Manchester United 3-0 Cambridge United: Juan Mata, Marcos Rojo and James Wilson send Louis van Gaal's side into fifth round
- Manchester United move into the fifth round of the FA Cup with win over Cambridge United
- Louis van Gaal's side see off Cambridge 3-0 at Old Trafford in fourth round replay on Tuesday
- Juan Mata and Marcos Rojo scored in the first half before James Wilson added a third
- United will face a trip to Preston North End in the fifth round on Monday 16 February
- PLAYER RATINGS: Marouane Fellaini impressed for Manchester United in their fourth round replay
Tom Elliott is not a name many of us have heard before. He played for England Under 18s and is the youngest player ever to represent Leeds. That apart, the 24-year-old centre forward has lived his professional life pretty much in the shadows.
Shortly after five past eight, however, the Cambridge United forward found himself thrust centre stage in this replay rather sooner than he would have aniticipated.
It is a moment that will stay with him for a rather long time.
Manchester United breezed past Cambridge United in their FA Cup fourth round replay at Old Trafford on Tuesday night
Juan Mata and Marcos Rojo both scored in the first half as Manchester United sealed their place in the fifth round of the FA Cup
Manchester United set up a fifth round tie against Preston after seeing off Cambridge in their fourth round replay at Old Trafford
James Wilson came off the bench to add a third goal for Manchester United in the second half at Old Trafford
Tom Elliott had an excellent opportunity to give Cambridge United the lead in the first minute but hit the outside of the post
Elliott and his Cambridge United team-mates react in despair after seeing his shot flick the outside of the post and go wide
Less than a minute had gone — kick off having been delayed by traffic issues — when Manchester United’s Daley Blind rather inexplicably played a pass directly into Elliott’s path to set him clean through on goal.
The pass could not have been more perfect for a centre forward had Blind played it there on purpose. It sent Elliott clear with time to spare. It gave him time to think and perhaps this was the problem.
Had the Cambridge player needed to rely on instinct, maybe he would now be telling his friends about the night he stunned Old Trafford with a goal in front of the Stretford End.
Instead, Elliott eased forward rather unconvincingly towards United goalkeeper David de Gea and could only place his shot against the left upright. It was a decent effort, certainly nothing to be ashamed of.
But in that moment a career defining opportunity had come and gone. Such are the margins between notoriety and humdrum anonymity in the FA Cup.
‘He did everything right,’ said Elliott’s manager Richard Money afterwards. Clearly that was incorrect. Had he done so, he would have scored. Even if that had happened, Cambridge would not have won this game.
Money candidly acknowledged as much in his post-match interviews.
United were too strong, too organised and purposeful. The team from League Two would have led at the most famous football stadium in Britain, though, and that would have been a story all on its own.
Kick-off in the FA Cup fourth round replay at Old Trafford was delayed by 20 minutes due to traffic problems
Spanish midfielder Mata opened the scoring for Manchester United 25 minutes into the game at Old Trafford
Mata flicked home Angel di Maria's cross from six yards out to give Manchester United the lead over Cambridge
The Spaniard watches his effort loop up and into the back of the net to give his side the lead at Old Trafford
Mata finished off Di Maria's cross from six yards out to break the deadlock and put Manchester United ahead
The Spaniard runs away to celebrate his goal with Marouane Fellaini in the 25th minute of the FA Cup fourth round replay
As it was, that fleeting passage of play transpired to be Cambridge’s best of the night. They spent the majority of the next 89 minutes in their own half and although United were not always fluent, the home team were efficient enough.
They were two-nil up and seemingly already in the next round by half time.
As is often the case this season, United’s early football was not that exciting. Set up this time by a coach still searching for the right system in some kind of 4-1-4-1 formation, United were rather dysfunctional for 20 minutes or so.
Not until Wayne Rooney — playing deeper than Marouane Fellaini — drove a shot at goalkeeper Chris Dunn in the 18th minute did they have an effort on target.
Argentine defender Rojo doubled Manchester United's lead over Cambridge United in the 32nd minute at Old Trafford
Rojo headed in a cross beyond the reach of Cambridge defender Chris Dunn on the line to put Manchester United 2-0 ahead
Rojo looks to the heavens as he celebrates scoring Manchester United's second goal against Cambridge United
Indeed, a minute or so before they took the lead, United’s body language began to look a little suspect. When Juan Mata did eventually nudge them ahead in the 24th minute, it was a goal that had arrived at just the right time.
A nice pass infield from the impressive Patrick McNair — playing at right back — began the move and eventually Angel di Maria was provided with possession in space down the left. The Argentinean had endured a patchy evening but the cross he lofted to the far post was perfect for Fellaini.
When the big midfielder nodded the ball down, Mata was alert enough to poke it high in to the net from about four yards.
After almost 115 minutes of play against a team from the bottom rung, a goal was greeted with some relief by United. Within ten minutes they had another.
Wilson came off the bench to score Manchester United's third goal in the 73rd minute to finish off Cambridge United
Wilson fired home from the edge of the area as his low shot found the bottom corner with 17 minutes to play in the replay
Wilson jumps in the air to celebrate after scoring the third goal for Manchester United in their fourth round replay
This time Fellaini peeled away to collect an overhit corner and when his shot was blocked Robin van Persie chipped the ball towards Marcos Rojo. He headed home to give United breathing space.
Cambridge by now looked beaten but by no means bowed.
As was perhaps to be expected, though, United’s football became more expansive as the game wore on. Rooney brought a save from Dunn with a crashing volley in the second half while Van Persie was denied by the goalkeeper at the foot of the post.
For Cambridge it was beginning to shape up into a long night.
Manchester United striker Robin van Persie unleashes a header at goal during the first half of the FA Cup fourth round replay
Cambridge United's Luke Chadwick, who used to play for Manchester United, beats Chris Smalling in the air
Cambridge United's Elliott goes to the ground to tackle Manchester United's Belgian midfielder Fellaini
Cambridge United midfielder Ryan Donaldson tries to skip away from Manchester United's Argentine defender Rojo
Manchester United's Argentine winger Angel di Maria tries to break down the Cambridge United defence
Sir Alex Ferguson used to claim he instructed his United teams not to ‘humiliate’ lower-league opposition at home but there was not much chance of Louis van Gaal delivering similar instructions.
It has, after all, been a while since this United team took anybody apart.
Other chances came and went as the game meandered on and Dunn saved spectacularly from Di Maria. With 17 minutes left, however, he could do nothing as United substitute James Wilson fired an accurate, low shot from 20 yards.
Elliott did eventually manage an effort on target for his team — De Gea fielding a header as the game approached its conclusion.
The Cambridge striker’s night, though, ended with a neat pass through to McGeehan in injury time, his team-mate shooting wide. Elliott’s best contribution of the whole match was rather more accurate than his first.
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