Van Nistelrooy double undoes Villa

Aston Villa 2 Manchester United 3

In his last season as manager of Manchester United, an unwanted "first" beckoned for Sir Alex Ferguson last night when his team trailed Aston Villa 2-0 with 13 minutes remaining. For the only time in a reign that will end in May after nearly 16 years, Manchester United looked set to bow out of the FA Cup in the third round. Then came Ruud van Nistelrooy.

No sooner had Ole Gunnar Solskjaer halved the arrears created by Ian Taylor and an own goal from Phil Neville in the space of four minutes soon after half-time than van Nistelrooy turned the only all-Premiership tie on its head. Two ruthless finishes by the Dutchman, who had been on barely 20 minutes as a £19m substitute, mocked reports that he was nursing a groin strain and brought Ferguson dancing from the dug-out.

Van Nistelrooy thus became the first United player ever to score in seven consecutive matches. As the final whistle confirmed a victory that will rank alongside this season's 5-3 success at Tottenham in the litany of great United comebacks, he dashed to take the acclaim of the visitors' bench. Villa, who had been on the verge of breathing fresh life into a moribund season, trudged off in a state of shock.

We knew something had to give, Villa having avoided a fall at the first hurdle since 1991 and United since 1984, yet a limp first half held no hint of the drama to come. Perhaps Villa should not have been surprised, for United have a remarkable Cup record at Villa Park and are now unbeaten here in the competition for 11 matches dating back to 1927.

The clubs' last meeting on the ground at this stage, 54 years ago, produced twice as many goals, Villa scoring in 14 seconds before losing 6-4 in front of 65,000 spectators. However, they can hardly have witnessed a more exciting finale than van Nistelrooy and co conjured.

The side fielded by Ferguson indicated that, contrary to the impression United created when they went to Brazil rather than defend the trophy in 2000, the champions do value the Cup. True, there was a place for one reserve who had started just one of the previous eight matches, but David Beckham was scarcely an anxious understudy, while injury accounted for the absence of Ryan Giggs and Fabien Barthez.

What was apparently another strained groin, sustained by Nicky Butt, forced United to make a change midway through the first half, although they persevered with Solskjaer at the pinnacle of a topical "Christmas tree" formation.

Paul Merson, after an ineffectual half-hour spent hugging the touchline, began to wander in an attempt to exploit Butt's departure, but brightly as Villa peformed in patches, half-time arrived without Roy Carroll having been unduly disturbed. Not that Peter Schmeichel had to be at his most agile against his old club, either, plucking a couple of Beckham volleys out of the air. The Dane was none the less thankful neither Luke Chadwick nor Solskjaer could hit the target with angled shots.

Chadwick, who would himself give way to van Nistelrooy, had an even better opportunity 45 seconds after the break. Roy Keane's through-ball caught Jlloyd Samuel in two minds, allowing him a clear sight of goal. But the ball bounced higher than he would have liked and his volley flew over.

Just when the tide seemed to be turning United's way, Villa scored with effectively their first shot in earnest. The sight of Juan Pablo Angel drifting back from an offside position distracted a square United rearguard as Lee Hendrie nudged the bball into the penalty area. They did not pick up Taylor's surge until too late, the midfielder shrugging off Phil Neville as he poked the ball past Carroll.

United were still licking their wounds when Villa struck again. Merson lofted the ball into the United area towards the ever-willing Taylor, and once more Phil Neville was the only defender in sight. This time he reached the ball first, but only to head it beyond Carroll as the keeper advanced in the hope of a routine catch.

United's recovery began when Solskjaer raced on to Mikaël Silvestre's pass and held off Olof Mellberg before driving the ball through Schmeichel's legs. Two minutes later, Beckham showed a new string to his bow by rising above a defender to head Paul Scholes' centre back into the danger area, where van Nistelrooy's improvised volley brought the scores level.

Van Nistelrooy saved the best for last. Taking Solskjaer's pass in his stride, he skipped round the spawling Schmeichel before coolly despatching United's third goal in five minutes and his 21st of the season. Neither a spate of pitch invasions by the Old Trafford hordes nor another away draw, against Middlesbrough or Wimbledon, could dampen Ferguson's joy.

Goals: Taylor (51) 1-0; P Neville og (53) 2-0; Solskjaer (77) 2-1; Van Nistelrooy (79) 2-2; Van Nistelrooy (82) 2-3.

Aston Villa (4-4-2): Schmeichel; Samuel, Mellberg, Staunton, Wright (Stone, 86); Merson (Hadji, 86), Taylor, Boateng (Barry, 86); Hendrie; Vassell, Angel. Substitutes not used: Delaney, Enckelman (gk).

Manchester United (4-3-2-1): Carroll; P Neville, G Neville, Blanc, Silvestre; Beckham, Keane, Butt (Chadwick, 26; Van Nistelrooy, 56); Veron, Scholes; Solskjaer. Substitutes not used: Stewart, O'Shea, Van der Gouw (gk).

Referee: G Poll (Hertfordshire).

Bookings: Villa: Vassell. United: Blanc.

Man of the match: Van Nistelrooy.

Attendance: 38,444.