United hang on to reach FA Cup quarter-finals
(AP)Updated: 2007-02-28 08:28
Three goals in the first six minutes helped Manchester United beat Reading 3-2 in an enthralling FA Cup fifth-round replay on Tuesday and earn a place in the quarter-finals.
 Reading's Andre Bikey (back) challenges Manchester United's Wayne Rooney during their FA Cup fifth-round replay soccer match at the Madejski Stadium in Reading, England Febuary 27, 2007. [Reuters]  |
Argentine defender Gabriel Heinze started the scoring in the second minute with a low drive past Reading reserve keeper Adam Federici.
Two minutes later, Louis Saha chested down a Rio Ferdinand pass and struck the ball home for his first goal in 11 matches for United since December.
The Premier League leaders' relentless start continued when Ole Gunnar Solskjaer breached the offside trap and took his time to curl a shot past Federici in the sixth minute.
A shell-shocked Reading stemmed the flow of goals, managing some pressure of their own and getting on the scoresheet in the 23rd minute after John Oster's corner was headed across goal by Ivar Ingimarsson for Dave Kitson to nod in.
Striker Leroy Lita, who came off the bench to replace Kevin Doyle, set up an interesting final few minutes when he took advantage of some sloppy United defending to head the ball into the right corner of the net in the 84th minute.
Brynjar Gunnarsson then rattled the bar at the death but a shaken United clung on.
"It was a fantastic Cup tie. Credit to both sides," United manager Alex Ferguson told Sky Sports. "They put on a great show."
Reading manager Steve Coppell praised his side's resilience but also admitted he had made a tactical error in starting with three central defenders.
"Looking back that was a mistake," he told reporters, saying the team had been more comfortable when he switched to a 4-4-2 formation. "To keep coming back is one of the team's best characteristics."
Both sides fielded largely second-string players, with Reading putting all their efforts into their first season in the Premier League and Manchester United aiming for a league title and European success.
United visit Middlesbrough in the quarter-finals on March 10 after the Premier League side had to win on sudden death shoot-out for a second successive round/
They edged out second division West Bromwich Albion 5-4 on penalties following a 1-1 draw.
Australia striker Mark Viduka had equalised Darren Carter's first-half crisp shot. West Brom were reduced to 10 men in extra time when striker Nathan Ellington was dismissed for a lunge.
Blackburn Rovers host Arsenal in Wednesday's replay.
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