/ 25 January 2009

Portsmouth dumped out of FA Cup

Portsmouth’s FA Cup defence ended in the fourth round with Swansea City pulling off Saturday’s biggest shock by dumping the holder out of the competition, while former manager Harry Redknapp fared no better as Manchester United eliminated Tottenham.

Second-tier Swansea’s 2-0 victory came eight months after south Wales rival Cardiff lost in the final to Redknapp’s Pompey.

Dimitar Berbatov knocked his former club Tottenham out of the competition by scoring Manchester United’s decisive goal in a 2-1 victory at Old Trafford.

Aston Villa, fourth in the Premier League, were held 0-0 by Doncaster and Burnley equalised in the last minute to draw 2-2 with West Bromwich Albion.

Chelsea needed second-half free kicks from Michael Ballack and Frank Lampard to overcome Ipswich 3-1, Middlesbrough defeated Wolverhampton Wanderers 2-1, West Ham dispatched Hartlepool 2-0 and Hull beat Millwall by the same score to reach the fifth round.

An all-Premier League fixture between Sunderland and Blackburn ended scoreless.

By halftime at Fratton Park, Portsmouth was well on the way to relinquishing its hold on the trophy it captured at Wembley for the first time in 69 years.

Swansea winger Nathan Dyer, on loan from Pompey’s south coast rival, Southampton, opened the scoring in the 26th minute when he fired Jason Scotland’s floated pass into the bottom right of the net.

Swansea’s Scotland then scored from the penalty spot after Jordi Gomez was fouled by Nadir Belhadj.

”In the first half we were outplayed and outfought,” Portsmouth manager Tony Adams said. ”I did warn the players we were up against a very good Swansea team who like to pass the ball and that we would be in trouble if we weren’t prepared.

”Sadly, I was proved right. Without that fight you go out of this competition.”

Manchester United edged out Tottenham — who they will meet again in the March 1 League Cup final — although Spurs took the lead after five minutes when Russia striker Roman Pavlyuchenko guided a glancing header past goalkeeper Ben Foster.

United came back strongly and it was no surprise when an equaliser came in the 35th minute.

Michael Carrick pulled a corner back to the unmarked Paul Scholes, whose low shot from distance was on target but took a deflection off Huddlestone and flew past goalkeeper Ben Alnwick.

A minute later United made it 2-1 when a well-timed through ball by Carrick put Berbatov clear of the Spurs defense to drive home the winner.

Burnley, which came within three minutes of beating Tottenham in the League Cup semifinal on Wednesday, recovered from that grueling clash
to force a replay at West Brom.

Martin Paterson tapped in Wade Elliott’s cross to clinch a 2-2 draw as Burnley twice came back from behind.

”Everyone expected us to turn up here and roll over but everyone who knows me will know I have unbelievable faith in this set of lads,” Burnley manager Owen Coyle said.

Despite being fourth in the Premier League, Aston Villa struggled to find form at Doncaster and will need a replay against a side struggling in the League Championship relegation zone.

Villa striker Gabriel Agbonlahor hit the crossbar, but Doncaster’s Martin Woods was twice denied by the frame of the goal.

Chelsea appeared to be strolling through when Ballack turned Ashley Cole’s ball past goalkeeper Richard Wright from six metres in the 16th.

The Blues’ failure to defend at set-pieces proved costly again in the 35th when they couldn’t clear Owen Garvan’s free kick and Alex Bruce leveled.

But Ballack bent a free kick over the defensive wall and into the net in the 59th, and Lampard scored in similar fashion in the last five minutes, unleashing a dipping effort from 35 metres into the top corner.

Middlesbrough advanced past Wolves after Marvin Emnes came off the bench to score a late winner. Afonso Alves had put the Premier League strugglers ahead a minute before halftime by chipping goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey, only for Sam Vokes to level in the 63rd.

West Ham’s progress at the expense of Hartlepool was clinched in the final minute of the first half when Valon Behrami struck into the far corner and Mark Noble converted from the penalty spot after Lee Mason’s handball.

Hull’s match with Millwall was marred by crowd trouble ahead of the kickoff with police called upon to separate rival fans.

Michael Turner headed home after 15 minutes, but Hull couldn’t relax until captain Ian Ashbee struck in 84th.

Non-league side Kettering came within two minutes of forcing a replay against Fulham before Andy Johnson and Bobby Zamora salvaged a 4-2 victory against the semiprofessionals.

Sheffield United beat Charlton 2-1, Watford edged Crystal Palace 4-3, and Coventry won 1-0 at Torquay. – Sapa-AP