Lingard cracker as United keep Jose dream alive
JOSE Mourinho says he is desperate to add to his solitary FA Cup Final success with Manchester United this season and, thanks to Jesse Lingard, he moved one round closer to that aim against in-form Championship side Derby.
The England forward’s rich vein of holiday form continued with a long-range 84th-minute strike that finally beat Scott Carson and ended a long and frustrating wait for that opening goal.
Paul Pogba, whose recent form was the subject of a vehement disagreement between Mourinho and TV pundit Paul Scholes at the start of the week, started the tie as if he still had something to prove to the former Old Trafford legend.
Some early neat footwork on the edge of the Derby area set up Lingard for a shot which the forward planted well over the goal and then the French international threatened the goal himself, receiving Juan Mata’s pass, taking a touch before curling a shot just over from 20 yards.
It was the sort of start Mourinho, right, would have wanted when he named a strong side despite making five changes from the League win at Everton on Monday.
It was another chance for Henrikh Mkhitaryan to shine, although one woefully mis-hit cross drew groans from the home fans, and jeers from the 5,400 travelling Derby supporters.
Chris Smalling’s excellent tackle then stopped Derby’s Sam Winnall who had been fed by Tom Lawrence. But the game soon settled back into a pattern of United domination with Rashford clearing the bar from 30 yards and then, far more wastefully, from a dozen after he bulldozed his way through Alex Pearce’s challenge.
Mata came close with an excellent free-kick, from the edge of the area, forcing Carson to paw it away with both hands.
Derby responded as Johnny Russell crossed for Marcus Olsson whose crouching header had to be tipped over by Sergio Romero. Derby were growing into the game but United should have taken a lead into the break as Rashford wasted two great headed chances, nodding a Mkhitaryan cross against the post and then meeting a Mata centre but steering a tame effort at Carson.
The keeper then made a superb flying stop to keep out Pogba’s free kick, set for the top left corner.
Mourinho had seen enough of Mkhitaryan’s woeful efforts by the interval, hauling him off for Romelu Lukaku. The presence of Lukaku made United a more threatening prospect, however, and Mata soon tested Carson with an 18-yard effort the keeper could only parry although Lukaku’s follow-up was blocked and Pogba rolled the rebound wide. Pogba followed that with another long-range effort attempt, blocked by Carson, but Derby remained a threat on the break, as Lawrence’s shot had Romero saving at full stretch. As United continued to take their attempted shots statistic well into the 20s, Rashford could not believe it when his ferocious strike after 71 minutes beat Carson but struck the inside of the post and flew to safety.
And when Lingard was denied by yet another Carson save, Pogba missed from 15 yards from the ricochet, with the Derby keeper stranded. But United made it 2-0 in the final minute, Lukaku breaking half the length of the field to exchange passes with Anthony Martial and score from eight yards.