UPDATE - FA Cup holders Manchester United got a fright before beating minor league Exeter City 2-0 in a nervy third round replay.
Portugal winger Cristiano Ronaldo scored after nine minutes but the Conference side put United under pressure midway through the second half and had a potential equaliser disallowed
before Wayne Rooney killed the tie in the 87th minute.
United, whose second string side were held to a shock 0-0 draw at Old Trafford on January 8, will now host Premier League Middlesbrough in the fourth round.
Two other Premier League clubs made it through their replays against second division opponents, with Fulham beating Watford 2-0 and Blackburn Rovers seeing off Cardiff City 3-2.
Fulham's reward is a tie at second division Derby County on January 29, while Blackburn host third division Colchester United.
The comfortable scoreline at Exeter belied the fact that Manchester United had to scrap for their win in the blustery conditions at St James's Park.
Hugely embarrassed by the draw at Old Trafford, United manager Alex Ferguson wheeled out the big guns in Devon with Rooney, Ronaldo and Ryan Giggs thrown into the attack from the start, backed by Paul Scholes.
There was an early dividend when Ronaldo was put through by Scholes and his angled shot got beneath Exeter's teenage keeper Paul Jones.
But the expected avalanche of goals from United never materialised as Exeter matched their millionaire opponents for sheer effort.
They could even have been level in the 61st minute when unmarked striker Sean Devine volleyed their best chance wide from the edge of the six-yard box. Devine did find the United net in the 75th minute but his strike was offside.
Rooney, who had been denied by Jones all night, finally got the upper hand and eased the pressure on the holders when he rounded the keeper and slotted home into an empty net.
Third division Hartlepool beat fourth division Boston United 1-0 in the night's other replay.
- REUTERS
