The pitch at Prenton Park didn't look suitable for a game of top quality professional football, but that was no barrier to Manchester United progressing to the next round of the FA Cup.
Harry Maguire set the tone for the visitors with a thunderbolt on ten minutes, his first goal for the club. Diogo Dalot doubled the advantage just three minutes later. It was going to be a long afternoon for Mickey Mellon's men, 2-0 down inside a quarter of an hour.
6️⃣ goals
6️⃣ different scorers
Which was your favourite? 🤔 pic.twitter.com/XZfivP4lCZ— Manchester United (@ManUtd) January 26, 2020
Just three minutes later, it was 3-0 when Jesse Lingard broke his scoring drought. Lingard's strike was just his second of the season having scored in the Europa League away loss to Astana in November.
The result was in no doubt and it was just a case of how far for United, who prior to today, had only won twice in all competitions since the 28th of December. Phil Jones became the fourth Manchester United goalscorer when he netted his first of the season after 41 minutes.
Four minutes later, Anthony Martial was given space and time on the edge of the area, he curled a beautiful right-footed effort into the far corner leaving Scott Davies rooted between the Tranmere sticks.
Half-dozen
Mason Greenwood brought up the half-dozen just eleven minutes into the second half from the penalty spot after Scott Davies fouled the United forward. In scoring, Greenwood became the youngest United player to score ten goals for the club since Norman Whiteside.
Six goals to nil was how it finished on the terrible surface of Prenton Park. There won't be any post-match complaints from United who were having their biggest win since the Alex Ferguson era, it was January 2008 when the Red Devils last scored six goals in a competitive game.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer said after the game there was some pressure on his side given, "Today was a day when everyone, apart from Man United fans wanted us to lose."
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