Cantwell banger voted the best FA Cup goal of the quarter-finals

Todd Cantwell’s swerving strike in Norwich City’s 2-1 FA Cup extra-time defeat to Manchester United pipped Raheem Sterling’s long range effort for goal of the round.

Cantwell drew the Canaries level in the second half of Saturday’s tie when he unleashed a low, veering effort from 25 yards around Harry Maguire and into Romero’s bottom left-hand corner.

Maguire was United’s match-winner deep in extra-time, after Cantwell had been forced to depart with an abductor muscle issue that leaves him a doubt for the midweek Premier League return at Arsenal.

Odion Igahlo had hooked the Reds in front but his strike polled only 14% of the votes on the BBC Sport web site, with Cantwell (48%) seeing off competition from Sterling (38%) who struck in Manchester City’s 2-0 win at Newcastle.

Cantwell’s classy finish was viewed by a peak of 6.4m viewers watching the game live on the BBC, the largest television audience since the elite end of the English game resumed following a three-month pause due to the coronavirus pandemic. There was a further 1.7m views on the BBC Iplayer service.

That audience figure compared with a peak of 3.9m for the Premier League game between Bournemouth and Crystal Palace broadcast on the BBC.