FA Cup: Dalot's strike, Fernandes' penalty send Man Utd into fourth round

Manchester, Jan 9

Manchester United secured a place in FA Cup fourth round, recording a relatively comfortable 2-0 victory over 2013 winners Wigan Athletic at the DW Stadium.

Portuguese duo Diogo Dalot and Bruno Fernandes scored in each half as the Red Devils secured their first away win since November 26.

For the majority of the contest Man Utd were in control, but they needed Andre Onana to make an early save in the fourth minute when he denied Thelo Aasgaard at the back post after he produced a left-footed effort from Martial Godo's right-wing cross.

United then drew Wigan goalkeeper Sam Tickle into action as he prevented Marcus Rashford from opening the scoring. But Tickle could do nothing about Dalot's strike in the 22nd minute after Rashford laid the ball into his path and he guided the ball into the bottom corner from the edge of the box.

Man Utd then struck the frame of the goal on three occasions. The first was when Rashford's shot squirmed through Tickle and hit a post, Hojlund should have done better after he got ahead of his marker and struck the crossbar from a header, while Alejandro Garnacho was unlucky after he cut in from the right and produced a fine left-footed effort that crashed against the bar from over 20 yards out.

United had 17 shots in the first half but had to settle for a 1-0 lead at the break.

Chances kept coming for the Red Devils in the second half as Kobbie Mainoo became the latest player to be frustrated by Tickle. But eventually, Man Utd got the chance to score their second goal as Fernandes was fouled by Liam Shaw inside the box. He then stepped up and sent his penalty into the bottom-left corner

Man Utd can now look forward to a fourth-round match in the weekend of 27 January as they face an away trip to either League Two's Newport County or Eastleigh, who play in the National League.