Wayne Rooney scored twice for Manchester United to beat Portsmouth 2-1 as Premier League clubs had a good day in the fourth round of England’s FA Cup on Saturday.
Rooney scored from a low cross from Ryan Giggs in the 77th minute before hitting a long-range chip into the top left corner of the goal six minutes later.
”Having the vision and audacity to do it at that time of the game — one goal up with 10 minutes to go — is really great,” United manager Alex Ferguson said of Rooney’s second. ”It was nice to get Wayne scoring … and the chip really was world class.”
In the 87th, Portsmouth forward Nwankwo Kanu scored when a shot by Pedro Mendes deflected in off the Nigerian’s foot.
United looked to have taken the lead in the 12th when TV replays showed Nemanja Vidic’s header had crossed the goal line before Mendes cleared it — but the referee waved play on.
Portsmouth goalkeeper David James made diving saves from shots by Michael Carrick, Henrik Larsson and Paul Scholes before being beaten twice by Rooney.
”I’m pleased with the performance, we worked hard,” Ferguson said. ”There was nothing we could do about their goal. We had a lot more pressure in the second half, we raised the tempo and had more chances — I thought we were in control.”
United States striker Brian McBride scored his 10th goal of the season to lead Fulham to a 3-0 win over visiting Stoke, while Watford, Reading, Tottenham and Blackburn also won.
Fulham striker Vincenzo Montella opened the scoring in the 11th with his fourth goal in five games since joining on loan from AS Roma, before McBride sent a through ball from Montello past goalkeeper Steve Simonsen in the 39th.
Canada forward Tomasz Radzinski completed the scoring in the 54th.
West Ham lost 1-0 against Watford, and Middlesbrough blew a two-goal lead to draw 2-2 at Bristol City of the third-tier League One.
Watford midfielder Anthony McNamee scored the winner in the 42nd minute as the last-placed Hornets knocked out last year’s runners-up West Ham with their first victory at Upton Park in 23 years.
Striker Leroy Lita scored twice to lead Reading to a 3-2 win over Birmingham.
Reading striker Dave Kitson opened the scoring off a cross after three minutes of his first game back since suffering a knee injury in the league season opener in August.
Midfielder Bobby Convey sent a low-cross in from the left that Lita put in at the near post in the 41st, and the striker added his second — and 10th of the campaign — in the 82nd.
Blues defender Martin Taylor pulled one back for Birmingham in the 47th minute before Sebastian Larsson curled in a free kick in injury time.
Tottenham beat Southend 3-1 at White Hart Lane. Striker Robbie Keane scored his seventh of the season after latching on to a Didier Zokora pass in the 12th minute, while Jermaine Jenas scored in the 50th and striker Mido in the 76th.
Forward Freddy Eastwood scored a penalty for Southend in the 69th minute.
Matt Derbyshire scored twice to lead Blackburn to a 4-0 win over Luton.
Striker Benni McCarthy scored from a flick-on by Derbyshire inside the penalty area in the 37th minute for his 14th goal of the season before Morten Gamst Pedersen volleyed in the 74th for the final score.
Middlesbrough took a fourth-minute lead after Bristol City goalkeeper Adrian Passo failed to parry a shot by Stewart Downing that striker Aiyegbeni Yakubu swept in for his 12th of the year.
Forward Malcolm Christie made it 2-0 in the 23rd, putting in a cross from James Morrison.
Defender Richard Keogh began Bristol City’s comeback with his header off a free kick in the 53rd, before Scott Murray drew the League One side level with a volley five minutes later.
West Ham and Portsmouth were the only Premier League clubs to be knocked out of the competition.
In Saturday’s other FA Cup games, Plymouth beat Barnet 2-0, Blackpool and Norwich drew 1-1, Derby beat Bristol Rovers 1-0, Preston beat Crystal Palace 2-0 and Ipswich beat Swansea 1-0.
On Sunday, 10-time winners Arsenal play Bolton, Chelsea face Nottingham Forest, Manchester City host Southampton and Wolves host local rivals West Bromwich Albion.
The draw for the fifth round will take place Monday.
In League Championship play, Cardiff beat Leicester 3-2. — Sapa-AP