Manchester United 1 West Ham 0 (after extra-time)

The 90 minutes had been largely an uneventful affair with few chances to entertain the TV audience or warm up the few in the stadium.

 But in sub-zero temperatures, it was substitute McTominay who eventually turned the heat up with a 97th-minute strike.

Our Scotland international had come on for Nemanja Matic after 73 minutes and scored his third in three matches following efforts against Southampton and Everton, and won it 1-0 for the Reds to send us into Thursday night’s last-eight draw.

FIRST HALF - ALL SQUARE BUT REDS ON TOP

It was a quiet start to the tie but United were dominant in terms of possession and created the opening two chances of the match.

Anthony Martial had the first opportunity the 11th minute but his shot was blocked at close range by Angelo Ogbonna. The Hammers defender was injured in the course of his rescue act and limped off for treatment and never returned to the action, forcing David Moyes into his first change of the game, bringing on Issa Diop as his replacement.

United kept up the pressure and it needed another desperate block to stop Mason Greenwood firing in a chance after 16 minutes.

How the Reds didn’t take the lead in the 27th minute only Hammers goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski will know. Alex Telles sent over one of his trademark dangerous corners and Victor Lindelof’s header looked to have taken a crucial deflection off Craig Dawson to wrongfoot Fabianski. But the West Ham no.1 amazingly got a glove to the ball and turned it onto a post as the Reds camp, on and off the pitch, were up ready to celebrate.

A minute later, Telles again set up a chance, for Donny van de Beek, but the Dutchman’s stab was deflected over.

There was a nasty looking clash of heads in the 39th minute but, fortunately, after treatment both Martial and Diop were able to continue. The Londoners crept back into the tie in the latter stages of the first half but didn’t create anything to worry a virtually redundant Dean Henderson.

SECOND HALF - NO BREAKTHROUGH

Fabianski was proving a stubborn barricade to the Reds on the few occasions we were able to produce some danger and he was at it again after 53 minutes when Marcus Rashford looked close to tucking home but the Polish keeper denied him.

Worryingly for United, the Hammers were far more adventurous in the second half and, after a long period of little activity, the visitors broke three-on-two in the 68th minute. Luckily, Pablo Fornals passed up their opportunity and United were able to recover.

But there was almost immediately an embarrassing moment for Aaron Wan-Bissaka when miscued a clearance and scooped the ball high backwards towards his own goal. Henderson needed to be alert to tip the wayward ball clearance over his bar. The Reds needed an injection of inspiration and, after 73 minutes, the manager brought on Bruno Fernandes and Scott McTominay for van de Beek and Matic.

Inevitably, Bruno was soon taking the bull by the horns and saw an 80th-minute shot deflected over the bar and Martial had a header wide as the Reds searched for a late normal-time winner.

With four minutes to go, Solskjaer played his Edinson Cavani card in an effort to avoid extra-time. Moyes responded with his fifth substitution of the night, bringing on Said Benrahma for Fornals.

Neither switch produced a goal to prevent extra-time but there was a late scare for United as the Hammers had a corner hacked away by Wan-Bissaka.

EXTRA TIME - SCOTT SEALS IT

The boss swapped his full-backs for extra-time with Luke Shaw and Brandon Williams replacing Telles and Wan-Bissaka.

After 97 minutes of stalemate, it was McTominay who finally broke the deadlock in the tie.

The Reds had broken up a West Ham attack and raided at speed. Fred caused panic in the visitors' ranks with his cross and, eventually, Rashford nicked a pass into the path of the onrushing McTominay who jabbed in the goal on the run.

West Ham sub Said Benrahma came close to snatching an equaliser in the second half of extra-time but his header went straight at Henderson, who held on tightly. He may have been offside in any case.

United saw out the match and kept us on course for potential cup glory, with Martial almost adding a second with the last kick of the game, only for Fabianski to save.

MATCH DETAILS

United: Henderson; Wan-Bissaka (Williams 90), Lindelof, Maguire, Telles (Shaw 90); Matic (McTominay 73), Fred; Greenwood (Cavani 86), van de Beek (Fernandes 73), Rashford; Martial.

Subs not used: Grant, Tuanzebe, Amad, James.

Goals: McTominay 97.

West Ham: Fabianski, Coufal, Dawson, Ogbonna (Diop 16 (Fredericks 45), Cresswell, Rice, Noble, Soucek, Fornals (Benrahma 88), Bowen (Johnson 45), Yarmolenko (Odubeko 54 (Lanzini 112)).

Subs not used: Trott, Balbuena, Alves.