$ 0 0 Manchester United's desperate season met with fresh degradation on Wednesday as they sensationally lost on penalties to Sunderland in the League Cup semi-finals at Old Trafford. Trailing 2-1 from the first leg, United levelled the tie through Jonny Evans's 37th-minute header, only for Phil Bardsley to net a dramatic equaliser late in extra time with a low shot that squirmed past David de Gea.United promptly went straight up to the other end and equalised through Javier Hernandez, for 3-3 on aggregate and sending the tie to penalties, but it was to prove a false dawn. An appalling shoot-out saw only three of the 10 penalty-takers score, but United full-back Rafael da Silva proved the fall guy, with Vito Mannone saving his spot-kick to give Sunderland a 2-1 win. Second from bottom in the Premier League, Gus Poyet's side can now look forward to a clash with Manchester City in the final on March 2, in what will be their first major final since 1992. For David Moyes, meanwhile, the misery continues, with a first final as United manager snatched from his grasp only days after defeat at Chelsea saw his side fall 14 points off the pace in the league.