West Ham United 2-3 Chelsea (Sky Sports)
Last Gasp Terry Stuns Hammers
Adrian Sherling reporting John Terry's header deep into second-half injury time earned Chelsea a place in the fifth round of the FA Cup after Jermain Defoe had twice given West Ham the lead, live on Sky Sports. The Hammers were not behind in the game until the 92nd minute, when Terry powered Graeme Le Saux's corner in off the post to book a home tie against Preston in the last 16. It was harsh on West Ham, especially the irrespresible Defoe, who had battled away throughout, despite the loss of three key players - Fredi Kanoute, Paolo di Canio and Michael Carrick - to injury and suspension. Defoe put West Ham ahead in the 37th minute after a disappointing opening with a magnificent piece of improvisation. Terry headed Steve Lomas' cross back towards the corner flag, yet Defoe send it straight back with a ferocious volley, sneaking in off both Terry and sprawling goalkeeper Carlo Cudicini. The kept the lead for just five minutes however, as Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink scored a controversial equaliser from a fre-kick. Referee Graham Poll stood in front of the kick, yet quickly moved out the way when the Dutchman said he wanted to take it quickly. The speed of his effort fooled David James, who was still organising his wall, and he had no chance stopping the well-placed shot. Just after the interval, Mario Stanic, who picked up his ninth booking in just 14 games, just needed to get a flick on Hasselbaink's near-post corner to give his side the lead, yet failed to make any contact and the Hammers soon made them pay at the other end. Sebastian Schemmel showed a lot of hunger to win the ball back after being dispossessed by Marcel Desailly and found Don Hutchison. Cudicini could only parry his angled drive and who else but Defoe was lurking to slide home his second of the match. Blues boss Claudio Ranieri threw on strikers Gianfranco Zola and Mikael Forssell and it was the youngster who made an immediate impact. Hutchison attempted a complex back header to James, yet left it woefully short and the Finn squeezed home an equaliser. Both teams had chances to win the match. James made a terrific double save from Forssell and Hasselbaink, as well as from Stanic's header, while Cudicini was pleased to see Hutchison's close-range header fly right at him. Christian Dailly was sure he had given his side the lead for a third time when he rose high to head substitute Vladimir Labant's free-kick. His effort looked to be going in all the way, yet it hit the inside of the post and a relieved Cudicini scrambled the ball clear. While his header hit the post and came out, Terry's late effort sneaked in off the upright to leave the Hammer heartbroken and Chelsea just three games away from the Millennium Stadium.
West Ham: James, Schemmel, Repka, Dailly,
Winterburn, Sinclair, Hutchison (Labant 76), Lomas, Cole, Defoe, Kitson (Todorov
82).
Chelsea: Cudicini, Le Saux, Desailly,
Terry, Ferrer, Stanic, Petit, Dalla Bona (Zola 61), Lampard, Hasselbaink,
Gudjohnsen (Forssell 61). Att: 27,272
|
|||||||||||||||||
