Manchester United avoided an almighty upset in the FA Cup fourth round with a 4-2 victory away to League Two’s Newport County – but it was no Sunday stroll for the Premier League side.
As soon as Newport County secured their spot in the final 32 with a victory over non-league Eastleigh via a replay, the trip to Rodney Parade never looked like an inviting tie for Manchester United.
Newport midfielder Scot Bennett, a veteran of the club’s recent cup runs, warned: “Big teams that turn up aren’t used to what it is like here. The pitch for one is a bit of a leveller. The changing rooms are tiny and they are used to being in nice changing rooms.”
The fearsome Welsh crowd, which had been officially (and unofficially) extended in preparation for United’s visit, also did their best to put the Red Devils off.
#NPTMNU There’s a lot to unpick here pic.twitter.com/GvYIM6JJFt
— Stuart Dade (@StuartDade) January 28, 2024
Best seats in the house #NEWvMNU pic.twitter.com/AkCHxtLZ2X
— payj 👸🏼 (@paigeredgersxx) January 28, 2024
However, United started the game with an authority that belied their unfamiliar surroundings. Bruno Fernandes fired the visitors ahead after seven minutes before Kobbie Mainoo doubled United’s lead inside the opening quarter-hour. As Opta pointed out, the last time United held such a commanding and early advantage in an FA Cup tie they won 6-0.
2 – Man Utd have gone 2-0 up in the opening 15 minutes of an FA Cup match for the first time since January 2020 v Tranmere, a match they went on to win 6-0. Ominous. pic.twitter.com/EPXk7FLnxv
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) January 28, 2024
Yet, Newport were just warming up.
Shortly before the half-time interval, Bryn Morris halved the deficit. Some onlookers uncharitably focused on the contact Lisandro Martinez made with the ball rather than Morris’ lashed effort.
A rightly subdued celebration for a #disappointingdeflection
— Michael Cox (@Zonal_Marking) January 28, 2024
That was a terrific Newport goal, and I’m not sure I’d call that a “clearance”from the keeper. It was a targeted and brilliantly delivered longer pass to take advantage of a 2v2… and the rest was really good play too. What a response!
— Stuart James (@stujames75) January 28, 2024
Yet, the approval was unanimous when Will Evans equalised just two minutes after the restart – outside of United’s fanbase of course. Evans was a particularly popular goalscorer given his rapid rise. Just two years earlier, the forward had been playing part-time…
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