The Red Devils survived an almighty fright to overcome League One Rochdale on penalties on Wednesday night at Old Trafford.
17-year-old forward Mason Greenwood looked to have saved United’s blushes with his 68th-minute strike but Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s team endured a humbling night as 16-year-old Luke Matheson silenced the home crowd with an equalizer for the visitors sending the game into penalties.
In the end, it took penalties to seal the victory for Manchester United as they managed to convert all five of their spot-kicks, while Argentine keeper Sergio Romero denied Jimmy Keohane.
It was far from convincing from the home side, whose early-season struggles are still not solved completely. Even with the returning French midfield ace Paul Pogba from an ankle injury and Greenwood recovering from tonsillitis, they couldn’t put Rochdale away in the ninety minutes of football.
Although the hosts created a number of chances in the early part of the game, their problems were underlined with the failure to convert any of them due to the lack of senior strikers available. It’s a measure of United’s struggles that League two side Rochdale turned up at Old Trafford with no fear and played with their opponents with nothing to lose.
Although Greenwood managed to find the back of the net on 68 minutes all through his own making but with 76 minutes on the clock Rathbone chased after a lost cause on the left and his looping cross fell to the far post where Matheson was waiting to catch it on the half volley to bring the nerves back at Old Trafford.
Finally, it was up to Daniel James to convert the final penalty spot-kick and the Welshman eased things on a rather frustrating night at the Theatre Of Dreams.
