ROVERS went down to a five-star United team inspired by Spanish maestro Ander Herrera in their Lancashire FA Senior Cup quarter-final clash at Leigh Sports Village last night.

With £32m midfielder Herrera pulling the strings the Red Devils ran out comfortable victors after an even opening 25 minutes in which returning striker Chris Brown, making his first competitive appearance for Rovers after five months out injured, went close to an equaliser.

But once the brilliant Herrera doubled United’s lead there was only ever going to be one winner.

The scale of the task facing Eric Kinder’s largely youthful side was underlined before kick-off when it was confirmed that United’s line-up featured nine players with first-team experience.

Lancashire Telegraph:

Three names stood out, Northern Ireland international Jonny Evans, the brother of Rovers midfielder Corry, big summer signing Herrera and teenage Belgium international Adnan Januzaj.

And it was Herrera who helped fashion the first chance of the match two minutes in when he combined with Marnick Vermijl to play in Will Keane whose shot, low and hard toward the near post, was turned behind by Ryan Crump.

Keane, the twin brother of former on-loan Rovers defender Michael, was not to be denied in the 16th minute, however.

Raiding right-back Saidy Janko got around the back of the defence and swept over a low cross into the middle of the area where the England U21s international striker deftly flicked the ball over Crump.

Rovers, captained by Chris Taylor and featuring fellow first-teamers Adam Henley and Yann Songo’o, responded well to going behind.

Earlier on in the contest Devarn Green had forced Anders Lindegaard into a flying finger-tip save. And Green tested the Denmark international goalkeeper again in the 20th minute when he controlled a cross-field pass from Connor Mahoney and pulled the trigger from 18 yards.

Green was Rovers’ biggest threat in the opening period and two minutes later he fizzed over a cross that Lindegaard could only parry into the path of Brown, who was denied a certain goal by Tom Thorpe’s brilliant block. It proved a crucial one, too, as United went further in front in the 27th minute thanks to a clever combination from two of Louis van Gaal’s first-team stars.

Lancashire Telegraph:

A free-kick from the byline was quickly taken by Januzaj and, with the Rovers defence sleeping, Herrera pulled away from the pack and pulled back his right foot to curl the ball into the corner of the net.

From then on United controlled the rest of the half with Crump denying Januzaj and then the outstanding Herrera.

But there was little Crump could do to prevent Andreas Pereira from adding his name to the scoresheet three minutes before the break, the Brazil U20s international given far too much time and space to finish emphatically from 20 yards.

And, after Herrera twice sent shots flying past the post, three became four in the 49th minute when first-half substitute Josh Rothwell hammered in off the bar after Rovers tried desperately to clear their lines.

That was the signal for Brown’s evening to come to an end, the targetman coming through 51 minutes in his comeback match.

Rovers threatened a consolation shortly after when a strong run from Mahoney toward the edge of the area was crudely ended.

The winger picked himself up to take the free kick but his effort was curled straight into the arms of Lindegaard.

Lancashire Telegraph:

With the contest effectively over both sides made full use of their substitutes with Bradley Bauress, Jack Doyle, who came on for 16-year-old U21s debutant Ryan Nyambe, and Jordan Preston entering the fray for Rovers.

But it was a United replacement, Rothwell, who rounded off the scoring in the 80th minute with a fine strike into the top corner of the net after a free-flowing move.

Rovers: Crump, Nyambe (Doyle 59), Henley, Tanner, Songo’o, Daly, Mahoney, Taylor (Preston 78), Brown (Bauress 51), Green, Rittenberg. Subs not used: Williams, Lavelle.

United: Lindegaard, Janko (Grimshaw 68), Thorpe, J Evans (Love 64), Vermijl, Pearson, Harrop (Rothwell 29), Herrera, W Keane, Pereira, Januzaj. Subs not used: Pereira, Weir.

Goals: Keane 16, Herrera 27, Pereira 42, Rothwell 49, 80.

Attendance: 1,019.