It was the perfect birthday present for José Mourinho as Manchester United saw off the challenge of their hosts Yeovil in the FA Cup fourth round.
Three second half goals earned the Red Devils what turned out a comfortable 4-0 win over their less illustrious opponents.
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Marcus Rashford gave United the lead just before halftime, with Ander Herrera doubling the advantage in the second half.
Second half substitute, Jesse Lingard’s solo run made it 3-0, before Romelu Lukaku, another substitute, added a fourth late on to seal the win.
On the occasion of his 55th birthday, Mourinho watched on as his side initially struggled to break down the lowest ranked side left in the competition.
Despite handing a debut to newest acquisition, Alexis Sanchez, and Michael Carrick, who made a return from a long injury layoff, it wasn’t a vintage United side in what was a flat first half display, with the home side well organised even though the visitors were in control of possession.
However, the Red Devils had Rashford to thank as it was the his persistence that finally broke Yeovil’s resistance just before the break
The 20-year-old found Sanchez with a pass, before getting it back from the Chilean, but Yeovil’s defender, Thomas James, appeared to have the situation under control only for Rashford to appear from nowhere to nip the ball off him, before calmly slotting past the goalkeeper to put United ahead.
A frustrating end for the League Two side, who had battled Mourinho’s side squarely and fearlessly, but United go into the break with an 1-0 advantage.
After the break, United began to assert themselves, coming close to a second goal through Rashford and debutant, Sanchez, who hit the crossbar.
The visitors continued to pile on the pressure and just moments after the hour mark, they will be rewarded when Herrera doubled their lead, after finishing off a brilliant United counter with an excellent left footed shot.
It was the second time Herrera would be scoring against Yeovil, having done so the last time both sides met.
With 18 minutes to go, Sanchez’s debut was over, as he’s replaced by Lingard.
The 28-year-old was at the end of most good things United did on the night, but was constantly booed by fans of the home side.
United continued their second half dominance, but were made to wait for the third goal, and it came via the man who replaced Sanchez, Lingard, in the 89th minute.
A fine solo run from the man in fine form, despite being surrounded by four Yeovil players, the academy graduate rifled low into the bottom left hand corner to hand United their third goal of the evening.
However, there was time for a fourth as another brilliant counter attack from the Red Devils saw Marcos Rojo find Lukaku with a perfectly weighted low cross in the box, and the Belgian kept his cool to slot past a helpless Artur Krysiak.
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A harsh result for the hosts, but a comprehensive victory for away team and Mourinho, who was also celebrating his 100th game in charge of the Red Devils.
The win sees United book their place in the fifth round, with Mourinho all smiles at the end.
Full Result
Yeovil 0-4 Man United
Sheffield Wednesday 3-1 Reading
