The Hindu : Sport / Football : Kieran Lee's strike does the trick

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Friday, Oct 27, 2006
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Kieran Lee's strike does the trick

LONDON: Kieran Lee's goal with two minutes remaining in extra time gave Manchester United a 2-1 victory at League One Crewe on Wednesday as the defending champion scrambled into the last 16 of the English League Cup.

Dario Gradi's Crewe appeared to be pushing United to a penalty shootout at Gresty Road after Luke Varney had equalised a first-half strike by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

But Lee, one of five teenagers playing for United with the entire first team squad rested by manager Alex Ferguson, took a ball from Alan Smith to run clear of the Crewe defence and score the winner. United will travel to League Championship Southend for a place in the quarterfinals.

West Ham loses

Man United avoided joining West Ham, which lost 2-1 at League One Chesterfield on Tuesday, while the other powerhouse teams also advanced to the last 16.

Premier League champion Chelsea won 2-0 at Blackburn, Liverpool edged Reading 4-3, Tottenham overwhelmed League Two Milton Keynes Dons 5-0 on the road with two goals each from Jermain Defoe and Egyptian striker Ahmed Mido.

Last in the Premier League, Charlton ousted third-place Bolton 1-0 and Newcastle also shrugged off its poor league form by beating Portsmouth 3-0 with two strikes by Peruvian midfielder Nolberto Solano.

Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho rested first-choice strikers Andriy Shevchenko and Didier Drogba at Blackburn's Ewood Park. But Joe Cole returned after a long injury absence and put the Blues ahead in the 53rd minute before Salomon Kalou added a second nine minutes from the end. Chelsea hosts Aston Villa in the next round.

Liverpool scored twice in the two minutes before halftime against Reading, getting goals from captain Robbie Fowler and John Arne Riise at Anfield.

Paletta scores

Gabriel Paletta made it 3-0 in the 50th minute and Andre Bikey replied for the Royals with 15 minutes remaining. Peter Crouch restored Liverpool's three-goal advantage, but goals by Leroy Lita with nine minutes to go and Shane Long's goal in the 85th minute made for a dramatic finish. Liverpool visits League Championship Birmingham for a place in the last eight.

Mido and Defoe scored before halftime as Spurs took control against League Two Milton Keynes. Defoe made it 3-0 six minutes into the second half and Mido and Robbie Keane added further goals for Martin Jol's team.

After a goalless first half at St. James' Park, Giuseppe Rossi — on loan from Manchester United — and Solano gave Newcastle a 2-0 advantage over Portsmouth with goals in the first eight minutes of the second half. Solano added a third in the final minute as the Magpies shrugged off their poor Premier League form to reach the last 16 of the League Cup.

Marcus Bent's first goal in 17 games gave Charlton victory over Bolton at The Valley.

Eidur Gudjohnsen scored a pair of second-half goals to give an under-strength FC Barcelona a 2-1 win at third-division Badalona in the Copa del Rey on Wednesday. The Iceland striker converted Javier Saviola's cross in the 63rd minute after the visitors had struggled against the small Catalan club in the first leg of the fourth-round clash. Barcelona, which played without Ronaldinho and Deco as well as injured Lionel Messi and Samuel Eto'o, doubled its lead 15 minutes later when Gudjohnsen pounced after Badalona goalkeeper David Relano parried Santi Ezquerro's swerving shot.

The hosts scored in injury time on Pedro Tarradellas' penalty. Earlier, Manuel ``Nolito'' Agudo's 81st-minute equaliser earned third-division Ecija a 1-1 draw with Real Madrid.

Glimmer of hope

The goal gave Ecija a glimmer of hope of reaching the last 16 when it visits Madrid's Santiago Bernabeu Stadium in the second leg.

Antonio Cassano gave Madrid the lead 14 minutes earlier when he tapped the ball over the line after teammate Mahamadou Diarra headed David Beckham's floated free kick onto the post. Beckham was making only his second start in seven games in a lineup which was void of nine first-team regulars. Ronaldo started his first game since June, when he appeared in Brazil's defeat against France in the World Cup quarterfinals.

Defending champion Espanyol required Luis Garcia's injury-time penalty to draw 1-1 at Rayo Vallecano. Diego Torres converted a 42nd-minute spot-kick for the third-division side.

The results: English League Cup: Third Round: Blackburn 0 lost to Chelsea 2, Charlton 1 bt Bolton 0, Liverpool 4 bt Reading 3, Milton Keynes 0 lost to Tottenham 5, Newcastle 3 bt Portsmouth 0, Crewe 1 lost to Manchester United 2.

Copa del Rey: fourth-round: Racing Portuense 1 lost to Valencia 2, Ecija 1 bt Real Madrid 1, Pena Sport 0 drew with Osasuna 0, Gimnastica Segoviana 0 lost to Sevilla 1, Valladolid 1 bt Gimnastic Tarragona 0, Deportivo La Coruna 1 bt Racing Santander 0, Rayo Vallecano 1 drew with Espanyol 1, Xerez 0 lost to Getafe 2, Malaga 4 bt Real Sociedad 1, Hercules 1 drew with Zaragoza 1, Castellon 0 lost to Villarreal 2, Recreativo Huelva 0 drew with Real Betis 0, Athletic Bilbao 1 drew with Mallorca 1, Badalona 1 lost to Barcelona 2. — AP

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