Antony was the ideal fancy-Dan fall guy for 68 minutes of a thrilling FA Cup match.
With his bottle-blond hair, shocking-pink boots, a penchant to writhe around in fake agony, and a season-long failure to score, Manchester United’s £85 million Brazilian winger appeared to be the ideal victim for a giant killing.
Antony’s first goal of the season helped Manchester United to a close 4-2 victory over Newport County. Despite losing a two-goal lead, League Two Newport County mounted a stunning comeback to equal the FA Cup encounter with only 20 minutes remaining.
But Antony, who had not scored in 22 previous outings this season after being granted leave to defend claims of violence and abuse, pounced on the rebound when a Luke Shaw shot cannoned off the post.
Ten Hag was miraculously spared the job-threatening prospect of Cup humiliation following his most recent disciplinary crisis.
Marcus Rashford’s absence from the squad had been attributed to ‘sickness’ by the club, but before kick-off, United’s boss revealed his England striker was dealing with an ‘internal situation’.
Rashford had been out partying in Belfast on midweek, and Ten Hag is struggling to deal with a group that lacks professionalism following the sagas around Jadon Sancho and Antony earlier this season.
Still, his side is still in the Cup, where they will face either Nottingham Forest or Bristol City in the fifth round in late February.
United took an early 2-0 lead thanks to Bruno Fernandes and Kobbie Mainoo’s first senior goal, but Graham Coughlan’s League Two side responded with goals from Bryn Morris and Will Evans each side of halftime.
Ten Hag was visited by a Welsh male voice choir before the game, who informed him that he would be’sacked in the morning’.
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With this the only silverware United had left to win this season, there was no doubt that Ten Hag would field his strongest possible team.
Indeed, in the distant past, when things were going well for the Dutchman, United reached both major domestic finals last season, winning the Carabao Cup and finishing second to City.
Casemiro returned from injury, while Lisandro Martinez made his first appearance after a long layoff.
In recent seasons, the Exiles have defeated Leeds and Leicester, tied with Tottenham, and played a good game against Manchester City to establish themselves as one of the lower divisions’ most dangerous underdogs.
While the speed limit has been reduced to 20 mph in this country, United’s start was lightning fast.
Bruno Fernandes opened the score in the seventh minute. Kobbie Mainoo extended United’s advantage after Anthony missed a shot and set up Fernandes’ goal in the seventh minute.
The captain fed the winger, who cut back for Fernandes to blast in a first-time shot that temporarily quieted the boisterous home crowd.
For a moment, United were on fire, with another clever move culminating with Antony blasting over.
The second goal came after 13 minutes, with Diogo Dalot dribbling down the right and passing to Mainoo, who directed his first senior goal into the far corner from the edge of the box.
After a week of high excitement and media attention for the League Two club, this was exactly the start they had feared: the tie appeared to be over before sundown.
Newport pulled one back with Bryn Morris’ 36th-minute thunderbolt.Will Evans got the hosts back on equal terms after halftime.
Martinez soon threaded a long pass into the path of Garnacho, who crashed a shot against the crossbar.
Altay Bayindir, United’s debutant goalkeeper who was filling in for Andre Onana during his brief AFCON absence, was ultimately called upon to make a straightforward save against Will Evans.
County captain Ryan Delaney saved Antony with a wonderful stop, and keeper Nick Townsend pushed another Antony effort past the post.
So there was no warning that Newport would claw their way back into this game, but after 37 minutes, that’s exactly what they accomplished.
United failed to clear a long ball from Townsend, and Morris chested down and fired home from 30 yards, his shot bouncing off Martinez and leaving Bayindir powerless.
Suddenly, it was ‘game on’, the stadium cheered, every Newport tackle had extra snap, and United’s defence was twitchy.
Antony broke his duck, putting United up again in the 68th minute. Rasmus Hojlund scored the visitors’ fourth in injury time.
And just two minutes into the second half, Coughlan’s team startled their famous guests with an equalizer.
Adam Lewis sent in a low cross from the left, and Evans, a farmer’s son from mid-Wales, sneaked in front of Varane, a World Cup and Champions League winner, to sidefoot past Bayindir.
The strange sorcery of this competition was operating, and the corrugated roof of the main stand shook with the sound as every tackle and block from the League Two team was yelled.
As contempt rained down on Ten Hag, belief surged throughout the Amber Army, and their everyman heroes were first to face each challenge.
Antony had been subjected to dog abuse from the locals right before his lucky break.
Shaw cut in from the left and hit a right-footed shot against the far post, with the rebound falling perfectly for Antony to tap in.
Erik ten Hag cut a distressed figure at points throughout the game. Newport fans will be proud of their side’s performance.
After a delay due to a medical issue in the crowd, Evans hammered a shot just wide, and the announcement of nine minutes of injury time was greeted with joy as Newport rushed forward.
But soon after, Rasmus Hojlund bundled home United’s fourth, securing their victory and adding a cruel edge to the score.
