Fergie eager to move on

Alex Ferguson breathed a massive sigh of relief at St James' Park last night as he looked forward to an FA Cup fourth round clash with Middlesbrough.

Although his Manchester United side eventually eased their way past Exeter, they were rarely comfortable and the non-leaguers were in no way flattered by the final 2-0 scoreline.

Ferguson admitted United made it hard for themselves by spurning a succession of second-half chances and though he was full of praise for Exeter’s battling spirit, he will be glad to face more recognisable opposition in the last 32.

“What has happened over these two games is just a reminder that any opposition can make it difficult for you in the FA Cup,” he said.

“We didn’t help ourselves by wasting so many chances and there is no point saying we were brilliant or anything like that.

“But the main thing is we have got through. We all watched Burnley play Liverpool on TV on Tuesday and that reminded the players what the FA Cup is all about.”