Ian Kington/AFP/Getty ImagesAs has been so often the case this season, Robin van Persie rescued Man United when it needed help most.

The competition might change, but the story stayed the same for Manchester United on Saturday. Again a late goal saved the day. Again it was scored by Robin van Persie as the Dutchman's strike in a 2-2 draw stole the limelight from Joe Cole, who returned to boyhood club West Ham in fine form and set up both goals for the home side.

Another midfielder dropping in from England's golden generation could be seen in the executive boxes at Upton Park. David Beckham and sons watched as former academy teammate Paul Scholes was given entirely too much possession in the first half and set about controlling the game. The first 25 minutes belonged to United, and few were surprised when Tom Cleverley scored an assured goal to cap a dominant period of play.

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All told, things were turning out better for United than their teamsheet suggested. An eclectic first eleven had Rafael playing wide right with Chris Smalling at right back and Jonny Evans partnering Nemanja Vidic in defence. This left Scholes and Cleverley as the only two specialist midfielders in the lineup, which meant United looked disjointed at times.

It can't have helped the defence much, either. Little cover was forthcoming from the midfield, meaning defenders were made to look careless by Cole's excellent crosses, two of which led to West Ham goals and gave them the lead midway through the second half. Midfield cover or not, one might have expected a United defence marshaled by Vidic to be better at clearing crosses. The Serb did not have his finest afternoon's work.

United do not go out of the FA Cup in the third round often. They were beaten by Leeds at this stage in 2010, but that was the club's earliest exit from the competition in the Alex Ferguson era. Fergie wasn't about to give up his pursuit of a first FA Cup in nine years and sent on the big guns to try to save the day.

The introduction of van Persie and Antonio Valencia didn't change much initially. The game was starting to turn flat -- in particular, Valencia's season remains one to sweep under the carpet. Few of his balls found their targets, and it was a frustrating half an hour's work for the Ecuadorean.

Then Ryan Giggs came on to party like it was 1999, right when it seemed as if the game was slipping away. A sumptuous 60-yard ball from the Welshman was ludicrously controlled by van Persie before a cool low finish past Jussi Jaaskelainen in the West Ham goal. Van Persie's cushioned touch almost defied the laws of physics. Bringing the ball down, he beat the first defender and set himself up to shoot in less than a second, a moment of sublime football from a striker at the peak of his powers.

The replay at Old Trafford does add another fixture to United's congested program, but it's surely better than an ignominious exit. Quietly, United fans are pining for this trophy, and, once again, they have van Persie to thank for keeping their hopes alive.

Follow Mark on Twitter @markjpayne

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