Southampton – Manchester United

Join us live at 17.15 GMT as FA Cup holders Man United continue the defence of their trophy against Southampton.

Manchester United replace the injured Ryan Giggs with Quinton Fortune, the only change from the side that lost in Milan midweek.

Despite the return of Niemi, Southampton stick with young Paul Smith in net.

United go on the attack from the off. Wes Brown swings over a cross towards Van Nistelrooy, and United win an early corner.

GOAL! From the corner, Roy Keane collects the ball and fires a shot, via a deflection off Peter Crouch's head, in to the top corner.

Henri Camera causes a little concern in the United defence as he prods a shot goalwards. Carroll watches it drift by his post, but feels suitably annoyed enough to fly out of his goal, furiously clapping his hands towards his defenders.

Ronaldo is fouled inside the centre circle, and United take the free-kick quickly. Rooney beats two men and cuts the ball back towards Fortune, but the South African scuffs his shot.

The early goal for United has quelled what was initially a decent atmosphere inside the stadium. The Saints fans already seem resigned to the inevitable: a pasting.

Camera has the pace to cause United some problems, though Silvestre and Ferdinand are no slouches. He wins a throw after pressuring well down the left.

Ronaldo is through on goal, though halted in his tracks by an off-side flag.

Svensson breaks in to some space in the United area and fires a hard shot low at Carroll, who puts the ball out for a corner. Crouch wins the header on the penalty spot, but United eventually scramble clear.

United's team this evening is a clear indication of how seriously the Reds are taking the FA Cup; Scholes, Rooney, Van Nistelrooy, Ronaldo.

Camera breaks at pace down the left, though Ferdinand matches him stride for stride. With a single team-mate to aim for in the box, Camera swings over a left-foot cross. It's awful, and flies out of play without troubling anyone.

Rooney, seemingly operating down the left, teases Svensson, who eventually snaps and fouls the teenage star. Ronaldo's free-kick is deflected out for a corner.

The England coach Sven Goran Eriksson is spotted in the crowd, seated next to Southampton chairman Rupert Lowe. He appears distinctly uninterested.

Sorry readers; I've made a glaring and inexcusable error. Tim Howard is in the United net this evening, not Roy Carroll, as I previously stated. Forgive me, please.

Svensson, under pressure from the retreating Fortune, bursts through the middle before screwing a left-foot shot well wide.

Crouch is winning a lot of headers, but none are being pounced upon by his Southampton team-mates. Whether that's because the headers are mis-directed, or because the Saints players aren't reading the flicks, I'm not qualified to say.

Camera lofts a ball over the top towards Paul Telfer, who turns Brown before cutting back a low cross. United clear.

Bernard is adjudged to have handled as Ronaldo crossed, but the free-kick comes to nothing.

Scholes and Keane combine to find Van Nistelrooy, who turns and hits a first-time shot from the edge of the area. Smith saves comfortably.

Southampton are looking to Camara every time they get the ball in a dangerous position. He is certainly their most threatening and creative player.

Oooh! Rooney collects a ball on the edge of the area and cracks a shot towards goal; Smith saves, but the ball hits the bar; Rooney manages to reach the rebound, but puts his header wide. Great chance.

Rooney finds Ronaldo with an inch-perfect ball down the line. The cross is deliated whilst United get players forward.

Van Nistelrooy pounces on a loose ball in the box and turns to shoot towards goal, but his effort is deflected wide.

From the corner, Ferdinand cuts a low ball across the face of the goal, but no United player is near enough to prod home and Saints clear.

The Southampton fans have raised the noise level a little as the half has progressed.

Crouch finds some space between the two United central defenders. He controls the ball well on the edge of the area, but Silvestre and Heinze manage to flick the ball away before the striker can get a shot away.

Ferdinand crucially manages to get a head on a pass intended for Telfer inside the area. The ball drops to Bernard, who smashes a shot from distance over the bar.

United are defending with great comfort at the moment. Saints know they have to get men forward to support Crouch and Camara, but the triangle of Ferdinand, Silvestre and Keane have been very impressive in the opening half-hour.

Scholes attempts an ambitious flicked pass towards Rooney, but the youngster can't quite get on the end of it. A pity, because United had plenty men forward.

Bernard's shot from the edge of the area is blocked by two United defenders. The Frenchman is playing in quite an advanced position this afternoon.

Ronaldo is down injured after accidentally receiving a knee to his thigh. The physio helps the winger off the field, and seems to be looking at his injury with a certain degree of sympathy.

Van Nistelrooy chases a long ball over the top, and Lundekvam manages to shepherd the ball out of play. The defender exchanges words with his goalkeeper.

Howard collects at the second attempt as he dives at the feet of Camara.

Rooney, Scholes and Keane show some neat touches in the final third as they attempt to work an opening for someone. They find Fortune, who has a shot from distance; it's deflected, and Smith is forced to tip over the bar for a corner.

Higginbotham's back-pass is a little strong, and Smith is forced to slide and put the ball out for a throw-in in dangerous territory.

Ronaldo displays some fancy footwork, but his cross is too close to Smith, who collects the ball under no pressure.

Keane finds Ronaldo down the right with a sensational first-time pass. The Portuguese winger's cross towards Van Nistelrooy is deflected out for a corner. Southampton clear.

Telfer fires over a left-foot cross, but Crouch's near post flick is scrambled clear. Southampton maintain possession, but are unable to create a decent chance as Brown heads away from danger.

United attempt to close out the half with a spell of possession close to their own area.

Rooney latches on to a sloppy pass in the Southampton defence. He beats Lundekvam and shoots low, but Smith gets a strong hand on his shot and the ball hits the post.

Crouch controls a pass 30 yards out, and fires a volley towards goal. Howard collects on the bounce, but it was a decent effort from the tall striker.

GOAL! Ronaldo fires home from 12 yards, after a tremendous 40-yard run from Rooney. He beats two men, shows great close control on the touchline, and remains composed enough to find Van Nistelrooy; the Dutchman lays the ball back to Ronaldo, who cracks his shot past Smith.

HALF TIME: United have been very good in the opening 45 minutes. They have defended well, and created a few good chances, two of which have found the net. Game over.

Southampton have made a change at half-time; Lundekvam off, Davenport on.

Southampton have a very tough task in the second half; they obviously need to push forward, but United could kill them on the break. The visitors win an early corner.

Scholes' corner is lofted out towards Rooney on the edge of the area, but Camara had tracked back and heads clear before Rooney can get his shot away.

GOAL! Rooney lobs the ball towards Van Nistelrooy in a packed area. Smith saves the Dutchman's prod towards goal, but Scholes smashes home United's third.

The re-start is delayed while stewards clear a firecracker off the pitch. It is the source of much concern around the ground; I'm not entirely sure why; it's just a bit of smoke.

It really is game over now; Southampton have nothing to play for here, except to avoid a humiliating defeat.

Television replays show the moment a Manchester United fan thought it sensible to lob the fire-cracker in to the Southampton penalty area. He's going to get his collar felt.

Rooney breaks at pace and finds Ronaldo on the edge of the area, but the move breaks down when the winger attempts to curl in a shot.

Calm defending from Ferdinand under pressure from Camara.

United have got the chance to really put their Champions League exit behind them this evening. They could net six, if they put their minds to it.

Van Nistelrooy breaks down the right channel and smashes a shot at goal, which Smith does well to turn over the bar.

Crouch holds off a challenge before laying a ball in to the path of Telfer. His low shot is straight at Howard, who collects with ease.

Some ironic cheers as Southampton enjoy a spell of possession.

Crainie lofts a decent ball in towards Crouch, but Brown's diving header clears the danger.

SUB: Heinze off, O'Shea on. The Argentine gets a rest, and the opportunity to enjoy a shower in peace.

Camara shows some good control in the area, but the ball takes too long to drop and his shot is snatched. It dribbles wide.

Two chances inside a minute for Rooney. A good run takes him to the edge of the area before Oakley tackles back; then he attempts an ambitious chip, which drifts over the bar.

SUB: McCann on, Bernard off. McCann is a slightly more attacking player, though I'm not sure the change will make a massive difference to the outcome.

Crouch is found by a deep cross from Telfer, but his header is neither towards goal or a team-mate. He got caught in two minds, the big man.

Good spell of possession once more for Southampton, but United are working so hard to close down space.

SUB: Ronaldo off, Smith on. The winger trudges off to generous applause, replaced by a very eager-looking Smith.

It's difficult to know which set of fans are making the noise - perhaps it's both. But there is a good atmosphere about the ground at the moment.

SUB: Keane off, Phil Neville on. Ferguson takes the chance to rest his captain, and brings on Neville to shore up his midfield.

So, Arsenal and Manchester United are through (almost). Will the big two meet in the semi-finals, or the final?

Crainey fires over a dangerous cross, which Silvestre manages to head over the bar.

Rooney appears to have picked up an ankle injury, but United have made all three permitted substitutions. He hobbles over to have a word with his manager, but is persuaded to stay on the pitch.

Rooney makes something of a mockery of his injury concerns by darting forty yards down the right wing before cutting a ball back to Van Nistelrooy. His back-heel towards Scholes is cleared.

United have two chances to put good balls in to the box, though Brown's centres from the right hand side fail to beat the first man on both occasion.

Rooney chips a lovely ball over a defender towards Van Nistelrooy. Fortune's centre is headed straight at Smith by the young striker.

Fortune encourages O'Shea to get forward down the left, but the left-back's cut-back is cleared by Saints.

SUB: Phillips on, Camara off. Camara was dangerous and sharp in the first half, but has been anonymous in the second. Phillips is returning from an injury.

Svensson mis-places a pass, completely splitting two team-mates. Southampton haven't played well at all this evening; they have made far too many mistakes.

Svensson and Neville disagree about something on the halfway line, but the referee is over very quickly to defuse the situation.

The game is cruising to it's conclusion without any incident of note to speak of. It's been a very drab second half.

O'Shea defends well to deny Crouch a clear header at goal as a cross is floated in. Southampton corner, but United clear.

Crouch wins another header in the area, but Phillips can't quite get on the knock-down, and Ferdinand clears.

GOAL! Rooney and Van Nistelrooy combine well. The Dutchman works some space on the right and lofts a great cross to the back post, where Scholes heads home from a yard.

Svensson collects a one-two from Phillips and hits a hopeful shot from twenty yards, straight at Howard.

Two minutes of stoppage time will be added.

Rooney sets Brown free with a well-weighted prod down the right wing. His cross his headed over the bar by Smith, from 10 yards out.

FULL TIME: United ease to a comfortable win. Southampton were never in the game, and the second goal killed the match. A very professional performance from United; Saints were dreadful.