MIDDLESBROUGH manager Steve McClaren can now look forward to an FA Cup fourth round clash with his old employers after his team overcame First Division Wimbledon in last night's replay.

After another below par performance in front of goal, McClaren will be keener than ever to land £6.9m Independiente striker Diego Forlan.

After Noel Whelan's third minute strike it looked as if the hosts would cruise to victory. But it needed an own goal from Wimbledon's Kenny Cunningham to cement victory and book a noon kick-off with Manchester United at the Riverside on January 26 in front of the Sky Television cameras.

Sitting just one point above the Premiership's relegation places, McClaren will be glad to have the FA Cup as a welcome distraction.

But one certainty is that the former United No 2 will be desperate to have Uruguayan Forlan in his ranks ahead of the fourth round tie. McClaren was delighted to have set up a date with Manchester United and said: "I was dying to win this one not just because we now face my old boss but because it's always a big one when you take on Manchester United.

"We have got nothing to lose when we go into that and the last time we played them we gave them a good game. We will go into that match believing we can win."

McClaren made three changes to the side which lost 2-1 at Fulham on Saturday.

Striker Szilard Nemeth was given another chance to prove his worth with his first FA Cup start at the expense of Hamilton Ricard, who was not even named on the bench. Franck Queudrue and Phil Stamp were also included at the expense of Colin Cooper and Jonathan Greening.

Wimbledon must have felt quite at home in the sparsely populated Riverside surroundings. The club well known for attracting low crowds to their Selhurst Park ground had to cope with chants from just 9,687 supporters, the lowest FA Cup crowd at the Riverside.

But Burton's men did not start like a team feeling comfortable away from London. The hosts looked lively from the first whistle, with Nemeth obviously desperate to make the most of his first start since December 8 at Liverpool.

And from one of the Slovakian's runs the ball rebounded off the Wimbledon defence and fell to Stamp, who rocketed a shot off the bar from distance in the third minute. Only seconds later Boro struck their opening goal.

A through-ball from Nemeth to Whelan beat the offside trap and the latter had the simple task of slotting the ball beyond Ian Feuer in the Wimbledon goal.

Boro continued to look the more dangerous and should have added to the lead when first Feuer saved from a close-range Whelan volley then a Robbie Mustoe effort was turned away after a poor Michael Hughes back pass.

For the visiting fans the long journey north was almost made worthwhile when top-scorer David Connolly had a couple of chances, but Mark Crossley in the Boro goal was equal to both.

The Teessiders have scored only scored four goals in their last ten matches.

They have won just twice during the same period. So victory could by no means be taken for granted.

And, although Wimbledon had not found the net in their last two outings, Connolly and Neil Shipperley - with 20 between them this season - were always likely to pose a threat.

Within 12 seconds of the restart Connolly, formerly of Dutch giants Feyenoord, had a superb diving header tipped away by in-form Crossley as danger signs quickly crept in.

As brightly as Boro started the match, the cup tie was fast becoming the Crossley Show.

The Welshman then made another good stop after Connolly had outpaced Gianluca Festa and went clean through.

Every chance Wimbledon had seemed to fall to the feet of the diminutive striker, but he completely made a hash of the best one.

Kevin Cooper's cross fell to Connolly in space eight yards out, but he side-footed wide.

And Wimbledon were made to pay for that when, with nine minutes remaining, substitute Allan Johnston's cross was turned in past his own keeper by Cunningham after a deflection off Trond Andersen.

Read more about the Boro here.