And substitute Andy Campbell clinched the tie with a second goal a minute from time.

Whelan, who was sporting a right-eye shiner, claimed he had got it from a Boro fan during the post-match celebrations but was in forgiving mood.

‘‘It was a fan in the stand who came out to celebrate with me and Andy Campbell and he caught me a right one - so thanks pal,’’ he said.

Whelan’s season is finally taking off now that he has recovered from injury.

‘‘I took my one chance. I’ve been out for half the season with injury so this is my start of the season and it’s going well. I’m getting stronger every game.’’

Gareth Southgate admitted that late goals had been the key to Boro’s victory.

‘‘The last few minutes was about the only time we’d score and hang on,’’ said the England defender.

‘‘We have let a lot of leads go this season and late on was the perfect time for us to score.

‘‘We got the first one and then hit them on the break to get the second,’’ he said.

Southgate admitted he and his Boro team-mates had feared the worst when Ruud van Nistelrooy and Ryan Giggs came on as second-half substitutes.

The pair had combined to produce the goal that earned United a 1-0 Premiership win at the Riverside Stadium last month.

And van Nistelrooy turned the third round tie against Aston Villa around with a late double after coming on as a second substitute.

‘‘When they’ve got the likes of van Nistelrooy and Giggs on the bench you know what they can do.

‘‘We saw what van Nistelrooy did in the last round at Villa and he and Giggs turned the game for United when they came on in the league game here but it was our day today.’’