Aston Villa 2 Manchester United 3
Manchester United came from 2-0 down to beat Premiership rivals Aston Villa 3-2, after United scored three goals in a five-minute spell, in the third round of the FA Cup tonight.
Villa were 2-0 up in front of their own fans with 13 minutes to go before an astonishing five minutes when United score three goals, Ruud van Nistelrooy netting twice after Ole Gunnar Solskjaer had given the English champions a lifeline in the 77th minute.
John Gregory's Villa side were comfortably in control when Norway forward Solskjaer beat former Manchester United goalkeeper Peter Schmeichel at the near post.
Then England captain David Beckham's header fell to van Nistelrooy, on for fellow sub Luke Chadwick, who gave Schmeichel no chance from close range.
Dutchman van Nistelrooy, in his first FA Cup tie, then showed no sign of the groin trouble that had forced him to start on the bench when, after being played in by Solskjaer, he rounded Schmeichel for a superbly taken goal.
Gregory then gambled on a treble substitution but five minutes of injury time were not enough for the Birmingham club to grab an equaliser at Villa Park.
Villa took the lead in the 51st minute when defender Lee Hendrie's pass released Taylor whose shot beat United goalkeeper Roy Carroll, deputising for the injured Fabien Barthez.
And within three minutes Villa were 2-0 up when a dreadful mix-up between Neville and Carroll saw the England international head into his own net.
United ought to have taken the lead a minute into the second half when England under-21 international striker Luke Chadwick blasted over the top with only Schmeichel to beat.
Chadwick, on as a substitute for Nicky Butt, had earlier wasted the best chance of a lacklustre first half when, in the 39th minute he latched on to a pass from Solskjaer, held off Republic of Ireland defender Steve Staunton, but screwed his shot across the face of goal.
Manchester United began the match with England captain David Beckham in the starting line-up for only the second time in nine games, with injuries giving 'super-sub Solskjaer a chance to show what he could do from the first whistle.
But it was Beckham who was mobbed by jubilant United fans at the finish. -AFP