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Wayne Rooney’s late penalty saved Louis van Gaal from running the gauntlet at Old Trafford.

The Reds’ captain kept his cool in stoppage time to send Sheffield United keeper George Long the wrong way after referee Jon Moss had ruled that Dean Hammond had fouled substitute Memphis Depay.

The home fans still there at the end were preparing to show Van Gaal what they thought of another slow, sluggish and sterile performance.

Instead, when Moss adjudged that Hammond’s tired challenge was enough to take Depay off his feet, they were celebrating their team’s passage into round four.

But Van Gaal insisted his side weren’t lucky. “We escaped from jail? No, I don’t think so,” he said.

In pictures: Manchester united 1-0 Sheffield United

“It is very difficult to play against an opponent when they are defending with 10 and 11 men.

“You have to play quicker and with wingers. We didn’t do that in the first half.

“It was better in the second half – but not much better because Sheffield United were well organised. We have won the match – and that is the most important thing.”

Van Gaal added: “It was a definite penalty. It was a tackle with a straight leg.”

It was a cruel FA Cup exit for Nigel Adkins’ brave Blades.

Roared on by an 8,500-strong travelling army, they kept the Premier League hosts at arm’s length with some ease.

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They could almost taste a mouth-watering Bramall Lane replay when disaster struck.

Rooney’s cool penalty prevented a seventh home goalless draw of the season and got his under-pressure manager off the hook.

But Rooney said: “The important thing is that we won the game and we’re in the draw for the next round. It was important that we just got through and thankfully we did that.

“You can go on and jump on the bandwagon, but we’re improving as a team and we can feel that.

“You saw Chelsea last season. They won the Premier League and yet they got beat 4-2 at home to Bradford.”

United dominated the first half – without managing a single shot on target. It took 69 minutes for that to happen.

(Image: Action Images via Reuters / Jason Cairnduff)

It was the 10th home game in succession that Van Gaal’s men have failed to score in the opening 45 minutes.

But at least, Blades’ keeper George Long found some employment after 20 minutes.

Matteo Darmian’s threaded pass found the galloping Rooney and he skipped around Long as he came racing out of his area.

The home skipper had been forced wide, however, and his attempt to find Ander Herrera in the middle was blocked by Jay McEveley.

Herrera then thought he had put Rooney in with a neat pass but Long raced out to smother the danger at the striker’s feet.

It got little better for the home side after the break – and the men from Sheffield even started to believe that there might be something better for them than just a replay.

(Image: Reuters / Phil Noble)

Van Gaal sent on Jesse Lingard and Memphis Depay on the hour for Herrera and Juan Mata.

And when Depay saw his 25-yard blast fly a foot wide, home supporters made their feelings clear by producing a standing ovation.

The home side continued to press and the Blades were clearly running out of energy.

Then Depay cut into the box and Hammond’s desperate lunge saw him fall as if taken out by a sniper.

But while contact was minimal, TV replays showed that Hammond had indeed caught the winger’s shin with his studs.

Rooney did the rest to finally give the Stretford End a genuine reason to get off their feet.