Man Utd narrowly beat Fourth Division team

Wales used their strongest lineup and at one point were tied 2-2, Man Utd still beat host Newport County 4-2 in the fourth round of the FA Cup.

Man Utd used the strongest possible lineup with pillars like Luke Shaw, Lisandro Martinez, Raphael Varane or Casemiro returning to start together. Goalkeeper Altay Bayindir also played for Man Utd for the first time, when Andre Onana had not returned from the African tournament. However, the trip to Wales was not easy for the "Red Devils" despite the big difference in rankings between the two teams.

The visitors were of course still playing better, and opened the scoring early in the seventh minute. Luke Shaw passed to Fernandes on the left inside line, and the Man Utd captain played a one-touch pass for Antony to run down. Antony passed back to the second line right in the path of Fernandes, who rushed forward and stretched his instep to shoot into the near corner of the net.

Man Utd (white shirt) celebrates the second goal against Newport, at Rodney Parade, Wales, FA Cup fourth round on the evening of January 28, 2024. Photo: Reuters

Just six minutes later, the visitors doubled their lead from a similar situation but from the opposite direction. Defender Diogo Dalot dribbled the ball from the right wing into the penalty area, then passed it out to 19-year-old midfielder Kobbie Mainoo who curled the ball into the far corner from about 15 meters. It was Mainoo's first goal in professional football, in 14 games.

Man Utd then wasted a series of opportunities, such as Antony hitting the opponent from close range, or Garnacho hitting the crossbar without passing to his teammate. The waste made the away team pay the price because in the 37th minute, the home player scored a masterpiece. Midfielder Bryn Morris suddenly swiped the ball from a distance of more than 25 meters, sending the ball over Lisandro Martinez's head, causing the ball to fly higher, beyond the reach of goalkeeper Bayindir.

The fourth-tier side poured cold water on Man Utd early in the second half, with a goal to level the score at 2-2. Defender Adam Lewis crossed the ball from the left when Antony was not following him, allowing striker Will Evans to tap in from close range into the far corner. Evans, a Man Utd fan, used to milk cows to earn extra money to pursue his dream of becoming a footballer.

Will Evans (second from left) equalized 2-2 for Newport. Photo: Guardian

The camera lingered on the annoyed look on coach Erik ten Hag's face after Man Utd conceded a second goal. His face only relaxed a little after Antony made it 3-2 in the 68th minute. The first credit went to Luke Shaw, whose right-footed curler from the edge of the box hit the post and bounced off for Antony to tap into the empty net with his right foot. This was Antony's first goal in all competitions this season, and he scored with his weaker foot.

In the second half's injury time, striker Rasmus Hojlund was also relieved with a goal to seal the 4-2 victory. Garnacho contributed with a through ball for midfielder Omari Forson to face the goalkeeper. Forson's shot bounced off, right at Hojlund's reach, scoring his eighth goal in all competitions this season.

Newport is a Welsh club playing in the fourth tier of English football, three divisions below Manchester United. Their stadium, Rodney Parade, has a capacity of just over 7,800 spectators, which is obviously not enough for such a big match. Many spectators even stand on the balconies of houses around the stadium to watch the match without having to go inside the stadium.

Man Utd's opponents in the fifth round will be either second-tier Bristol City or Nottingham Forest. Before that, Ten Hag's team will visit Wolverhampton on the evening of February 1 in the Premier League.

Xuan Binh

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