Manchester United down Brighton to reach FA Cup semi-finals

A goal in each half, one from Romelu Lukaku and one from Nemanja Matic, was enough to take United into the last four. But the performance was again unnecessarily miserable; teams will only fear being drawn against them because football is meant to be fun.

Both teams started the game slowly, with Brighton defending deep and United struggling to penetrate. But then at the end of 37 minutes without a single chance created by either side, Nemanja Matic outswung a luscious cross, and Lukaku punched home a header.

Brighton never quite went for it after the break, the attacking changes Chris Hughton made both like for like, and though they managed a few threatening situations, and no point did they look likely to score. Then, on 83 minutes, United won a free-kick out on the left, Ashley Young curled over another fine ball, and Matic, the best player on the pitch for the little that's worth, nodded the clincher across Tim Krul.

So United are still in with a chance of a trophy, but have no excuse for how ploddingly and unimaginatively they play, while Brighton will do well to wonder why they bothered winning through three rounds only to turn up at Old Trafford and barely try to make it through a fourth.

Why are United so bad? Of course, they are not bad in the context of the league, which does not say much for Spurs and Liverpool, but in the context of the players they have. If they are going to be good, they need Paul Pogba in the side, which he was not tonight, and they need to play with speed and intensity. Worse United sides than they, with worse managers, have managed that.

Nemanja Matic (Manchester United) Made one, scored one, and generally expended more energy than his team-mates. Land of the blind job, basically.

Manchester United: Romero 6, Valencia 5, Smalling 6, Bailly 5, Shaw 4, Matic 8, McTominay 6, Mata 4, Lingard 4, Martial 5, Lukaku 6. Subs: Young 6, Rashford 6, Fellaini 6.

Brighton & Hove Albion: Krul 6, Schelotto 6, Dunk 6, Duffy 6, Suttner 6, Locadia 6, Propper 5, Kayal 7, March 6, Gorss 5, Ulloa 5. Subs: Izquierdo 6, Murray 6.

Romelu Lukaku has scored or made a goal in each of his last five games.

Nemanja Matic had not scored and made a goal in the same game since August 2014, playing for Chelsea against Everton.

30’ - United are improving. Martial picks the ball up outside the box, in the middle, and plays two one-twos with Mata before Schelotto gets a toe in and finds Mata again, whose shot is deflected wide.

31’ - Mata's corner goes to the near post and causes minor panic, McTominay and Dunk fighting for the ball as Smalling arrives, opens his body, and whacks a left-footer towards the near post, where Krul saves well. The ref gives a goalkick.

37’ - GOAL! Manchester United 1-0 Brighton (Lukaku) Cross the ball and he will score. Shaw drives at March, kncoks back quickly to Matic, and he curves over a perfect outswinger for which Krul can't come and to which Dunk can't get. Lukaku is onto it in a flash, and punches a header high into the net.

51’ - Nice turn from Kayal, accepting a pass from Locadia which he lets run across him, diddling Bailly in the process. He then squares to Gross, who wipes his foot across a shot which scooshes only just wide.

67’ - Excellent from March, who squares up Young, dips back inside as he was always going to, and curls a fine cross just beyond the back post, where Locadia, admittedly from an acute angle, heads over the bar.

83’ - GOAL! Manchester United 2-0 Brighton (Matic) United win a free-kick on the left, 25 yards out, roundabout level with the edge of the box, and Young curls a beauty onto Matic's head at the far post; he guides across Krul and that's that. He's been United's best player tonight.