Source: TheGuardian
Manchester United given huge scare by Newport County before Antony strikes
It was a bumpy, disconcerting ride for Erik ten Hag and that was long after the Manchester United manager negotiated more questions about Marcus Rashford’s apparent indiscipline. Rashford was conspicuous by his absence, not in the United squad that flew into Cardiff owing, Ten Hag said, to an internal matter, days after the forward reported ill for training, hours after allegedly being pictured in a Belfast nightclub. On the pitch, United avoided an ignominious defeat at Newport County, with Antony and Rasmus Højlund, late on, scoring to prevent the League Two side from recording a historic result and forcing a replay. Newport rallied from 2-0 down, after early strikes by Bruno Fernandes and Kobbie Mainoo, his first senior goal, to level in the second half and make for an enthralling encounter.Until Bryn Morris’s strike deflected in off Lisandro Martínez on 36 minutes, it seemed this tie would be something of an anti-climax, after all. Newport ensured anything but. Will Evans, who up until two years ago was milking cows on his parents’ farm in mid-Wales, notched their equaliser early in the second half and sent a shot whistling past a post in the 90th minute. A grandstand finish seemed a given when the fourth official, Andrew Kitchen, indicated nine minutes of added time, during which Højlund fired in from close range to wrap up victory. Continue reading......read full article
