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Newcastle sink Chelsea FA cup hopes
http://www.bbfans.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=45&t=17189		 Page 1 of 1
Author:  JimD [ 20 Feb 05, 22:01 ]
Post subject:  Newcastle sink Chelsea FA cup hopes
Sun Feb 20, 2005 07:30 PM GMT

LONDON (Reuters) - Newcastle United have pulled off a 1-0 win over Chelsea to reach the FA Cup quarter-finals after the Premier League leaders finished a pulsating tie with only nine men.

A tactical gamble on Sunday by Chelsea coach Jose Mourinho turned the game, his decision to make all three substitutions at halftime backfiring in spectacular fashion when wingback Wayne Bridge was carried off on a stretcher just minutes after the re-start.

That left Chelsea with 10 men and struggling to cancel out a superb header by Newcastle's Dutch striker Patrick Kluivert after only four minutes at St James' Park.

Mourinho, who was also paying the price for starting with a second-string side before next week's Champions League knockout tie at Barcelona, saw all hope fade in stoppage time when keeper Carlo Cudicini was red-carded for felling Shola Ameobi.

Nottingham Forest came back to draw 1-1 at Tottenham Hotspur and Burnley drew 0-0 with Blackburn Rovers in a moral victory for second division clubs over Premier League sides in Sunday's other fifth round ties.

Holders Manchester United reached Monday's draw with a 2-0 win at Everton on Saturday but Arsenal, held 1-1 by second division Sheffield United at Highbury, were among eight clubs facing replays.

The place to be for thrills on Sunday was Tyneside, where Newcastle battled to a famous victory over a club who have been dominating English football this season and have a League Cup final against Liverpool next Sunday.

Mourinho played a major part in what happened, sparing nearly all his first-team regulars in his bid to match last season's Champions League triumph with Porto.

Mourinho told Sky Sports News: "We showed with the team we started with that we have other competitions in front of the FA Cup. But we came here to win.

"Sometimes you are proud of your team because you win and sometimes you lose like today and you're still very proud...I think they were magnificent."

Newcastle boss Graeme Souness, whose side were following up a midweek UEFA Cup third round win at Dutch club Heerenveen, said: "It was a good result against an excellent team. I'm sure everyone will get a lift from this."

Kluivert was quick to exploit Mourinho's team selection, though Chelsea's Serbia and Montenegro striker Mateja Kezman was unlucky not to equalise when he hit the bar before the end of the first half.

The turning point came when the Portuguese coach threw on winger Damien Duff, striker Eidur Gudjohnsen and attacking midfielder Frank Lampard for the second half.

Bridge was carried off with a suspected broken ankle within five minutes and Chelsea were in trouble.

Newcastle skipper Alan Shearer told Sky Sports News: "Jose gambled at halftime and it didn't really pay off."

Victory was assured at the very end by Cudicini's red card as Newcastle kept alive their dreams of a first FA Cup final success in 50 years.

Earlier on Sunday, a goalkeeping howler by Forest's Colin Doyle allowed Tottenham's England striker Jermain Defoe to score with a free kick just before the break at White Hart Lane.

But Forest matched their wealthier opponents and were rewarded as striker Gareth Taylor equalised from close range in the 56th minute to earn a replay at the City Ground on March 2.

The Lancashire derby at Turf Moor was high on passion but low on quality, with Rovers having slightly the better of the few chances.

The real upsets came on Saturday, however, when second division Leicester City beat top flight Charlton Athletic 2-1 at The Valley and Southampton were held to a 2-2 home draw by third division Brentford after squandering a two-goal lead.

Bolton Wanderers overcame visitors Fulham 1-0 in an all-Premier League tie.

© Reuters 2005. All Rights Reserved.
Author:  JimD [ 21 Feb 05, 22:29 ]
Post subject:  Thin Blue Line
21 Feb 2005 :Anorak

POOR old Chelsea! Oh dear! Even with all the cash in the world - or at least a large chunk of it – they have learnt that money cannot buy you luck.

Sure, the Blues had their slice of this most precious commodity this season, but yesterday their good fortune appeared to run out in spectacular style as they went down 1-0 to Newcastle.

They may have been “FROZEN OUT” of the FA Cup, as the Guardian says, but the Blues still have three trophies to go for, which, all told, would not be bad haul of silver for all the millions spent.

But, as the paper says, since the loss off Arjen Robben, Chelsea have scored one goal in 335 minutes of play. They have now lost Wayne Bridge with a possible broken leg and suffered injuries to Damien Duff and William Gallas.

With a trip to Barcelona looming and next Sunday’s Carling Cup final to Liverpool now looking far less than a formality, the wheels on the Chelsea troika are looking a little less than tight.

While we and the papers contemplate a Chelsea collapse, the Independent looks at Wayne Rooney’s return to Everton for the first time since his move to Manchester United.

And didn’t the boy do well. Which is more than can be said for some sad elements of the Everton crowd, especially the inadequate who hurled a mobile phone at United’s goalkeeper, Roy Carroll?

The boy who enriched his club to the sweet tune of £27m deserved better than this spite and stupidity.

As for the phone chucker, the Sun has a grainy picture of him/her/it and asks: “DO YOU KNOW THE LUNATIC IN THE CROWD?”

We are unsure, but keen to see the Premiership race thrown wide open, believe it could be either Jose Mourinho, Petr Cech or Frank Lampard.

Indeed, it may even be a conspiracy between all three.

While the police follow up our lead and chuck the trio in jail for the remainder of the season, the Times has news of Urs Meier, the Swiss referee with the tinted beard who was in charge of England’s defeat to Portugal in Euro 2004.

Speaking to the paper, Meier reveals the extent of the abuse he suffered from disappointed English fans who bombarded him with abusive emails and telephone calls.

“I think the first three or four week after this were the hardest in my life,” says he. “They wanted to kill me, to finish me off.”

And who are they? Why, John Terry and Glen Johnson we suppose. They too are now being rounded up...
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