FA CUP FOURTH ROUND
Manchester United 4
Fulham 1

FULHAM crashed out of the FA Cup this evening as Manchester United showed exactly why they have won the famous old trophy a record 11 times.

One each from Ryan Giggs and Wayne Rooney along with a Javier Hernandez brace saw the Whites exit the competition at the fourth round and in truth the margin of victory could have been greater.

Martin Jol's side suffered a nightmare start at Old Trafford as Aaron Hughes gave away a penalty with just 72 seconds on the clock as he foolishly handled an early corner.

Veteran Giggs stuck away the spot-kick to give United the lead and 500 travelling Whites fans braced themselves for what looked like being a long evening in Manchester.

With 20 minutes on the gone, the Red Devils were appealing for another penalty as Damien Duff appeared to use his arm to push a Giggs pass away from the advancing Patrice Evra.

Mark Clattenburg dismissed the protests but the home side continued their search for a second and  Schwarzer had to be alert to push Rooney's strike onto the crossbar.

The big Australian keeper was a busy man in the first-half and produced another superb save, low to his right, to deny Rooney again following more good work from the influential Giggs.

Fulham fans had to wait 30 minutes for their team's first effort on goal as full-back Sascha Riether let fly from 25-yards but failed to warm the gloves of United goalkeeper David De Gea.

Whites were perhaps unfortunate not to have a penalty themselves in the dying seconds of the half as Chris Smalling made a clumsy challenge but referee Clattenburg whistled for the interval.

Jol would have been happy to get his boys into the dressing room with just a one-goal deficit to make up and the Fulham boss swapped Chris Baird for Giorgos Karagounis at the break.

But there was no let up after the restart as the red tide continued to flow, Rooney doubling the advantage with the half just five minutes old as he blasted a left-footed drive past Schwarzer.

The cup tie was as good as over a minute later when Fulham twice failed to clear their lines and Nani teed up  diminutive striker Hernandez who rammed home a third for the hosts.

Jol threw on Hugo Rodallega to add some more attacking flair to the Fulham forward-line, however his arrival could do nothing to change the inevitable outcome.

Worse was to come for the visitors as Hernandez gabbed his second, United's fourth, with the help of a deflection from Hughes.

Hughes had endured a dismal 70-odd minutes at Old Trafford but the centre-back did restore some personal pride by pulling a goal back with a near-post header.

It was nothing more than a consolation for the Whites though as United marched comfortably  into the fifth round.

FULHAM: Schwarzer, Riise, Hangeland, Baird (Karagounis), Hughes, Riether, Sidwell, Duff (Rodallega), Kacaniklic, Berbatov, Ruiz (Dejagah).

Subs (not used): Etheridge, Senderos, Briggs, Petric.

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