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For the second time in 12 days, non-league Exeter injected the FA Cup with a large dose of magic as they took Manchester United all the way in their third-round replay.

An eighth-minute Cristiano Ronaldo effort and a Wayne Rooney strike just before the end smoothed United's passage to a January 29 meeting with Middlesbrough but when the dust settles, the Grecians will have plenty to remember other than the estimated £700,000 earned from their two extraordinary clashes with Sir Alex Ferguson's men.

There is no denying United edged tonight's contest and created most of the chances. But with Alex Jeannin, Scott Hiley and Andy Taylor all outstanding, the Conference outfit were never overwhelmed and few would have begrudged them taking the tie into an extra 30 minutes.

Having described the Old Trafford debacle as the worst FA Cup performance in his 18 illustrious years as United manager, Ferguson named a side, if not quite full strength, certainly strong enough to ensure he didn't suffer his first third round exit since heading south from Aberdeen 18 years ago.

Gary Neville and Ryan Giggs returned after recent absences, while the inclusion of Wayne Rooney, Cristiano Ronaldo and Paul Scholes meant just four members of the Red Devils side that started the first encounter between the teams kept their place.

Grecians coach Alex Inglethorpe has fewer resources at his disposal and retained most of the side that etched their name in FA Cup history with only Marcus Martin losing his place to Kwame Ampadu.

Exeter began with understandable enthusiasm but though the dead surface aided their cause more than United's it was the visitors who quickly got a stranglehold on the contest.

John O'Shea was only inches away from turning Ronaldo's cross home, although it wasn't long before the Portuguese teenager gave United the early advantage they craved.

Ronaldo has been a frustrated figure in his second season with the Red Devils, regressing to the over-elaborate ways that characterised his early days at the club.

He also appears to get wound up too easily by the physical aspect of the English game and the failure of the officials to give him enough protection.

Despite these flaws, the 19-year-old remains a class act and after picking up possession on the left flank, he darted inside, then continued his run to collect Scholes' return pass and drive a shot into the far corner with such ease that it begged the question why it was only his second goal of the campaign.

Ronaldo will not remember his next involvement with affection though as Hiley produced some trickery of his own, tapping through the Euro 2004 finalist's legs to raucous applause from the home fans.

Little had been seen of Exeter as an attacking force up to then but that all changed when Jeannin delivered the first of what was to be half a dozen superb crosses from the left flank.

His initial effort caught Tim Howard by surprise and the American's hesitation allowed Steve Flack to rise above him and nod a decent opportunity wide.

Flack's strike partner Sean Devine got on the end of Jeannin's next effort in first half stoppage time but couldn't keep his volley on target.

In between those two chances, Rooney had earned himself a lecture from referee Phil Dowd for a spiteful ankle tap on Ampadu but 11 minutes after the re-start, the teenager should really have put the game beyond Exeter's reach.

That he didn't was nothing to do with his own efforts and everything to do with the surface, or more specifically a massive patch of mud half a yard from the Exeter goal line which Rooney's delicate lob landed in, failing to bounce into the vacant net, instead allowing Paul Jones to scramble back and collect.

Jeannin was proving to be the most dangerous Exeter player on the pitch and Devine should have profited when the full-back delivered yet another quality cross from the left flank which dropped over Gary Neville's head, only for the unmarked striker to volley an excellent chance meekly wide.

As the contest entered its final stages, Exeter pushed forward knowing they had nothing to lose and Howard was forced into his best save of the match to deny Taylor, whose fiercely hit 25-yard free-kick was heading in.

Devine thought he had equalised when he turned home Jeannin's mis-hit volley but was clearly offside and as the cavalry charge continued, Rooney and Ronaldo wasted four glorious opportunities between them to seal victory on the counter attack before the teenager from England finally managed it three minutes from time.

Teams
Exeter Jones, Hiley, Sawyer, Gaia, Jeannin, Moxey, Taylor (Martin 89), Ampadu (Afful 69), Clay, Flack (Edwards 74), Devine.

Subs Not Used: Rice, Todd.

Booked: Ampadu, Clay.

Man Utd Howard, Phil Neville, Gary Neville, O'Shea, Fortune, Giggs (Saha 70), Miller (Fletcher 66), Scholes, Djemba-Djemba (Silvestre 80), Ronaldo, Rooney.

Subs Not Used: Ricardo, Bellion.

Goals: Ronaldo 9, Rooney 87.

Att: 9,033

Ref: P Dowd (Staffordshire).