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Yeovil Town
FA Cup | Third Round
Jan 4, 2015 at 3.30pm UK
 
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FT(HT: 0-0)
Herrera (64'), di Maria (90')

Live Commentary: Yeovil Town 0-2 Manchester United - as it happened

Relive Sports Mole's live text coverage of Manchester United 2-0 defeat of League One Yeovil Town in the third round of the FA Cup at Huish Park.
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Manchester United went into their third-round FA Cup tie away at Yeovil Town looking to avoid a giant-killing at the hands of Gary Johnson's League One side.

The hosts put up a strong fight at Huish Park as United were made to work hard through a goalless first half, which saw Louis van Gaal's charges produce a rather tepid display in front of 9,500 fans in Somerset.

The visitors continued the second half in much the same vein as the first, but were thankful for a piece of brilliance from Ander Herrera, who gave them the lead with a fine strike in the 64th minute.

With Town pushing for an equaliser, Wayne Rooney produced a killer ball to feed substitute Angel Di Maria in the closing stages, and he made no mistake with a chip to give United a 2-0 win.

Follow how all of the action unfolded with Sports Mole's minute-by-minute updates below.


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Good afternoon everyone and welcome to our live coverage as Yeovil Town welcome Manchester United to Huish Park in the third round of the FA Cup. Town fans have been looking forward to this fixture for a good few weeks now and they'll be hoping that they can cause a giant upset to grab a place in the next round.

Meanwhile, travelling Manchester United will be all too aware of the pitfalls that could befall them this afternoon. Louis van Gaal's men found themselves on the end of a catastrophic 4-0 defeat away at MK Dons in the early rounds of the League Cup last year. United will be looking to avoid a giant-killing whichever way possible today. Don't be surprised if you see a few experienced heads on show for the Premier League side.

League One side Town may not be as enterprising as league opposition the Dons were on that night, with Gary Johnson's men currently finding themselves at the bottom of the league standings without a win in their last three fixtures.

In comparison, United have gone on a promising run of late - with Van Gaal's charges unbeaten in their last 10 games following a rather poor start to the season. Given the distance between the Red Devils and title-hopefuls Manchester City and Chelsea, the FA Cup could be the last route for United's Dutch coach to grab some silverware in his debut season.

Despite all the talk of cup magic, it should be remembered that in-form United are travelling to a side that has tallied the lowest number of home points in the country this season.

Some team news for you now...

MANCHESTER UNITED STARTING XI: De Gea; Smalling, McNair, Blackett, Rafael, Fletcher, Herrera, Rooney, Shaw, Wilson, Falcao

MANCHESTER UNITED SUBSTITUTES: Lindegaard, Evans, Anderson, Lingard, Mata, Januzaj, Di Maria

YEOVIL TOWN STARTING XI: Steer; Smith, Nugent, Arthurworrey, Ofori-Twumasi, Ralph, Edwards, Foley, Dawson, Gillett, Moore

YEOVIL TOWN SUBSTITUTES: Berrett, Hayter, Leitch-Smith, Krysiak, Innis, Eaves, Smith

Evidence then that Van Gaal is taking this game seriously, with United fielding a worryingly experienced starting XI. Radamel Falcao is to partner youngster James Wilson in attack, while Wayne Rooney drops back into the hole just behind the strikers. Darren Fletcher and Ander Herrera are to marshall the midfield, with Rafael and Luke Shaw looking to break forward from the wing-back positions. I fear for Yeovil today.

Yeovil have been boosted by the return of striker Kieffer Moore, who bagged a vital goal to help Town reach this round when they faced Accrington Stanley. Town also have the Premier League experience of on-loan players Jed Steer and defender Ben Nugent.

United fans will be pleased to see the presence of Angel Di Maria who returns for the club on the bench following a long lay-off with an injury, while there's also some attacking talent in the shape of Juan Mata, Adnan Januzaj and Anderson.

Yeovil boss moved quickly ahead of the tie to ensure that his plays did not take this game as a dream day out. Instead, he took to the Western Gazette to state that they'll be no time for selfies with the United stars as Town look to make it into the fourth round:

"I don't want the lads having selfies with Wayne Rooney. We are going into battle and trying to stop one of the best teams in the world. So there won't be any selfies while I'm around."


Van Gaal has also been speaking to the press ahead of the game about the glory of the FA Cup and the importance of his team's third-round tie today:

"In the Netherlands we have a saying: 'Death or the Gladioli' which means all or nothing. It's a Gladioli game. You are dead or you receive the gladiolus flower and in cup matches it's always like that. We will go into the match fully prepared."


The Dutch coach has also recognised that the tournament could be the best way for the club to achieve some kind of silverware this season:

"We know from our early exit in the Capital One Cup that league places mean nothing in the cups. You can win and you can lose and of course we have to win. The FA Cup the shortest way to success so we are very interested and I think my players are also."


The last time Town played a game of this magnitude, the League One club welcomed Liverpool to Huish Park. Unfortunately, luck wasn't on their side as they lost 2-0 following goals from Emile Heskey and Danny Murphy.

Those behind the social media desk at Huish have produced this short clip to introduce people to this afternoon's fixture:


I'm sure that Wilson will be up for this game as he seeks to improve his case for a regular starting spot in Van Gaal's side. He's put in a few impressive shifts, but is lacking goals. He'll get the chance to partner up with Falcao, who will also be out to notch a few more following his arrival from AS Monaco.

Despite their recent run of poor form in the league, Yeovil as a club are no strangers to the old fable of giant-killings. According to The Guardian, Town knocked 20 Football League clubs out of the Cup while they were registered as a non-league side. The most impressive of those has been noted as Yeovil's 2-1 win over Sunderland in 1949.

Just under 30 minutes until kickoff now and it's time to start considering the outcome of this game. I'm sure you're all praying for some romance in the form of an upset, but I'm not sure that's going to happen. United seem to have pulled themselves together over the past two months and given the quality in the side today I think they'll notch a good few goals. Saying that, away days at grounds like Huish always offer that slight hope that something brilliant just might happen.

So how do United go about this game, given the amount of pressure and excitement that is due to hang around the stands? Well, United legend Phil Neville believes that Van Gaal's side need to start the fixture at pace:

"These are not easy games. Ultimately, at the end of the day, if your attitude is right then you'll win the game. If your attitude is not right, then you're in for a really difficult afternoon. Sometimes when you go into these games, you start the game and think it's going to be easy and then you realise it's not and you can't just switch into a mode of 'right, I'm going to play 15% harder'. You have to start the game at 110% and then with 30 minutes to go, hopefully the game is won and you can drop your levels a little bit."


This game also serves as a vital financial boost for Yeovil with 9,500 expected inside the ground - which brings the stadium to full capacity. Crowds here usually reach the 4,000 mark.

United have a little bit of history with Yeovil in the tournament. When Town beat Sunderland in that famous tie, they set up a fixture with the Red Devils away at Maine Road. They came out on the end of a humbling 8-0 at defeat.

The fans are already taking to this fixture as we await the start of the match. Huish Park is deafening at the moment as Town fans ring out song after song around the ground.

Ahead of this clash Van Gaal has reiterated that United have learned from their earlier mistakes against MK Dons last year:

"We know from our early exit in the Capital One Cup that league places mean nothing in the cups. We will be prepared. We have learned from the Milton Keynes game. They are also in League One. Everything about playing a lower league team will be different - the pitch, the stadium."


How do Yeovil approach this, then? If they want to get anything from this you'd have to say that Town will need to avoid playing too much football against their opponents. Instead, they'll be looking to put pressure on the ball and the United back-line, which has come under some serious questions this season. Balls into the box could also be crucial, as well as the odd bit of force here and there.

Rooney will certainly be one to watch today. He's scored in each of his last five FA Cup matches, and has also bagged 11 goals in his last 14 starts for United.

Today's visitors also have a rather tidy record against lower-league opposition. United have lost only one of their last 39 FA Cup matches against 'minnow' clubs.

The players are now emerging from the tunnel in Somerset and the crowd is incredibly loud - fantastic sell-out atmosphere at Huish Park. Word has it that Town's combined weekly wages wouldn't even be enough to pay Rooney for seven days' work.

United will play in their regular red kit, while hosts Yeovil will feature in green and white stripes.

KICKOFF! Yeovil get us underway kicking from left to right. United's strikers are straight onto them and force the long ball already. McNair clears and the hosts win a throw on the right flank.

Town take their first chance to send in a ball for Moore. It's teasing and De Gea comes to claim, despite the striker giving him a good old shoulder charge.

United settle on the ball for the first time and Rooney looks to break into the box, but he's stopped by a great sliding challenge. The visitors are looking to take their time at the moment. Lots of high-line pressure from Town so far.

Early confirmation again that Moore is going to be the key target for Yeovil. The home side have the ball on the right wing, leaving Ofori-Twumasi to hoof long for the striker, but Smalling heads away.

Seems like United have been unable to settle down yet. This time Smalling is forced into conceding a corner, but the kick is poor and De Gea doesn't have to move to take it under control.

Hmm... Weird one from McNair, Shaw makes a great marauding run forward before laying off for Fletcher on the edge of the box. The centre-back comes steaming forward to collect a pass, before blasting horribly over the bar. He'll say it bobbled, maybe it did...

Dangerous times for Yeovil for a second. Rooney feeds Rafael on the overlap, with the full-back cutting it back for Herrera. His cross flies across the box towards the back-post, where it's cleared by Arthurworrey.

United have started to get the carousel of passes going now and are looking threatening. Falcao looks to have broken in behind the defence, but he's flagged for offside despite looking well on. The visitors are slowly appearing more comfortable.

Yeovil have only really looked troubled when the ball is in and around the area. This time Rafael sends in a cross to the near post, where Falcao is thwarted by a great tackle from Arthurworrey.

Gillett shows that he's up for the fight with a charge down the right win to put Shaw under pressure. The full-back is forced to concede the throw, much to the cheer of the Town fans.

Not much to note from this game so far other than that United appear predictably dangerous going forward. Rooney drops deep into space on the edge of the box, before dropping the shoulder to brush a curling effort towards the right-top corner. Thankfully for Yeovil the wind carries it and the ball flies over.

Moore is doing a lot of running already and you wonder how long he can keep this up. This time he is on the case of a lumbering Smalling, who is forced to smash the ball into the crowd under pressure from the chasing forward.

CLOSE! Town win a corner and makes good use of it as Arthurworrey leaps highest to send a header towards the far corner. United have two men on the line and the ball is cleared, though. Signs of danger from the hosts!

More pressure now from Yeovil as Wilson give the ball away cheaply in the middle of the park. The ball is thrown towards the back post and United are forced to concede another corner.

Two heads collide in the box as McNair and Moore clash, both players are down and United will be thankfully for this short break in play. Town have taken hold of the last two minutes and have started to threaten with balls into the area. United are unmoved at the moment, but they are often fallible when under pressure in defence.

Both players are still being treated on the pitch, with Moore bandaged up around the head. Officials need to be extremely careful with head clashes and they'll certainly take their time with this one.

Back underway now, however McNair is off the pitch; though both players are looking a little bloodied. Town continue to put high pressure on the ball as United look to get back to some kind of fluidity. Very stop-start so far at Huish Park.

McNair's first input after coming back on is to concede a corner, which Town take quickly. United are in order to head clear but they're giving the ball away a little too often at the moment.

The visitors' midfield starts to tick over as United get the short passing going. Yeovil are in hot pursuit though as they look to press high up the pitch. The ball is worked back to De Gea, who lumps long for Rooney, who lays off to Shaw. He looks to produce a one-two with Wilson, but the linesman flags for offside.

The high pressure pays off this time for Town as De Gea tries to find Blackett out wide, and the full-back fluffs his lines with some poor jogging that sees him arrive too late to collect the pass and the away side concede a needless throw. United win it back, though, before moving down the pitch, where Rafael turns in a poor cross despite numbers making their way into the box.

SHOT! First real chance for United as Herrera collects it on the edge of the box. He throws a dummy before slipping Wilson in behind the defenders. The striker shoots across goal first-time, but Steer makes a comfortable diving save to his right.

That's the first time this afternoon that United have moved the ball with proper intent around the edge of the area and it almost paid off. They'll be looking for a bit more of that going into the closing stages of the first period.

You'd have to think that Town can't sustain this intensity for the whole 90 minutes and United will look to exploit that by keeping hold of the ball a little more. The visitors do just that, leaving Rooney to drop into space. He's given the ball by Falcao before seeing his rasping long-distance shot blocked on its way to goal.

YELLOW CARD! Wilson shows some great skill down by the corner to draw a foul from Arthurworrey.

Rooney fires the resulting free kick into the box towards Falcao, leaving the Town defence to clear at the first opportunity. The ball drops to Shaw whose cross is blocked.

Fletcher has been a little off the pace in this game and he gives away a silly free kick to concede possession in the Town half. Yeovil move the ball down the left flank, where United can't seem to get a definitive tackle in until Smalling clears. Rooney is wasteful with a ball out to Shaw, which runs out for a throw-in.

Wow! Big call to be made at Huish Park as McNair appears to touch the ball with his arm as Gillet charges him down towards De Gea. It doesn't look deliberate and the referee waves play-on. That could've gone either way, really...

Falcao has worked hard up top and he wins a free kick on the right flank having got in front of Nugent. The free kick is poor again and Yeovil clear their lines with relative ease.

SHOT! Herrera finds himself with a bit of time to throw a turn and beat his marker on the edge of the box. He sets himself up for the shot, but lashes horribly wide without troubling Steer.

Typical of Yeovil's determination! Smith battles hard down the left flank to beat both Falcao and Rafael, although his cross isn't the best and De Gea comes out to claim. Great work from the full-back.

Three minutes of additional time...

Town have a fantastic chance to counter United as the visitors give up the ball from a terrible corner. Thankfully for the aways side, Fletcher takes up an experienced position as Yeovil dally a little too much and the chance for the ball on the overlap passes.

Another big call! This time Falcao looks to peel in behind the back and is seemingly pulled down by Nugent. Referee says nothing of it though... The centre-back was last man there and on another day could've been given his marching orders.

HALF TIME: YEOVIL TOWN 0-0 MANCHESTER UNITED

Craig Pawson calls time on an interesting first 45 minutes in Somerset. Nothing to note in the chances department, other than that shot from Wilson. United have looked a little lacklustre and will hope their class will shine through as Town begin to tire in the second half.

The home side clearly have a game-plan and have stuck to it well thus far. Lots of high pressure on the ball has meant that United have been scrappy and often untidy at the back. Balls into the box have worked well with the centre-backs appearing a little troubled at times, leaving De Gea to be the only player looking particularly comfortable in United's defensive unit.

The visitors have dominated possession, holding 63% of the ball which is hardly surprising. However, what is odd is that United have been able to conjure very little with the ball at their feet. It looks like Mata is now out on the pitch at the break, could Van Gaal be looking to make a change?

Van Gaal's charges have been a tad poor I'd have to say. They've given away the ball far too often and that goes for their experienced players, as well as the younger ones. Rooney and Fletcher have been costly on the ball at times, while Tyler Blackett has never looked so disinterested when the leather is in his vicinity.

Town will be resting up after an impressive 45 minutes. The hosts haven't looked too troubled, apart from the odd moment in and around the box. They'll be growing in confidence that a mistake or decent ball into the box could be fruitful for them in the second period. Johnson will be well aware that his players will start to get a little tired, though, which is when United could begin to threaten with increasing frequency.

I'm sure Van Gaal will have some stern words for the players during the interval. They need to sharpen up a bit and look a little more interested in making things work going forward. Falcao and Wilson have been the only two players to offer something of a direct nature.

The longer this goes on the more potential for an upset, I think. Although United's quality may become more apparent, they have three young defenders at the back who are known to make mistakes when under pressure. Town could look to exploit that if the game remains goalless going into the final 15 minutes of the match.

The players are back out on the pitch now. United will make two changes with Mata and Jonny Evans replacing Rafael and Shaw. Van Gaal clearly not happy...

KICKOFF! United get us back underway, with the visitors reverting to a four at the back with a diamond in midfield. Not the away side's usual shape by any means. Fletcher sitting at the base of a midfield four.

United start this half with a little extra pace as Rooney takes control of the ball in the middle. There's no way through, however, and the visitors are forced to work the ball back to the defence.

Town offer something of themselves and it's down to a poor clearance from McNair. Smith turns in a great ball into the middle of the box that leaves De Gea stranded, however Evans gets in to head away.

Mata is involved for the first time in the half and he seeks to work the ball short in the area with Rooney. Ofori-Twumasi isn't fooled and he steps in to hoof away.

Mata gets the ball again in the middle of the pitch and tries to pick out Falcao who is pushing back against Nugent. The defender does well to hold him off, though, and the ball runs through for Steer to collect.

Foley and Edwards have worked tremendously hard in this contest as they continue to put themselves about in the middle to break up the play. United are yet to find a way through, with Smalling's work on the ball coming into question. He's great in the tackle, but his passes are constantly over-hit making it hard for any recipient under pressure.

CLOSE! So close for the hosts... The ball is turned in towards Moore in the box, as Evans gets a poor touch to play the striker in. Smalling and McNair have no chance, but the striker fluffs his effort straight into the hands of De Gea from close range. Looks like he kicked his standing foot there.

United almost create a little bit of luck as Wilson cuts the ball back inside the area, Falcao is closing in but Town have a man back just in time to clear the danger.

SUBSTITUTE: United make their final change of the afternoon. Di Maria on to replace Falcao. Let's see what he can do... From the Santiago Bernabeu to Somerset in the space of a few months!

This is proving to be a bit too sticky for United. The visitors have plenty of the ball outside of the area but another costly pass from Blackett sees the full-back give up possession yet again. They can't seem to find the quality required to get anywhere near carving out an opportunity.

GOAL! YEOVIL TOWN 0-1 MANCHESTER UNITED (ANDER HERRERA)

Brilliant strike from the Spaniard and United have the lead. Rooney feeds the ball into Fletcher, whose guided flick hits a defender and falls kindly into the path of the midfielder. In one movement he swivels towards goal and volleys the dropping ball with his right towards the top corner. Steer has no chance whatsoever. One for the showreel!

Will that goal open the floodgates? Only time will tell. Herrera was booked for his celebration in the midst of the drama, a little harsh if you ask me. What can Town do now?

That goal obviously meant a lot to Herrera and he's looking confident now. His pass finds Di Maria, who is floored by Ofori-Twumasi as a free kick is conceded in a dangerous area.

It's a tall wall for Yeovil and Rooney can't get it up and down in enough time to trouble Steer. He gets enough rise, but the ball flies over the bar.

CLOSE! The ball is whipped in to the United box and skipper Edwards pulls off a diving header at the back stick. Luckily for the visitors Di Maria finds himself on the line and heads the ball away from goal.

Herrera gives the ball away in the middle of the pitch and Town move it forward to Moore. He dummies two defenders and fires off a blocked shot that wins a corner. The crowd respond with deafening cheers. Can Yeovil find a goal?

United arguably still in control despite their lack of quality. They win the ball in midfield and try to break forward through Wilson, but the move runs out of steam and the hosts are able to slash clear.

Rooney sees himself waste a good chance as McNair breaks down the right. He fizzes in a ball across the surface, leaving the striker to make a mess of things in the middle with a poor shot that flies wide of the post.

Gillet tries to show some enterprise down he right as he pulls wide to receive the ball from Edwards. He's flagged for offside, allowing United to break from the free kick. Lots of short passes around the Town box, but no way through. Di Maria gets tired of waiting and charges towards the box. He's given a bit too much space and sends a shot towards goal, which sways wide of the post.

Simple possessional stuff from Van Gaal's men as they look to close out this contest. They've been pretty poor this afternoon, especially with their passing in midfield and defence. Too much sloppy play for a Premier League side.

Yeovil win a free kick in a good position after Rooney fouls Edwards. Nothing comes out if though as Moore is flagged for offside. That was a great chance to get a good ball into the box and they've wasted it.

Edwards is continuing to chase everything across the pitch. He's put an impressive shift in for Town who don't have too many ideas when they win the ball back. We've reached a bit of a stalemate in the final five minutes. United listless on the ball, while Yeovil appear a bit toothless in attack.

Mata and Di Maria combine for a nice one-two in the Yeovil box, however Arthurworrey shows great feet to make the interception at the vital moment, just as Mata seeks to latch on to the return pass.

SUBSTITUTES: Dawson is replaced by James Berrett and Foley by James Hayter as Yeovil make their final two changes in the match.

GOAL! YEOVIL TOWN 0-2 MANCHESTER UNITED (ANGEL DI MARIA)

Town go for it from a free kick and lump everyone forward. They lose possession as the ball drops to Rooney. The captain pings a wonderful pass forward into the path of Di Maria, who takes it towards goal before chipping past a helpless Steer in the Yeovil goal.

SAVE! Steer looks to redeem himself by keeping out a shot from Herrera. The midfielder finds himself in space just outside the box to the right and fancies a second goal to his name. It's a pretty comfortable save the Town stopper.

FULL TIME: YEOVIL TOWN 0-2 MANCHESTER UNITED

So debut FA Cup goals from Herrera and Di Maria see United through to the fourth round. It was a rather poor showing from Van Gaal's men, but they've managed to secure safe passage despite an industrious performance from Yeovil. Ultimately this fixture has been changed by a key moment of magic and that's often what happens in the cup... Yeovil will look back on that Moore chance and wonder what could've been. For United, they'll need to improve drastically if they want to stand any chance of ending their 11-year drought in the tournament.

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