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Manchester United avoided a third-straight defeat as they beat Shrewsbury 3-0 in the fifth round on the FA Cup on Monday night.
The Red Devils dominated the ball throughout and the pressure told in the first half when Chris Smalling broke the deadlock.
Juan Mata scored a free kick and Jesse Lingard got the third either side of half time to see United safely through.
Louis van Gaal’s side face West Ham in the next round but first they must turn their attentions to FC Midtjylland on Thursday.
Manchester United dominated the possession from the outset, as expected with a starting XI worth around £169m in comparison to Shrewsbury’s estimated £10,000 line up.
Memphis Depay had two early efforts from distance but was in more danger of doing damage the Greenhous Meadow roof than the net.
Memphis tried to make it third time lucky with a free kick on the edge of the area, but his goal-bound strike hit Anthony Martial on the back of the head before deflecting over.
Martial then found himself free in the 18-yard box but saw his low shot well saved by the feet of Jayson Leutwiler before Abu Agogo headed off the line.
However, the Red Devils finally took the lead in the 37th minute when captain-for-the-night Smalling latched onto Morgan Schneiderlin’s header before volleying scruffily into the back of the net.
And Mata doubled the lead on the stroke of half time with a perfectly placed free kick from the edge of the area.
It was more of the same after half time and it should have been three when Martial got his header all wrong after Daley Blind’s well improvised cross.
But it was 3-0 just after the hour mark when Ander Herrera picked up the ball on the edge of the area after a sweeping counter attack and found Lingard who finished first time.
Will Keane nearly put the icing on the cake with 15 minute remaining but he struck the post, and in doing so pulled his groin, meaning United had to finish the game with ten men.
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Source: Talksport
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