Manchester United survive Newport County scare in FA Cup fourth round

Manchester United survived a huge FA Cup fright to win 4-2 at Newport County after the Welsh minnows levelled having been two goals down.

The League Two side are managed by Dubliner and Manchester United fan Graham Coughlan and featured three Irish players in their starting line-up, with skipper Ryan Delaney joined by right-back Shane McLoughlin and midfielder Harry Charsley.

Bruno Fernandes and Kobbie Mainoo – with his first United goal – struck inside the opening 13 minutes and safe passage into the fifth round seemed inevitable.

But Newport shook Rodney Parade to its rafters as Bryn Morris and Will Evans levelled and made light of the 76 rungs between the two clubs on the football ladder.

United's troubled season was in danger of sinking to a new low, but a fifth round tie at Bristol City or Nottingham Forest was eventually secured as Antony scored for the first time since last April and Rasmus Hojlund sealed matters in stoppage time.

The first competitive game between the two clubs had been billed as the biggest in Newport’s history, with just over 9,000 crammed into modest surrounds on Sunday afternoon.

County’s recent cup pedigree – wins over Leicester and Leeds, as well as holding Tottenham to a Rodney Parade draw in 2018 – and a seven-game unbeaten run put United on notice they could not expect a smooth ride by the banks of the River Usk.

Erik ten Hag could almost feel the breath of home supporters standing just yards behind him and there was little space on the pitch either during a frantic opening.

There was no Marcus Rashford in the United squad with the England striker having reported ill on Friday after reportedly spending the previous evening at a Belfast nightclub.

Ten Hag said before kick-off that Rashford’s