Twelve-time FA Cup winners Manchester United gave up a two-goal lead before escaping Rodney Parade with a 4-2 victory over Welsh fourth-tier Newport County.
Antony scored in the 68th minute for Manchester United, last year's FA Cup runners-up, after Newport (ranked 76 places below United in England's football pyramid) recovered from two goals down.
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“We controlled the game, maybe we were a little bit slower,” United manager Erik ten Hag told the BBC. “We had the opportunity to go up 3-0. [Alejandro] Garnacho hit the crossbar. [Newport] “I had nothing, really nothing and then they scored a goal.”
Bruno Fernandes, 18-year-old Kobbie Mainoo and Rasmus Hojlund also scored for United, who conceded two goals in an FA Cup match against a fourth division team for the first time since 1970 (against Northampton Town).
“Obviously it wasn't the result we wanted, we got the win we wanted but the result wasn't perfect for us. We didn't want to concede goals,” said United captain Fernandes.
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“We know that for the season to not look as bad as it has been, we have to try and win this trophy… we know how much the FA Cup means to our fans, our club, to the country and it's important to us too. “We want to reach the final and win.”
Goals from Bryn Morris and Will Evans either side of half-time gave Newport real hope of earning a lucrative replay at Old Trafford, but in the end the Premier League side's firepower proved too much.
Newport manager Graham Coughlan told the BBC: “The better team won, they were clinical when they had their chances.
“At 2-2, the ball came off the post and fell to Antony. I thought at 2-2 we could force a replay if we weathered the storm. Class helped them.”
United will face either Bristol City or Nottingham Forest in the fifth round, depending on who wins the replay on February 7.
