolton.

"We mustn't forget we play another game," City manager Roberto Mancini said. "Today, we won only the semi-final ... for us, it's important to start to win the first trophies."

City will see yesterday's victory over United as a sign that the balance in power could be shifting in Manchester thanks to around $1 billion pounds of investment by owner Sheikh Mansour since 2008.

City are also looking to reach the Champions League for the first time, with Mancini's side occupying the fourth qualifying spot in the Premier League.

"If we have the same spirit we had today, we have the fourth spot," the Italian manager said.

The first Wembley derby between the Manchester rivals looked to be heading toward a comfortable United victory after a vibrant start by Ferguson's side.

Starting line-up

United, though, were made to pay for Berbatov's profligacy after being restored to the starting line-up ahead of Javier Hernandez.

Berbatov - the Premier League's leading goalscorer - was presented with two openings in quick succession in the 15th.

Park Ji-Sung played in the Bulgaria striker, but he was denied when one-on-one with Joe Hart.

And when Nani squared the ball from the left flank, Berbatov raised it over from three metres.

Given this was City's biggest match since the 1981 FA Cup final, there was no menace from the team to match its lofty ambitions for more than half an hour.

City didn't go close to Van der Sar's goal until Gareth Barry, on the turn, lashed the ball into the side netting.

Van der Sar was tested for the first time when Balotelli unleashed a fierce shot from distance that was turned over.

City's newfound confidence carried over into the second half and they punished United's sloppy defending in the 52nd.

A poor clearance from Van der Sar was picked up by teammate Michael Carrick, who passed straight to Toure.

The Ivory Coast international stormed past Vidic, who was attempting to tug at his shirt, and slotted the ball between Van der Sar's legs.

"The first 15 minutes after half-time cost us the game," Ferguson said. "Slack moments. Edwin had a bad kick out and Michael Carrick couldn't hold it and it was a goal.

"From then on, they were defending apart from a couple of counter-attacks. It's disappointing as we should've been ahead in the first half as we were the better team."

But it took Hart's acrobatics to keep out Nani's free kick, pushing the strike onto the crossbar.

Results

FA Cup semi-final: (At Wembley) - Manchester City 1, Manchester United 0

Premier League: Birmingham 2 Sunderland 0, Blackpool 1 Wigan 3, Everton 2 Blackburn 0, West Bromwich Albion 1 Chelsea 3, West Ham 1 Aston Villa 2.

League Championship: Bristol City 0 Ipswich 1, Burnley 2 Swansea 1, Cardiff 3 Portsmouth 0, Coventry 2 Millwall 1, Crystal Palace 1 Scunthorpe 2, Hull 3 Doncaster 1, Leeds 2 Watford 2, Middlesbrough 1 Barnsley 1, Preston 3 Sheffield United 1, Reading 3 Leicester 1.League One: Carlisle 4 Colchester 1, Charlton 0 Huddersfield 1, Exeter 2 Leyton Orient 1, Notts County 0 Bournemouth 2, Peterborough 2 Plymouth 1, Rochdale 0 Brentford 1, Sheffield Wednesday 2 Hartlepool 0, Southampton 1 Bristol Rovers 0, Swindon 0 MK Dons 1, Tranmere 2 Dagenham & Redbridge 0, Walsall 1 Brighton 3, Yeovil 1 Oldham 1.

League Two: Accrington Stanley 0 Oxford 0, Burton Albion 2 Cheltenham 0, Bury 2 Barnet 0, Chesterfield 2 Macclesfield 1, Crewe 1 Lincoln 1, Gillingham 1 Morecambe 1, Rotherham 0 Hereford 0, Shrewsbury 2 Stockport 0, Stevenage 2 Aldershot 2, Torquay 0 Port Vale 0, Wycombe 2 Northampton 2.