Wayne Rooney's return to Everton took second place to an impressive Manchester United display as they cruised into the quarter-finals of the FA Cup.

The former Everton youngster had a quiet game and turned to his old fans in the Gwladys Street end at the conclusion of a comfortable victory to applaud his tormentors.

But in the end the abuse had died away, United having coolly dispatched a depleted Everton from the tournament, still without having conceded a goal in the cup this season.

The home side could well face further repercussions from the game after a fan threw a missile that hit United keeper Roy Carroll on the head.

The FA will certainly take action, and a spokesman said: "We will liaise with the club and the police to discover what happened and whether a culprit can be identified."

The FA are likely to seek a banning order on the fan responsible if identification can be achieved.

That they were so easily dismissed from from the cup would have been worrying enough, Quinton Fortune and Cristiano Ronaldo scoring goals in each half to complete an increasingly easy task.

Rooney's return to Goodison Park was met with chants of "Judas" as he stepped off the team bus and boos for his every touch.

Five mounted police plus a police helicopter overhead greeted the 19-year-old's arrival but he seemed intent initially on a low key involvement as his colleagues dominated much of the opening half.

On a mudbound pitch, the game was always going to lack any flow, but Ronaldo looked dangerous when United moved forward.

Everton sparkled down the right for a spell. James McFadden and Tony Hibbert combined well and the supply of crosses unsettled United.

Marcus Bent looked impressive leading the line on his own, and his work set up McFadden for a cross that saw Leon Osman control the ball and turn before firing wide.

A McFadden corner was met by a towering Bent header and cleared a yard from the line by Quinton Fortune.

But United were slowly getting the measure of things, with Roy Keane and Paul Scholes dictating midfield.

On 22 minutes, Quinton Fortune produced a fine twisting run into the box but he was forced wide and Alan Stubbs charged down the shot. However, United were getting at the heart of Everton's defence and two minutes later they were ahead.

And it was the South African, playing wide on the left, who was on the scoresheet.

Ronaldo's cross from the right was met by Fortune, six yards out, and he headed firmly past Nigel Martyn.

Much of the spark in Everton's play drained from them after United took the lead.

Mikel Arteta, on his full Everton debut, had found it hard to get into the game, although his touch and passing improved as the match progressed.

But he, like the majority of Everton's forward players, looked lightweight as United maintained their control.

On 43 minutes Arteta did create Everton's best chance up to that point with a neat ball into the box for Bent to control and, although he was unmarked and just 12 yards out, he delayed his shot enough to allow Carroll to make a critical block.

Rooney looked far more lively after the break and should have scored on 52 minutes when Fortune's chip put him clear in the box but Martyn was out quickly to block the shot.

Joseph Yobo and Kevin Kilbane both had chances to equalise but United found themselves two ahead and cruising on 58 minutes.

Arteta fouled Ronaldo 25 yards out and Paul Scholes lashed in the free kick. Martyn allowed it to bounce back off his body into play, where Ronaldo was on hand to fire home the lose ball.

Keane was booked for a foul on Osman but Everton were soon to lose the only real spark they had when McFadden limped away with a recurrence of his knee problem and David Weir came on as substitute.

The game had gone well for Everton as far as security was concerned until, that is, the 70th minute when a missile was thrown from the crowd in the Gwladys Street end and hit Carroll, who collapsed on to the turf.

It took a couple of minutes of treatment to get Carroll back into action, with a coin and a mobile phone being retrieved from the pitch and handed to police by the fourth official.

Rooney had a shot charged down and then in the final minute scampered away to force another save from Martyn.

He left the pitch prepared to applaud the fans in the Gwladys Street end - the heart of Everton's support - as well as his own new United fans.

He even applauded the main stand as he left the pitch, the abuse having very much died away by then and there was even a round of applause as he disappeared up the tunnel.

Teams

Everton Martyn, Hibbert, Yobo, Stubbs, Naysmith, Osman, Carsley, Arteta (Pistone 80), Kilbane, McFadden (Weir 68), Bent.

Subs Not Used: Wright, Plessis, Vaughan.

Booked: Weir.

Man Utd Carroll, Gary Neville, Brown, Ferdinand, Heinze, Ronaldo, Phil Neville, Keane (Miller 81), Scholes, Fortune, Rooney.

Subs Not Used: Howard, Giggs, Smith, Spector.

Booked: Keane.

Goals: Fortune 23, Ronaldo 58.

Att: 38,664

Ref: R Styles (Hampshire).