Preston: Manchester United had to come from behind to avoid an FA Cup upset at Preston, rallying with three second-half goals to beat the third-tier club 3-1 and reach the quarter-finals.
Preston looked set to spring another major surprise in this year's competition when Scott Laird put the hosts ahead in the 48th minute with a deflected shot. But Ander Herrera equalised in the 65th for United and Marouane Fellaini followed up his own rebound to make it 2-1 seven minutes later. Wayne Rooney put the result beyond doubt with a penalty in the 88th after he was adjudged to have been tripped in the area by goalkeeper Thorsten Stuckmann. It was Rooney's first goal in 2015, but replays showed he went down without any contact from Stuckmann.
United's win sets up a quarter-final meeting with defending champion Arsenal next month, and Louis van Gaal's team will have to improve dramatically to stay on course for a first title under the Dutchman. With Chelsea and Manchester City both having lost to lower-tier opposition already, the winner at Old Trafford will be a big favorite to lift the cup in May at Wembley.
"The (Preston) goal was a little bit unlucky," Van Gaal said. "But then we showed an unbelievable team spirit. We changed the shape and that was the solution I think. We scored fantastic goals, (but) a little bit lucky also I think."
United struggled to create chances in the first half and then fell behind when Laird's shot from the edge of the area took a deflection off Antonio Valencia and squeezed under diving goalkeeper David De Gea.
Van Gaal responded by taking off ineffective striker Radamel Falcao for Ashley Young with 30 minutes to go and United improved immediately.
The equaliser came when Young's pass found Herrera, whose shot went inside the far post. Preston argued that Rooney was standing in an offside position but he was not adjudged to have interfered with play.
Fellaini gave the visitors the lead when he met a cross from Valencia at the back post with a thumping header that was saved by Stuckmann, but the Belgian stabbed the ball in with his second effort.
Preston never looked likely to come back and force a replay, and Rooney added the third after he raced into the area and fell over the outstretched leg of the onrushing Stuckmann. He thumped his penalty high into the net to end a nine-game goal drought - and Preston's hopes of another upset.
"I think the players can be very proud of what they've done today," Preston manager Simon Grayson said.
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