Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
FA CUP 3RD ROUND
Another wonder-goal to rescue Reds from replay nightmare
into the fourth round. Lingard has made a habit of scoring spectacular goals, including a breathtaking strike on New Year’s Day in a 2-0 Premier League win at Everton.
Jose Mourinho’s side were worthy winners, creating a total of 27 efforts on goal, and it would have been a travesty had they not won.
United had lost just one of their previous 35 FA Cup ties at home to lower league opponents, against Leeds in 2010, but Mourinho still fielded a strong starting line-up.
Yet Lukaku, who missed the 2-0 win at his former club Everton as a precaution after a nasty clash of heads in United’s 0-0 draw with Southampton, only made the bench.
Gary Rowett’s side, second in the Championship, arrived at Old Trafford on the back of a seven-match unbeaten run, with a core of former Premier League stars in their side, including Carson, Andre Wisdom and Tom Huddlestone.
The first chance fell to United after three minutes, skipper Paul Pogba’s trickery and swift ball inside the penalty area setting up Lingard, whose shot sailed over the bar.
Derby defender Alex Pearce was booked for obstructing Juan Mata just outside the area, the Spaniard taking the freekick, which was turned away by Carson.
Moments later United keeper Sergio Romero came to his side’s rescue, tipping over a goalbound header from Martin Olsson, after a fine delivery from Johnny Russell.
Marcus Rashford should have scored just after the half-hour with a free header from a couple of yards out, but somehow contrived to squander the chance by hitting the far post.
United kept piling on the pressure in search of the opener, Pogba dispatching a 35-yard free-kick destined for the top corner, until Carson pulled off another spectacular save.
Former United starlet Tom Lawrence had Romero diving at full-stretch down to his right just before the hour, as the visitors looked to catch their hosts on the break.
Pogba came close to breaking the deadlock in the 69th minute, steering a first-time shot wide of the target, as the home crowd willed their side on to make the breakthrough.
Rashford tested Carson again with an angled effort, then hit the far post with a thunderous effort from almost exactly the same spot moments later.
United had Derby penned back, defending their goal in numbers, but were unable to turn it into the hard currency of a goal.
Mourinho brought on Anthony Martial and he almost conjured a goal for fellow sub Lukaku with 15 minutes left, but again United were denied by the frame of the goal.
Carson saved from Lingard, the ball spilling to Pogba who, with the goal at his mercy, managed to miss the target to the dismay of the increasingly frustrated home crowd.
But Lingard collected the ball from Lukaku (right) and, with a sweep of his right boot, sent the ball into the far corner with a flourish.