United ease into 2-0 against Saints

Southampton 0 Man Utd 2

Holders Manchester United struck in the opening and closing minutes of the opening period at St Mary’s today to put themselves in position to clinch an FA Cup semi-final berth at the expense of Southampton.

Roy Keane took just 87 seconds to put United ahead with a deflected shot, and the visitors dominated thereafter.

Only two superb saves from teenage goalkeeper Paul Smith kept Saints in the hunt – but even he had no answer when Cristiano Ronaldo latched on to Ruud van Nistelrooy’s square pass and rammed home an injury-time second.