United escape huge scare after stunning Coventry comeback

This was the grandmother and granddaddy of all FA Cup ties which at a breathless close had Manchester United somehow scraping through 4-2 on penalties, after a beyond valiant Coventry City reeled in a 3-0 deficit at 71 minutes, forcing extra time in the 95th of the regulation, via Haji Wright's cooler-than-cool equalising penalty.

- Jamie Jackson

When the shootout came Bradley Collins saved Casemiro's opener before Coventry took a 2-1 lead through Wright and Victor Torp, Diogo Dalot scoring United's. Then came sheer heartache for the Sky Blues as they failed to register again.

After Christian Eriksen made it 2-2, André Onana dived right to save Callum O'Hare's effort, Bruno Fernandes took United to 3-2 and, then, agonisingly, the Coventry captain, Ben Sheaf, skied his attempt.

This left Rasmus Højlund to put Erik ten Hag's embattled men into a second consecutive FA Cup final against Manchester City: he did, the strike clean and to Collins' left.

Yet dicing with departing the competition and killing any chance of silverware after cruising against the Championship's eight-ranked team is a calling card Ten Hag could have done without leaving for the watching Sir Jim Ratcliffe to decide his future.

On 59 minutes the delighted United's fans chant of "Bruno, Bruno" to their captain signalled their third and this semi-final seemingly over.

But, with this Ten Hag vintage, even a three-goal lead is not enough.

In the fight to keep his job the air-punch that greeted Fernandes's smoothly engineered left-foot finish may have carried extra feeling.

Yet now the self-destruct button was pressed, with Ellis Simms's beating of Onana a quelle surprise moment.