This was the result that no one wanted. According to Chelsea coach Gianluca Vialli and Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson there is no such thing as a priority list in management, but with both these clubs disputing the League title, United chasing the Champions League and Chelsea still defending the Cup Winners' Cup, the FA Cup may now represent more of a pleasing distraction than a primary objective.

With both teams returning to the European stage next week, they must replay the sixth-round tie at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday night, so forcing a second postponement of United's crucial meeting with Liverpool at Anfield and also the cancellation of Chelsea's visit to Middlesbrough.

There was initially much to applaud in what was almost a cut and paste pastiche of your traditional English Cup tie. The replay was, of course, on offer to the visitors, but their conviction in the purity of their football was such that they chased victory right up until the moment Roberto Di Matteo was dismissed on the stroke of half-time. That conviction barely seemed dented by the absence of a quartet of suspended players - Vialli, Frank Leboeuf, Celestine, Babayaro and Dennis Wise.

Sadly, at the end of a week which has done so little to support the theory that English football has finally begun to shed at least some of its petty prejudices, the good folk of Manchester and London unwittingly forged an alliance to underline that homophobia is in no way affected by the north-south divide.

Graeme Le Saux was taunted, mercilessly so, about his sexual orientation, David Beckham was baited for having the temerity to father a child and Chelsea's assistant manager Graham Rix was reminded that he may shortly have to acquire a transistor radio to follow his club's fortunes.

Those more interested in the football will, no doubt, have been rather confused by the inability of two such cavalier teams to fashion anything more memorable than a succession of half-chances.

It was only towards half-time, when Chelsea's discipline at the back seemed to desert them, that United shaped as to push home what was a growing advantage.

But, with Dwight Yorke and Andy Cole residing on the substitutes' bench and an injured Ryan Giggs sitting in the main stand, United's attack was awash with blunt blades. Certainly they had opportunities to embarrass the Chelsea rearguard, notably in and around the 39th minute when it did seem likely that the arguments would be ended.

Rather improbably the first of a brace of excellent chances fell to Gary Neville who arrived unannounced inside the six-yard box to meet a fine Beckham cross from the right. The defender's flicked header drifted beyond goalkeeper Ed de Goey but struck the foot of a post.

Less than 60 seconds later, Paul Scholes missed an arguably easier opening when he reached a Jesper Blomqvist cross first only to screw his volley well wide of the target. Scholes's next contribution was to be rather more meaningful. In stoppage time at the end of the half he crumpled under a crude and heavy challenge from Di Matteo. With the Italian already having been cautioned for a lunge at Beckham, referee Paul Durkin reached for his breast pocket to show first a yellow, and then a red card.

A man short, Chelsea promptly found the prospect of a replay strangely attractive. United camped themselves inside the Chelsea half in the second period but still they could not negotiate safe passage to victory. Scholes's profligacy continued, which made Ferguson's decision to delay the introduction of Yorke, Cole and Sheringham until the bitter end all the more surprising. Chelsea dug in splendidly, but, typically, Mr Durkin seemed grimly determined that the last word, the loudest voice, would be his. Three minutes before the merciful release of full time he adjudged Scholes guilty of a second bookable offence - and thus dismissal - after he had clumsily upended Bjarne Goldbaek.

Manchester United: Schmeichel; G Neville, Brown, Berg, Irwin; P Neville (Yorke 73m); Beckham, Kean, Scholes, Blomqvist (Cole 78m); Solfkjaer (Sheringham 78m). Subs not used: Van Der Gouw, Curtis. Sent off: Scholes 86, Booked: P Neville 63m, Kean 8, Sccholes 43.

Chelsea: De Goey; Ferrer, Lambourde, Desailly, Le Saux; Petrescu (Newton 45m), Morris, Di Matteo, Goldbaek; Flo (Forssell 60m), Zola (Myers 79m). Subs not used: Hitchcock, Nicholls. Sent off: Di Matteo 45m. Booked: Desailly 11m, Di Matteo 24m.

Referee: P Durkin (Dorset).