Manchester United survived a significant FA Cup scare from Newport County as Antony‘s first purpose this season impressed a dramatic 4-2 victory over the fourth-tier minnows on Sunday. Erik ten Hag’s aspect had been in peril of falling sufferer to an epic giant-killing after blowing a two-goal lead at Rodney Parade. Bruno Fernandes put United forward and Kobbie Mainoo’s first purpose for the membership doubled their lead within the first half of the fourth spherical conflict. But Bryn Morris pulled one again for plucky Newport — presently sixteenth in League Two — earlier than Will Evans rocked United together with his second half equaliser.

With United wobbling, Antony was their unlikely saviour because the Brazil ahead bagged his first purpose since April after a troublesome marketing campaign marred by poor kind and home violence allegations that he denies.

Rasmus Hojlund put a flattering gloss on the scoreline for United when he netted in stoppage-time.

United’s victory got here on one other problematic day for Ten Hag, who needed to fend off studies of a row with Marcus Rashford.

Ten Hag, whose aspect are languishing in eighth place within the Premier League and have been eradicated from the Champions League, defined Rashford’s absence from the staff by saying he had “reported ill”.

However, studies claimed the 26-year-old England ahead had been in a nightclub in Northern Ireland on Thursday night, hours earlier than failing to attend coaching on Friday.

Asked particularly about that Ten Hag mentioned, “It’s an internal matter. I will deal with it.”

All the components for a shock had been there, given United’s spluttering kind this time period and Newport’s previous FA Cup heroics.

A raucous crowd, some waving do-it-yourself tinfoil FA Cups, crammed into the tiny, ramshackle stadium within the hope of witnessing historical past.

Temporary seating was added to accomodate demand for tickets, whereas enterprising followers climbed on scaffolding exterior the bottom to catch the motion.

Newport memorably knocked Leicester out of the FA Cup in 2019, however initially it appeared United would simply keep away from changing into one other sufferer of the FA Cup’s wealthy historical past of upsets.

On the ropes

Ten Hag had taken no possibilities as he named a robust aspect that includes all United’s key gamers.

A flowing transfer produced United’s opener within the seventh minute as Luke Shaw‘s move was deftly flicked into Fernandes’s path by Antony and the Portugal midfielder completed with authority from the sting of the world.

Mainoo doubled United’s lead within the thirteenth minute, sweeping his shot into the far nook from 10 yards after Diogo Dalot picked out the younger midfielder.

United seemed set to win by an enormous margin when Alejandro Garnacho sprinted onto Lisandro Martinez’s raking move and lashed his shot off the crossbar.

But the underdogs lowered the deficit utterly towards the run of play within the thirty sixth minute.

Morris pounced on a free ball 25 yards from purpose and smashed an outstanding volley that took a deflection off Martinez earlier than looping previous debutant keeper Altay Bayindir into the far nook.

United ought to have been out of sight by half-time however possibilities got here and went, essentially the most evident when Nick Townsend plunged to his proper to disclaim Fernandes.

In the forty seventh minute, Adam Lewis’s cross arrowed in direction of Evans and the ahead acquired there simply forward of Raphael Varane, assembly it with a flick that deflected in off the United defender’s boot.

It was a dream come true for Evans, an ex-farmer and instructor who solely two years in the past was taking part in within the Welsh leagues.

United had been on the ropes however Newport could not ship the knockout blow and Ten Hag’s males regained the lead within the 68th minute.

Shaw cleverly dragged the ball again to create area for a shot that cannoned off the submit to Antony, who calmly slotted into the empty internet.

To Ten Hag’s immense aid, Hojlund completed from close-range after a goal-mouth scramble to finish any probability of late embarrassment.

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