LONDON, 10 January 2005 — For 45 minutes yesterday, tiny Yeading FC thought it could cause one of the greatest FA Cup shocks in history. But after 51 minutes, the part-timers couldn’t hold off the professional might of Newcastle any longer and lost 2-0.
Craig Bellamy and Shola Ameobi scored for Newcastle.
In yesterday’s other tie, Arsenal recovered from 1-0 down against Football League Championship side Stoke to win 2-1 at Highbury.
It took six matches for Yeading to reach the third round of the FA Cup, the world’s oldest knockout competition open to all English soccer clubs. When it drew Newcastle, ranked six leagues above, it was the biggest gap between teams ever in the FA Cup.
Captain David Clarke led out a team that cost nothing and which included painters and decorators, a welfare fraud officer, a delivery driver and a computer analyst.
Newcastle’s second-string side was still worth 30 million pounds (US$56 million)
Yeading defied its 20,000-1 odds of winning the tournament for 45 minutes.
Newcastle had early chances through Laurent Robert and Lee Bowyer, while Bellamy hit the bar and Yeading goalkeeper Delroy Preddie stopped strong chances from Jermaine Jenas and Shola Ameobi.
Yeading also had its chances — Emond Protain’s header went over the bar, while Newcastle goalkeeper Steve Harper needed a good save to stop Clarke.
Bellamy scored the opener in the 51st minute, tapping the ball in after an Ameobi pass across goal. Ameobi added the second with a leaping header ten minutes later.
Yeading plays in the Ryman League Premier Division _ two levels below the top non-league Conference division.
At Highbury, the gap wasn’t as stark — Stoke is ranked 31 places below — but the visitors shocked the Gunners when they took the lead in first-half injury time. Arsenal goalkeeper Jens Lehmann parried a Ade Akinbiyi shot and Wayne Thomas tapped in the rebound.
Stoke’s lead lasted until the 50th minute, when Jose Antonio Reyes leveled from the edge of the penalty area.
Arsenal took the lead with 20 minutes left, when Robin van Persie flicked the ball off a Jermaine Pennant cross. Arsenal defender Gael Clichy made a goal line clearance to deny Chris Greenacre and Akinbiyi hit the bar.
Hartson Winner Settles Old Firm Cup Clash
In Glasgow, striker John Hartson fired Celtic into the fourth round of the Scottish Cup with a 77th minute winner as they beat old rivals Rangers 2-1 yesterday.
Hartson gave Celtic victory when he slashed a shot across goalkeeper Stefan Klos after Chris Sutton flicked on Didier Agathe’s deep cross from the right 15 minutes from time.
The Wales forward also set up Celtic’s opener for Sutton on 36 minutes but Rangers levelled a minute after the break with a header from Fernando Ricksen in front of 58,622 fans.
Celtic’s win over their Glasgow neighbors stretches their unbeaten run at home to five years since Rod Wallace scored the only goal in a Scottish Premier League win in March 2000.
Hartson agreed a new deal on Friday to keep him at Celtic Park until June 2007 and O’Neill said: “I was obviously thrilled he put pen to paper to stay on and if he stays fit then there’s plenty of goals to come from him. I’m delighted, absolutely thrilled. He enjoys playing with Chris Sutton ... And I’m delighted to have both of them and pleased we have won.”
Three Late Goals Give Inter Amazing Comeback Win
In Milan, Inter Milan scored three late goals against Sampdoria to come back for an incredible 3-2 win in Serie A yesterday and extend their unbeaten run to 18 games.
Goals from Obafemi Martins (88), Christian Vieri (90+1) brought Roberto Mancini’s side level before Uruguayan Alvaro Recoba struck a superb winner in the fourth minute of injury time. Max Tonetto and Belarussian Vitali Kutuzov’s goals for fifth placed Sampdoria looked to have inflicted the first defeat of the season on Inter. Leaders Juventus beat Livorno 4-2 with two goals from Italy winger Mauro Camoranesi. Third-placed Udinese beat Cagliari 2-0 while Paolo Di Canio’s rich run of form continued with a goal in Lazio’s 3-2 win at Fiorentina.
