It
wasn't a day for FA Cup romantics with Manchester United scrambling
past Sheffield United and minor league Eastleigh coming within a
whisker of the third round's only genuine shock.
Old
Trafford fans endured more than 90 minutes of insipid stalemate
before Wayne Rooney's stoppage-time penalty gave 11-times winners
Manchester United a 1-0 victory against a third-tier side 48 places
below them in England's football pyramid.
None
of the 25 matches played on Saturday will enter the folklore of the
historic competition but tiny Eastleigh did their best against
four-time champions Bolton Wanderers, a club steeped in FA Cup
tradition.
On
a gluepot of a pitch at their 5000-capacity Ten Acres ground, the
part-timers who are nicknamed the Spitfires after the World War II
plane that first flew from the local airfield, led through Dorian
Dervite's own goal.
However,
they had their wings clipped when debt-ridden second tier strugglers
Bolton levelled three minutes from time.
Holders
Arsenal, bidding to become the trophy's first three-time in
succession winners since Blackburn Rovers in the 19th century, came
from a goal down to beat Sunderland 3-1.
Manchester
City and Everton advanced, Manuel Pellegrini's men winning 3-0 at
Norwich City in one of four all top-flight clashes while Roberto
Martinez's team ended the hopes of fourth-tier Dagenham and Redbridge
with a 2-0 victory at Goodison Park.
Wycombe
Wanderers will be in the hat for the fourth round, along with
fourth-tier rivals Exeter City, after a 1-1 draw at home to bottom
Premier League side Aston Villa who have now gone 16 matches without
a win.
Exeter
held Liverpool to a 2-2 draw on Friday.
Watford
beat Premier League rivals Newcastle United 1-0, Crystal Palace
overcame Southampton 2-1 and West Ham United edged past second tier
Wolverhampton Wanderers 1-0 at Upton Park.
Manchester
United enjoyed 71 per cent of the ball against Sheffield but managed
only two shots on target as they ran out of ideas against
hard-working opposition.
Rooney
finally broke the deadlock, clinically converting his spot kick after
Memphis Depay tumbled theatrically in the area.
"Everybody
should give applause to Sheffield United. They were very organised
but it is much more difficult to attack than to defend," said
Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal.
Staff
at Eastleigh, who play in the fifth-tier National League, worked
overtime to make their boggy pitch playable.
Their
efforts looked like being rewarded as the hosts took the lead after
51 minutes when Dervite nudged a low cross into his own goal.
With
Eastleigh fans counting down the remaining minutes, Bolton's Darren
Pratley levelled to deny the minor leaguers a place in the fourth
round for the first time in their 70-year history.
"We
deserved to win," Eastleigh manager Chris Todd said.
"We're
the National League team, they are the Championship side, three
divisions above us, but I heard shouts from their bench saying 'get
it in the corner'."
Premier
League leaders Arsenal notched a 13th consecutive FA Cup win with
goals from Joel Campbell, Aaron Ramsey and Olivier Giroud after
Jeremain Lens put Sunderland ahead.
Sergio
Aguero scored a superb individual goal and set one up for Kelechi
Iheanacho as Manchester City eased past Norwich.
Arouna
Kone and Kevin Mirallas earned Everton victory over Dagenham who are
79 places lower.
No
Premier League clubs suffered defeats by lower league opponents but
West Bromwich Albion needed James Morrison's late goal to steal a 2-2
draw at home to Bristol City.
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