Carlos Tevez's late penalty saw off QPR 1-0 as Manchester United advanced to the Carling Cup quarter-finals at Old Trafford.

Few would begrudge United their success but their Championship opponents would have taken the tie to extra-time had it not been for Peter Ramage's rash tackle on England Under-19 striker Daniel Welbeck.

Tevez was not about to pass up the opportunity and confidently beat an otherwise faultless Radek Cerny to steer United through.

With 10,000 empty seats, an unfamiliar side and teeming rain beginning to fall at kick-off, it was hard to escape the feeling a match was taking place United would have preferred did not exist.

Yet for some, it was a hugely important contest.

Darron Gibson cannot have too many more opportunities to impress, Rafael and Rodrigo Possebon needed to build on impressive starts to United careers, Gary Neville had to prove his dismal display at Arsenal on Saturday did not deserve obituaries being penned on his career, and for Tevez, it was an opportunity to prove he is capable of splitting Dimitar Berbatov's strike partnership with Wayne Rooney.

As every game goes by which Tevez does not start, more speculation surfaces over the likelihood of the South American completing a permanent #32million transfer once his two-year loan concludes at the end of the season.

Tevez's scurrying style at least ensured he was one man who looked as though he cared.

After collecting John O'Shea's square pass, he advanced towards the QPR penalty area before taking aim with a shot that dipped just in front of Cerny but the visiting keeper managed to stop anyway.

O'Shea could also claim the assist when he found himself alone on the by-line and delivered a low cross to Tevez which the striker just failed to turn into the net from close range.

As the second of those opportunities arrived in first-half stoppage time, it was a damning verdict on United's performance.

Only Anderson matched Tevez's industry as too many passes went astray and those brave enough to support their teams on a foul night were seeking refuge long before the interval whistle blew.

It is now 12 years since Rangers ventured north for a league game and 1992 that they enjoyed their most famous Old Trafford experience, netting four times on a New Year's Day hat-trick hero Dennis Bailey will never forget.

Not that QPR looked like emulating that feat. A bit like Manchester City, they have lots of money at their disposal but do not appear to know what to do with it.

Temporary boss Gareth Ainsworth was forced into two changes before the second-half started but there was little else to capture his attention as his side created little.

Although it appeared Ferguson had sent his team back out with a renewed sense of purpose judging by the blistering shot Nani sent fizzing wide just after the restart, a familiar pattern soon emerged.

After planting a corner and a 20-yard shot into Cerny's arms, Anderson then let fly with a free-kick that went so far wide it ended up going over the touchline roughly level with the edge of the area.

Nani was about as far away with another shot midway through the half that almost ended up in the second tier of the Stretford End.

Anderson and Tevez did threaten the QPR goal but Cerny did not have to perform heroics to keep United out as a sharp-eyed cameraman captured a rat racing across Old Trafford.

It was hardly Autumnwatch but at least Bill Oddie would have had something to talk about, unlike the spectators, at least until the 14 minutes from time when United finally broke the deadlock.

Ramage did not need to slide in as Welbeck's first touch would have taken the ball through to Cerny. But the defender's rash challenge left the England Under-19 forward in a heap and Tevez did the rest.

In what amounted to a frenzy of late chances, Samuel Di Camini had an equaliser correctly ruled out for offside, while Nani and Park Ji-sung produced fine saves from Cerny as United claimed their place in the last eight.