Not a good night for Alex Ferguson and Manchester United as Iain Dowie’s Coventry City gave Utd the Blues at Old Trafford with a 0 - 2 win to the Championship side. Coventry hadn’t won at Old Trafford since 1989 and it was the first time Alex Ferguson had been beaten by a lower league team in a cup competition since he took charge at Utd way back in 1986!

However, Man Utd were not the only Premiership casualty to fall to lower league opposition as Aston Villa were also dumped out of the Carling Cup after suffering a shock home defeat to Championship side Leicester. Slightly ironic for Martin O’Neil considering he managed Leicester for many years and didn’t he win the Carling Cup (or whatever it was called with Leicester? I think he did!)

Coventry certainly deserved the victory. They were equal to Utd in all departments. Yes, Man Utd had made 11 changes from the team that beat Chelsea at the weekend however Ferguson will still be very disappointed to have seen his side succumb to two Michael Mifsud goals. After all, if the players he picked are good enough to wear the shirt surely they should be good enough to put on a better performance.

Maltese striker Michael Mifsud celebrates his brace at Old Trafford

However, the goalscorer, Mifsud, a Maltese striker, was a constant thorn in the side of United’s reformed defensive unit and the Malteaser (sorry couldn’t resist!) fired Coventry ahead midway through the first half when he slid home after an excellent cross from Michael Doyle. His second goal which clinched a memorable victory for Coventry was a quite sublime finish. The ball fell to him just inside the box and he fired into the far corner - leaving Utd’s keeper on the night Tomasz Kuszczak helpless and sending the 11,000 visiting Coventry fans into absolute raptures. You can’t really blame them can you? However, I doubt Sir Alex was in raptures after the game. Don’t be fooled! He may have put out a completely different team but he would have expected them to win all the same. The Scot does not like losing and gone are the days of fielding second string teams in this so called Mickey Mouse cup.

Anyway, as I said, Utd weren’t the only top flight side to fall to the gremlims of the lower leagues. Aston Villa also bowed out to Leicester, again from the Championship. The only goal of the game in the Second City arrived just 14 minutes from time. The ball came for Matty Fryatt and he finished with a neat left footed strike across Stuart Taylor.

The current holder Chelsea had no such problems with their potential banana skin at Hull with a comfortable 4 - 0 victory to record the club’s first win for Avram Grant in the post Jose Mourinho era.

Grant said after the game, (god, he’s boring compared to Jose), “It could have been better, it could have been 5 - 0. [I think that was supposed to be a joke.] I was happy with the performance of the players. These kind of games you make one mistake and you are out. All the goals came from combinations and that;s what I want from the team…they all enjoyed it, including me.” Steady now, don’t get too carried away!

There were more potential upsets on paper but Everton avoided their blushes as they sealed a comfortable 3-0 win at Hillsborough to struggling Sheffield Wednesday. Scotland hero James McFadden, who is in excellent form at the moment, opened the scoring on the hour as he tapped in from close range after he was played in by Yakubu. McFadden then added a second not long after when he headed home after a nice cross from Phil Neville. Yakubu wrapped up the win with five minutes left with his second for his new club.

In the all Premiership clash at Ewood Park, Blackburn eased past rivals Birmingham with a 3-0 victory. And you have to say the result never looked in doubt. I have said in the Soccer Blog before that Mark Hughes is doing an excellent job at Blackburn and he has turned them into an extremely competitive side. Just like he was as a player really. No one will want to pick them out of the hat on Saturday in the next round, especially at Ewood Park.

Anyway, Blackburn’s opener came on 66 minutes and it was a spectacular strike from England’s David Bentley. He picked the ball up about 40 yards out and then rifled the ball home from 30 yards. Matt Derbyshire added a second from the penalty spot and Roque Santa Cruz scored a third in injury time to seal the win.

Middlesbrough kindly handed Tottenham manager Martin Jol a little more time thanks to a 2-0 victory at White Hart Lane in another all Premiership clash. Although Boro defended resolutely they were undone by Gareth Bale on 71 minutes as he sprung the offside trap before rounding Brad Jones and slotting home. Listen to Gareth Southgate’s interview after the game however and you’ll hear that he had a slightly different interpretation of whether it was offside or not. Spurs’ second came just moments later when Tom Huddlestone headed home after good work from Aaron Lennon down the right.

Ian Holloway’s and Plymouth hearts were broken at Upton Park as West Ham grabbed a last-minute winner to seal a 1-0 win. It looked like Holloway’s men were going to take the game to extra-time, when up popped in-form Dean Ashton to fire home a superb volley from a slightly acute angle. It was an excellent finish and deserved to win any game.

The only game that did head into extra-time on the night was the final all Premiership tie between two of this season’s strugglers as Fulham took on Bolton at Craven Cottage. Danny Guthrie had curled Bolton ahead, only for David Healy to come off the bench and level matters to send the game into added time. However, the winner came after 112 minutes when Stelios Giannakopoulos pounced to give his manager, Sammy Lee, a huge boost. Is Lee starting to turns things around at the Reebok? Hmm, only time will tell.

Full Results from last night’s Carling Cup 3rd Round Games:

Aston Villa 0-1 Leicester
Blackburn 3-0 Birmingham
Fulham 1-2 Bolton
Hull City 0-4 Chelsea
Man Utd 0-2 Coventry
Sheffield Weds 0-3 Everton
Tottenham 2-0 Middlesbrough
West Ham 1-0 Plymouth

The Soccer Blogger

Liverpool’s new records signing, Spain’s Fernando Torres, recorded his first hat-trick as the Reds came out on top in a six-goal thriller against Reading at The Madejski Stadium on Tuesday evening.

The scoring was opened by Israeli international Yossi Benayoun, his first for the Mereysiders. It was a stunning solo effort after 23 minutes. He first nutmegged Andre Bikey then fired the ball beyond Reading’s goalkeeper Adam Federici. it was an unstoppable shot.

But as we know Reading are not a side to simply lie down and Bobby Convey equalised just five minutes later with an equally spectacular strike, volleying home low from the edge of the box giving Charles Itandje, Liverpool’s young debutant goalkeeper, little chance. It was turning into a game of great goals!

But it was then left to Torres to show his class and great strength as he held off Ulises de la Cruz before coolly side-footing the ball into the bottom corner of the net to put Liverpool back in front.

Fernando Torres celebrates one of his hat-trick goals, his first for Liverpool

Most of the Liverpool fans watching must have been asking themselves why Torres was left out of the starting eleven that face Birmingham at Anfield at the weekend as they watched him produce a wonderful performance. And it was the Spanish international who felt he should have had a penalty moments later after he went down under Bikey’s clumsy challenge in the area but referee simply waved play on.

Itandje then put a black mar on his debut by failing to gather a corner and John Halls forced the loose ball home. 2 - 2, never underestimate Reading!

But Torres had the final say when he superbly fired the ball into the top corner after John Arne Riise had escaped down the left flank. He then rounded the perfect evening off by racing clear from a superbly weighted through ball by Steven Gerrard three minutes from time. It left Torres one one one with the Reading keeper. Torres dropped his shoulder a couple of times, left the goalie on the floor and coolly slotting home.

Elsewhere, Arsene Wenger, as he has so often in the past in the Carling Cup, sent out a young side to see off the challenge of Newcastle. The young hero was Nicklas Bendtner who scored his first-ever Gunners goal.

Bendtner struck with seven minutes remaining, but the home side were indebted to Philippe Senderos who produced a superb goalline clearance to deny Obafemi Martins moments later before Denilson kiled the game off with the second. Of course Newcastle were without, yet again, Michael Owen after he went off on Saturday. It just looked as though he stumbled and fell over. He is due to have another operation on Friday, for a hernia and will no doubt miss England’s next two qualifying goals.

Georgios Samaras took advantage of his first start of the season for Manchester City to score the only goal of the game against Norwich at The City of Manchester Stadium. I never know whether to call it that or Eastlands! Anyway, Norwich had threatened to upset Sven Goran Eriksson’s side and enjoyed much of the possession but were made to pay in the last minute when Samaras raced clear and slotted the ball beyond David Marshall. City are certainly becoming a hard unit to beat under the former England boss, a nice habit to get into!

David Nugent was another player to take his chance after being picked for the Carling Cup as he helped Portsmouth overcome Burnley 1-0 at Turf Moor. Harry Redknapp’s side were on the back-foot for long periods but made the breakthrough with 21 minutes remaining when Nugent chased down Mendes’ ball and beat Gabor Kiraly.

Cardiff cruised into the fourth round after racing into a four-goal lead inside half an hour against West Brom at The Hawthorns. The extremely experienced strike partnership of Robbie Fowler and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink continues to reap rewards with the former Liverpool forward opening the scoring after just four minutes.

Hasselbaink lashed home a second after 23 minutes, Fowler added a third from the penalty spot and Trevor Sinclair sent some Baggies fans heading for the exit in the 30th minute. Ishmael Miller pulled one back three minutes later and added a second from the penalty spot at the death but it was all in vain.

Tuesday Nights full results:

Arsenal 2 Newcastle 0
Burnley 0 Portsmouth 1
Reading 2 Liverpool 4
Man City 1 Norwich 0
West Brom 2 Cardiff 4
Sheff Utd 5 Morecambe 0
Blackpool 2 Southend 1
Luton 3 Charlton 1

The Soccer Blogger

Two of the players dismissed for the brawl at the end of Sunday’s Carling Cup Final, Arsenal’s Adebayor and Chelsea’s Obi have lodged appeals for unfair dismissal. I mean, is it just me but who are they trying to kid? How can they have the gall to appeal? The third player dismissed, Arsenal’s Toure, has obviously got more sense and pride as he has not submitted an appeal. At least it would appear he has taken responsibility for his actions and is happy to pay the consequences, unlike the other two!

The two to appeal were the instigators of the brawl so I really don’t see where they are coming from and what type of example does it give to youngsters that see their heroes fighting in a major final and then claim it was not their fault and they shouldn’t be punished? They are just going to think that kind of behaviour is acceptable and copy them, aren’t they?

I sometimes think football players should look at the guys that play rugby and take a leaf out of their book. Rugby players do not talk back to the referees, they show him respect. They accept his decisions (may not always agree but they accept them). When fights do break out it isn’t like two teenage girls slapping each other with their handbags(sorry girls) and again, they accept their responsibility and take the punishment on the chin.

Sorry, I’m having a little rant here but soccer players can really be ….. well, you get the idea.

Would love to hear what you think about footballers’ behaviour etc. Leave a comment below.

Thanks!

The Soccer Blogger

John Terry the Chelsea and England captain has praised and thanked Gary Lewin, the Arsenal physio stating, “I owe you my life!”

Terry was accidentially kicked in the face by the Arsenal player Abou Diaby during Sunday’s Carling Cup Final in Cardiff and knocked unconscious. He apparently swallowed his tongue and reports suggest that he was actaully turning blue! However, it was Lewin who rushed to his aid in seconds. Fortunately, he was postioned behind the Arsenal goal treating one of his own players when the incident took place.

Terry has since confirmed he remembers nothing after walking out onto the pitch for the second half until he woke up in the ambulance on his way to hospital. Terry was told of Lewin’s crucial intervention when he came round. He asked if he could personally thank Lewin and he therefore waited outside the Arsenal dressing to personally have a word and thank him for saving his life.

A neuro-surgeon has since confirmed how serious the accident was. John Firth has stated that Terry was “four minutes from death” after swallowing his tongue which was dislodged by Lewin. The surgeon further confirmed, “Lewin’s intervention was crucial because his skills helped dislodge Terry’s tongue. The other big fear at that stage is whether the player has broken his neck and that is why he was carried off in a neck brace.”

Terry is certainly a very lucky guy.

The Soccer Blogger