This time last year, Alex Inglethorpe was a youth team coach at Orient, today the 32-year-old masterminded one of the biggest shocks in the competition’s history as Exeter deservedly hld the holders and 11-times winners to a deserved draw.

Not even the second half introduction of Paul Scholes, Cristiano Ronaldo and Alan Smith could salvage United’s pride on a thoroughly miserable afternoon which brought back memories of their similarly painful draw against Walthamstow Avenue on the same ground 51 years ago.

That result was long before United became the richest club in the world but not even their millions could have spared them from total embarrassment had former Red Devils junior Andrew Taylor converted one of the two chances that came his way in the first-half.

In all likelihood, Alex Ferguson’s side will still go through but 9,000 jubilant Exeter fans will always be able to say ‘they were there’ the day United were humbled.

If there was one obvious conclusion to be gleaned from the opening 45 minutes it was that Ferguson’s back-up side is not capable of sustaining any kind of Premiership title drive.

Against opponents nothing more than organised and determined, the hosts were virtually impotent in front of goal despite dominating possession.

On his senior debut, David Jones buzzed around midfield, trying hard to fire United, while Chris Eagles always looked a potential danger at set pieces. Elsewhere though, the impact was virtually non-existent.

Eric Djemba-Djemba arrived at Old Trafford 18 months ago touted as a successor to Roy Keane, yet the Cameroon international’s stock has fallen so far he was not even capable of exerting his authority on Conference opposition today.

Similarly, Liam Miller is a shadow of the player who earned such rave reviews at Celtic and he too found himself outshone by a workmanlike Exeter engine room in which Marcus Martin, Dean Moxey and Taylor were outstanding.

Moxey and Taylor both have United connections, the former man through his lifelong support for Ferguson’s men, the latter for his brief spell with the club that ended with an untimely knee injury that threatened his entire career.

Taylor credits Keane and Gary Neville with providing him with the desire to carry on but the veteran United duo might have had cause to regret their words of encouragement had the youngster converted either of the two excellent opportunities that fell his way before the break.

The 22-year-old initially profited when an increasingly nervous Gerard Pique nodded a weak clearance into his path as the Spaniard tried to fend off the attentions of Grecians skipper Sean Devine.

Pique’s header bounced up perfectly for Taylor, who unleashed a first-time volley that Howard did well to beat away.

Given today’s encounter and Wednesday’s Carling Cup semi-final at Chelsea to try and apply some pressure to under-fire Roy Carroll, the American was probably glad of the work.

Howard would have been less pleased to see Taylor’s delicate free-kick heading so close to his goal five minutes before the break that the vast majority of Exeter’s 9,000-strong travelling army actually thought it had gone it.

The effort actually missed by a fraction but it was closer than anything a United side, showing 10 changes from the team held by Tottenham on Tuesday, had managed.

Grecians keeper Paul Jones was called upon on barely half a dozen occasions, most of which were to complete routine saves. His best effort was not even to keep out a shot as an Eagles free-kick fizzed over Wes Brown’s head and needed to be palmed away to safety.

Jones was finally beaten within five minutes of the re-start but full-back Scott Hiley came to his rescue, booting off the line when United’s Jones fired a 20-yard effort at the visitors’ goal.

But another quarter hour of huffing and puffing for no reward left Ferguson no alternative other than to call on Scholes and Ronaldo.

There was no instant reward though, only another scare for the hosts when Steve Flack took Taylor’s cross down on his chest inside the box, only for Brown to appear from nowhere before the striker could test Howard’s agility.

The arrival of Smith 15 minutes from time threatened to shake Exeter out of their stride and after the burly striker had flicked on a header to send Ronaldo scurrying clear, Jones produced his best save of the match to keep out the youngster’s blistering drive.

In a frenzied finish, Scholes had two chances and Smith one. None of them went in though and when Phil Dowd’s whistle sounded after three minutes of stoppage time, the roar from the visitors end rumbled all the way down the M5, which is exactly where United will be heading in 10 days’ time.