LONDON: Manchester United edged past Watford in Saturday’s final FA Cup came while earlier, Sheffield United finally ended their five-month wait for a win.

United beat Watford 1-0 at Old Trafford with an early goal from Scott McTominay.

Midfielder McTominay, named captain of a much-changed United for the first time, headed the hosts in front inside five minutes.

At the end of the first half, Eric Bailly was replaced by Harry Maguire following a collision with United goalkeeper Dean Henderson.

Neither side created many clear openings during the second half, with Maguire heading over a free-kick from United substitute Marcus Rashford.

Sheffield United secured their first win of the season as they reached the fourth round of the FA Cup with a 3-2 victory at Bristol Rovers.

Oliver Burke – with his first Blades goal since a September switch from West Brom – and Jayden Bogle added to an early Joe Day own goal as the Premier League’s basement club led three times.

Rovers defenders Alfie Kilgour and Max Ehmer equalised from set-pieces for the Sky Bet League One hosts, but United held their nerve to finally win at the 19th attempt this season, and end a 21-game winless run stretching back to last term.

Chris Wilder responded to growing speculation over his future by making only one change from the side beaten by Crystal Palace, although injury and Covid-19 had reduced his options.

The Blades were ahead when Lys Mousset met Ben Osborn’s sixth-minute cross with a fine header. Day got the faintest touch on to the crossbar, but was helpless as the ball struck him on the back for the most unfortunate of own goals.

Rovers were level with their first serious attack after 21 minutes as Kilgour met Zain Westbrooke’s free-kick with a towering header from 12 yards.

Burke replaced Mousset during the early stages of the second half and made amends for an earlier miss after 59 minutes, striding on to Oliver Norwood’s measured pass to score.

Rovers were level within three minutes as Jack Baldwin flicked on a corner to the far post where the unmarked Ehmer finished.

But parity lasted less than 60 seconds as Bogle started a move involving Burke and McGoldrick, and he maintained his run to stroke home his second Blades goal and ensure Wilder’s men had the winning feeling at last.

Burnley avoided an FA Cup upset with a 4-3 penalty shoot-out victory over League One MK Dons at Turf Moor.

The Dons led through Cameron Jerome’s 29th-minute header and looked set to beat a Premier League team in the competition for just the second time but Burnley substitute Matej Vydra grabbed an equaliser in the final minute of injury time to make it 1-1.

Dons manager Russell Martin was then sent to the stands and two periods of extra-time did not yield a goal.

Vydra saw his opening spot-kick saved by the excellent Lee Nicholls but Burnley’s debutant keeper Will Norris proved the hero with stops from Lasse Sorensen and Ben Gladwin before Phil Bardsley rolled in the winning penalty.

It meant a winning start to Burnley’s new era following their takeover by American investors ALK Capital, although new chairman Alan Pace was forced to watch the match from home after a member of his household tested positive for coronavirus.

Everton manager Carlo Ancelotti’s gamble on resting key players almost backfired as a team registering eight changes laboured to a 2-1 extra-time FA Cup win over Sky Bet Championship strugglers Rotherham.

Cenk Tosun’s first strike for Everton since November 2019 was cancelled out just after half-time by Matt Olosunde’s first senior goal for the Millers.

Substitute Abdoulaye Doucoure scored the eventual winner three minutes into the additional period but it was far from comfortable for Ancelotti’s side, who progressed to the third round for only the second time in five seasons.

Emile Smith Rowe came off the bench to fire holders Arsenal into the FA Cup fourth round with an extra-time goal against Newcastle – but only after he had a red card overturned by VAR.

The substitute was given his marching orders by referee Chris Kavanagh for a tackle on Sean Longstaff at the end of the 90 minutes, but the card was downgraded to a yellow after the pitchside monitor was used.

It proved decisive with Smith Rowe grabbing the opener in the 109th minute before captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang confirmed the victory eight minutes later with a tap-in to wrap up a 2-0 success.

Gunners boss Mikel Arteta had to turn to the bench to ensure their FA Cup defence did not end at the first attempt, while Newcastle manager Steve Bruce was left to rue Andy Carroll’s wastefulness in front of goal.

Holders Arsenal made a number of changes for the third-round tie but predictably there was no place for Mesut Ozil in the squad, while an injury to Gabriel Martinelli in the warm-up saw his night end prematurely.

It was the visitors who enjoyed the better of the play in the opening exchanges and although Aubameyang forced the returning Martin Dubravka into an excellent save midway through the half, he would have been deemed offside by VAR.

A better chance was created soon after by Kieran Tierney, but Reiss Nelson decided to control his cut-back and the opportunity went begging.

While Arsenal began to dominate, they still struggled to penetrate an organised Newcastle back five though Carroll was required to make two timely clearances from dangerous balls into the area before half-time.

Non-league Chorley beat coronavirus-affected Derby 2-0 to knock the Sky Bet Championship club out of the FA Cup at the third-round stage.

Goals in each half delivered a winner for Sporting Life readers who followed Tom Carnduff’s advice to back the sixth-tier side to win at 13/8.

Connor Hall and Mike Calveley were the men on target as the National League North side claimed a victory in what was theoretically an upset on a freezing afternoon in Lancashire.

Yet with the Championship visitors decimated by a Covid-19 outbreak at their club, the four division gap between the sides was wiped out, handing the initiative to the part-timers.

Derby, with interim manager Wayne Rooney and their entire first-team squad isolating, were forced to field a team made up from their youth sides in order to fulfil the fixture.

With an average age of just 19 and not a single game of first-team experience amongst them, it was an uphill struggle.

FA Cup third round: Saturday’s results in full

  • Boreham Wood 0-2 Millwall
  • Everton 2-1 Rotherham United (AET)
  • Luton Town 1-0 Reading
  • Norwich City 2-0 Coventry City
  • Nottingham Forest 1 0 Cardiff City
  • Chorley 2-0 Derby County
  • Blackburn Rovers 0-1 Doncaster Rovers
  • Blackpool 1-1 West Brom; Blackpool win 3-2 on penalties
  • Bournemouth 4-1 Oldham Athletic
  • Bristol Rovers 2-3 Sheffield United
  • Burnley 1-1 MK Dons; Burnley win 4-3 on penalties
  • Exeter City 0-2 Sheffield Wednesday
  • Stevenage 0-2 Swansea City
  • Stoke City 0-4 Leicester City
  • Wycombe Wanderers 4-1 Preston North End
  • Arsenal 2-0 Newcastle (AET)
  • Brentford 2-1 Middlesbrough
  • Huddersfield 2-3 Plymouth
  • Manchester United 1-0 Watford
  • ################