Rangnick baffled by handball goal as Manchester United exit FA Cup

Manchester: Manchester United were dumped out of the FA Cup fourth round by Championship side Middlesbrough 8-7 on penalties after wasting a sackful of chances in a 1-1 draw at Old Trafford last night.

Ralf Rangnick’s side dominated throughout but ultimately paid for their profligacy in a tense shoot-out when, after the first 15 penalties had all been converted, United youngster Anthony Elanga blazed over to send 9,000 Boro fans wild.

Jadon Sancho’s 25th-minute goal, shortly after Cristiano Ronaldo had missed a penalty, was scant reward for United’s superiority with Ronaldo and Marcus Rashford both culpable of failing to take golden chances.

Chris Wilder’s Boro kept themselves in the tie, however, and equalised in the 64th minute when former United youth player Matt Crooks converted from close range.

Bruno Fernandes somehow struck the post with the goal gaping soon after that and United then battered away at Boro’s defence in extra time all to no avail.

Boro then showed incredible poise with their penalties to send the 12-time FA Cup winners tumbling out.

It was a hammer blow for United who will wonder how they will not be in the hat for the fifth round after having 30 goal attempts to Boro’s six.

“Incredibly disappointed, we should have won and killed off the game in the first half,” Rangnick said.

“Crossbar, post, missed penalty and numerous chances. It should have been 2-0 or 3-0.”

Rangnick was left cursing a change to the handball rule and was left puzzled by Boro’s equaliser after the ball had clearly hit Duncan Watmore’s arm before he played the ball across goal.

“How can it be accidental if he controls the ball up in the air with his hand? It was clear it should not stand but in the end I was really surprised it stood,” Rangnick said.

“We conceded a goal which I don’t understand why it stood. He controlled it with his hand. In the moment when they scored, it was clear that VAR would not allow this goal to stand.”

The handball rule was tweaked for this season and now states “if an attacking player’s accidental handball immediately precedes another player scoring, the goal will now be awarded”.

Even Wilder was surprised the goal had been allowed to stand after a VAR check. “We rode our luck and took our chances. The decisions that are made through VAR have changed since I left the Premier League - I thought straight away it was handball,” he said.

“I thought it would be chalked out and delighted it wasn’t.”