Saturday Soccer

Saturday Soccer - SAS Cup Group Fixtures, Quarter Final Stages, Saturday 11th March 2000
The following match reports are for the teams that qualified from the SAS Cup Group Stages to the SAS Cup Quarter Final Stages of the competition.

In one of the most eagerly anticipated games of the season, the two Division 1 rivals met up in part two of their thrilling battle. Last week Coventry stunned Leeds with a fantastic 2-0 victory at Elland Road in the so called 'dress rehearsal to the Quarter Final match. Now it was time for more serious business with both sides still very much in the hunt for cup glory. Both teams have been very impressive in the cup this season and whoever emerged victorious had a really good chance of going all the way.

It has not been the best of weeks for Leeds boss Christian Hjulsgaard. After threatening resignation after the Coventry defeat, it was clear that his side still need time to gel but with time running out for Leeds if they are to win honours this season. Joe Carfton's men have been in excellent form recently and are looking like genuine contenders for silverware after a shaky start to the season.

The last match saw fireworks between the two sides with three men getting sent off including Coventry boss Joe Carfton. Carfton sat in the stands for this match, he was still recovering from his car accident earlier in the week. Both sides seemed to have learnt from last week's encounter and mixed the play up well in the first half, concentrating on both attack and defence and it seemed that the game would be decided by individual acts as the game wore down.

Both sides learnt the dangers of the other and it was not surprising to see both teams cracking down on individual talents in the match. For Coventry, Darren Eadie and Ray Parlour had special attention, as did both Les Ferdinand and Michael Bridges of Leeds. With both sides making a cautious approach to the beginning of the game. Few chances were really created and the ball was often bogged down in midfield for long stretches. Defenders also defended valiantly and the performances of Marti Hiden and Neil Ruddock were especially impressive with David Batty also doing splendidly in midfield.

Both sides needed their live wires to come to life and when Brian Laudrup surged past Alan Stubbs in the 20th minute and unleashed a 30-yarder, it got things going a bit. It certainly shook up Coventry and they started to make things happen with Emile Heskey and Chris Sutton getting into the match. Sutton was a lot more involved in this game and he often dropped back a bit more to get more of the ball. The Coventry players were picking him out as the target man but with Eadie and Parlour under close wraps, the Sky Blues had to come down the middle more. Paul Telfer needed to pull out another big game but he found it difficult also with first Brian Laudrup and then David Batty making sure that he never had a lot of space. So, Sutton and Heskey had to make their own chances and they managed to carve out a few decent scoring chances together towards the end of the first half. In the 35th minute Chris Sutton and Emile Heskey combined delightfully and Heskey smacked the ball just high from 21 yards out. Just two minutes later Sutton then swiveled past Justin Edinburgh and blasted one himself. However, he leaned back into his shot too much and it went high again.

Then Leeds had a mini-revival. Titi Camara twice broke away from tight defending and created two genuine chances for Leeds. On 41 minutes he broke down the left, beating Steve Watson and drilled a low, hard ball into the heart of the Coventry area. As the ball came to Les Ferdinand he completely fooled Matt Elliott and dummied it, letting it run to the far post. Michael Bridges came stealing in.....but the ball had simply too much pace and Bridges' outstretched leg could not connect, the ball flying wide. With virtually the last move of the first half, Leeds had another chance. Stewart Castledine played an exceptional ball across the park to Titi Camara. Camara raced forward in acres of space and whipped a wicked ball into the box. Ferdinand met it thunderously with his head and it produced a magnificent save from Michael Oakes who tipped the ball over the bar to deny the striker his first goal for the club.

The very last incident of the half will have angered Joe Carfton a bit as he saw his star winger Darren Eadie booked for a very late challenge on Stewart Castledine. Nevertheless, it was a good first half performance from both sides, especially in defensive terms.

The second half was a lot more lively and both teams had clearly been fired up by the half time team talk. Numerous chances were created, it was just a matter of which one of them would take them first. As soon as the second half started Danny Mills broke from defence and after a two touch passing move with David Hopkin, he was bearing down on the Leeds area. He chipped a beautiful little ball into the box but it fell behind Les Ferdinand and the former England man could not make the right contact as it sailed high and wide.

The fans were coming alive, this was the SAS Cup Quarter Finals! Both sides started to implement the 'attack' part of the game plan and the results could have been devastating but for some bad finishing and wonderful defending.

When David Batty played a looping pass over the entire Coventry defence it looked as though Bridges was clean through to run on goal. However, coming in from the left Alessandro Pistone made a superb tackle to deny the young sensation a chance to score. Minutes later, Bridges' deft flick played Brian Laudrup in but the Dane was sandwiched between two Coventry defenders, no free-kick given.

The incident also continued to bring back the memories of the previous weekend and soon the tackles started flying in all over the park. David Hopkin was the first player to be booked in the second half. On 58 minutes Coventry should have taken the lead. Chris Sutton's continuing persistence saw him turn David Batty and square to Emile Heskey who was in plenty of space. The big target man sent his first time shot hurtling wide though, in all fairness it looked as though he caught his foot in a divot before shooting.

The football became fast and furious and so did the challenges. David Batty was booked for going a bit to far in keeping an eye on Darren Eadie and he tugged the youngster down near the Leeds area. Steve Watson surprised Leeds by quickly taking the free kick but as the ball came to Heskey in the box he clashed awkwardly with Danny Mills. Heskey got a mild concussion but Joe Carfton refused to take him off and Coventry played on with ten men. Heskey was also cut on the side of the head and needed a head bandage to stop the bleeding. He was off for 6 minutes but Coventry held the fort without him.

The attacks came fast and furious and Laudrup had two shots beaten away by Michael Oakes as Leeds threatened to break Coventry. At the other end Chris Sutton played another fantastic through ball to an unusually quiet Ray Parlour....the England man raced inside the box, touched the ball past Justin Edinburgh and....went down under the challenge! The referee waved play on amid a barrage of protests from the Coventry fans behind the goal but he didn't give in. From that Leeds broke immediately and Casteldine, making his debut, played a ball wide to Brian Laudrup. The Dane sped away in one of the quickest counter attacks ever probably. Laudrup zoomed past Pistone and zeroed in on goal. He shaped to pass and suddenly swiveled and went past a stranded Alan Stubbs on the edge of the box. lining up to shoot....Laudrup was crunched from behind by 'Razor' Ruddock.....the referee waved play on and Coventry got it clear, but it was fast, frantic, fantastic football. To add insult to injury for both teams, Ray Parlour and Brian Laudrup were both booked for diving in a piece of bizarre refereeing, it was assumed that he had judged the tackles to have made contact but have been clean, obviously not.

The attacks kept coming fast and furiously but Emile Heskey and Michael Bridges were off colour with their finishing at times and both sides wasted some decent opportunities. With 10 minutes to play both sides made changes and brought on some fresh legs. There was a huge roar around the ground as Nicolas Anelka replaced Les Ferdinand for his first game in a Leeds shirt, Eirik Bakke also came on for David Hopkin. Coventry boss Joe Carfton took off a quiet Paul Telfer and replaced him for Gareth Whalley.

Anelka immediately showed why Christian Hjulsgaard was prepared to part with 11 and a half million pounds to secure his signature, firing a vicious shot from 26 yards and brining out a great save from Michael Oakes. In Leeds' next attack Anelka's pass led to Michael Bridges faking teeing up a shot and squaring the ball to David Batty. Batty unleashed a howler but his shot cannoned off the bar and almost split it with it's power.

It was a dry spell for Coventry and both teams tensed up at the end, not wanting to concede a late one and sending themselves out of the cup. Right at the death Coventry almost stole it. Chris Sutton played another fabulous one-two with Ray Parlour this time and Sutton himself had a chance to score. Firing from 8 yards he saw his shot saved amazingly by Shay Given who somehow managed to tip the ball over the ball after it had been drilled low and hard at him, fantastic save!

Joe Carfton, bad ankle and all, raced down from the stands to meet his boys in the dressing room. Christian Hjulsgaard had a look of contemplation on him as he led his boys down the tunnel, it was extra time and the chance for a golden goal in this spectacular game.

It seemed very clear what the tactics were for extra game from both sides, DO NOT CONCEDE AT ALL COSTS!! The attacking play died down as both sides seemed to edge towards a penalty shoot-out. The midfield became congested as both sides wanted to make sure it was the first, and last, line of defence. The meaty challenges also started to increase as both sides wanted to ensure the other could not get near their goal.

Eirik Bakke was booked along with Alan Stubbs as tensions rose and the gripping drama could be seen on both managers faces as they watched to see if the other would slip up.

The only real half-effort of the first half of extra time came when Anelka raced through to latch onto a pass from Eirik Bakke. The former French international scuffed his shot under pressure from both Matt Elliott and Razor Ruddock though and Michael Oakes plucked it out of the air easily.

The crowd, the managers, players, everyone could sense that SAS history would be made in it's first season, in it's first match, a shoot out was on the cards. Some players had other ideas yet though.

There were glimpses. There were chances. Could either side finish under the pressure though? The game plan seemed to change ever so slightly, defend at all costs but try and get that winner now!

In the 107th minute Brian Laudrup finally broke the Coventry defence and sped down the wing with everyone turning and hurrying to get back. Laudrup could only cross from his wide position when......all of a sudden.....Anelka came flying in and smashed the ball down with his head......the ball bounced, it had a lot of power on it.....too much! It bounced and went over the Coventry crossbar, Christian Hjulsgaard biting his lip in agony.

Then, back we went to the midfield battle when, once again it was Leeds who had a chance. Matt Elliott's lapse in concentration saw a loose pass intercepted by none other than Brian Laudrup. The Dane raced away towards the Coventry goal and was completely on his own. Slowing down and peeking over his shoulder, Laudrup realised the space he was in, on the edge of the area he was confronted by Michael Oakes. Laudrup shimmied one way, shimmied the other and went to his right, Oakes' left.....Oakes went down to tip the ball away from Laudrup and pulled the Dane down as he did! No penalty! The referee waved play on again and Leeds were absolutely furious. Laudrup and his team mates almost physically manhandled the referee and Laudrup was booked, for the second time! Leeds' terrible disciplinary record continues as Laudrup was off and it couldn't come at a worse time.

Leeds completely shut up shop after that and it seemed as though it was penalties. In the 119th minute, the last minute of extra time, Nicloas Anelka, very good since coming on, launched a 35-yard spectacular at the Sky Blues goal. Oakes scrambled to get there and half the stadium breathed a sigh of relief as it dropped just wide. The referee blew for full time soon after and it was decision time.

Leeds had clearly had the better of extra time and in all fairness should have had a penalty. Oakes should have been off and there should have been a much sooner end to the game. Christia Hjulsgaard looked frustrated as he and his opponent Joe Carfton started weighing up just who would have the responsibility of the match, and their sides tournament, on their shoulders.

After debating and lots of nodding on both sides, David Batty and Matt Elliott came together for the coin toss. It was later revealed that Batty won and elected for his side, Leeds United, to go second.

1st penalty for Coventry: Darren Eadie
The young star took a long hard look at the Leeds goal, the ref blew his whistle, a medium run-up......Eadie placed it to Given's right.....Given dived the right way.....too good! Eadie's penalty found the mark and Coventry got the first one out of the way.
GOAL: Leeds United 0-1 Coventry City

1st penalty for Leeds: Eirik Bakke
Bakke looked emotionless as he placed the ball on its spot. His run up was also medium length.....he glanced right.....Oakes saw.....Bakke placed it right.....Oakes moved right.....the ball blasted at Michael Oakes.....it was too powerful to stop, Bakke's job was done.
GOAL: Leeds United 1-1 Coventry City

2nd penalty for Coventry: Emile Heskey
Still bandaged, the brave Heskey looked completely composed as he placed the ball. Target of many clubs recently, the spotlight was on him now......he took a run up.....aimed right......got the keeper to dive right......placed it left delightfully with a lovely little touch, no problem. Cool as you like under pressure.
GOAL: Leeds United 1-2 Coventry City

2nd penalty for Leeds: Danny Mills
He had a good game for Leeds, needed the goal. Mills didn't look at the goal as he turned his back and turned round looking only at the ball. Ref blew his whistle.....Mills ran up.....blasted it straight......keeper already went right......into the back of the net!
GOAL: Leeds United 2-2 Coventry City

3rd penalty for Coventry: Gareth Whalley
Pressure on Whalley, he has not played in a match so big before. Looked nervous in his face as he set the ball down.....looked at goal.....glimpsed to the right......ran up.....pelted it right......Given guessed correctly.....just too much as Given got his fingertips to the ball but still an excellent penalty from someone under such pressure.
GOAL: Leeds United 2-3 Coventry City

3rd penalty for Leeds: Nicolas Anelka
�11.5m hanging over his shoulders, time to start paying some of that back. Anelka, chewing on gum, looked as cool as a cucumber out of the fridge. He placed the ball, never looked up except at the last.....shaped right.....Oakes went right.....turned his foot.....placed it left, easy. Similar to Heskey's penalty, very cool under pressure.
GOAL: Leeds United 3-3 Coventry City

4th penalty for Coventry: Matt Elliott
Captain marvellous has been one of SAS's best players this season. Gave Shay Given a good stare as he walked back to take his run up. Galloping forward.....weak connection.....placed very slightly to Given's left......the keeper got on top of it!......it slipped under! Elliott escaped. Poor penalty but it went in and they all count.
GOAL: Leeds United 3-4 Coventry City

4th penalty for Leeds: Titi Camara
The flamboyant Leeds star is already a fan favourite but should he miss this it would be damaging. Camara placed the ball, walked back, came forward and placed it again. Short run up.....went left.....top corner, no problem.....Oakes left standing.
GOAL: Leeds united 4-4 Coventry City

5th penalty for Coventry: Chris Sutton
Super game, but a bad season. If ever a penalty was needed to go in for a player's confidence, this was it. Sutton looked relaxed, placed it.....ran up......saw the keeper move slightly......lost concentration......Given dived right......Sutton blasted it straight......too much lift......it smacked against the crossbar and went high! The Leeds fans went mad with joy, Sutton looked at the goal and then went back to the centre circle to be consoled by his team mates.
MISS: Leeds United 4-4 Coventry City

5th penalty for Leeds: Michael Bridges
One of the most exciting prospects in SAS, a goal scoring record nearly unrivalled. The young talent looked slightly shaky, it would be the most important kick of his life so far. He lay the ball gently on the spot.....the referee blew his whistle.....Bridges ran up.....he chipped the ball into the centre of the goal cheekily.....Oakes was committed left.....he tryed to recover in time.....stretched out a hand.....almost, but, GOAL!
GOAL: Leeds United 5-4 Coventry City

The Leeds fans erupted into sheer pandemonium, Christian Hjulsgaard ran onto the pitch in delight. The players all went to Bridges, Coventry's went to Sutton. Leeds got their revenge for their Elland Road defeat with a win that takes them through to the SAS Cup Semi Finals. They deserved it on the day and finished up 5-4 penalty winners. Joe Carfton had a look of disappointment on his face but managed a smile for the camera, it was the right result won the wrong way.

Leeds United: Shay Given 6, Danny Mills 7, Martin Hiden 7, Justin Edinburgh 7, David Batty 8, Titi Camara 6, Stewart Castledine 6, David Hopkin 6 (Eirik Bakke 6), Brian Laudrup 8, Michael Bridges 6, Les Ferdinand 6 (Nicolas Anelka 7)

Coventry City: Michael Oakes 7, Steve Watson 6, Alessandro Pistone 7, Darren Eadie 6, Matt Elliott 7, Neil Ruddock 7, Alan Stubbs 6, Ray Parlour 6, Emile Heskey 6, Chris Sutton 8, Paul Telfer 6 (Gareth Whalley 6)

Star Man: Brian Laudrup - The most dangerous man on the pitch and before his unfortunate dismissal was always a danger. Ran Coventry ragged at times.

Star Man: Chris Sutton - Ironically the hero was also the villain. For 120 minutes he was consistent and worked his socks off. Excellent team work and fine passing but the pressure may have got to him when he was needed most.

Match Statistics
Leeds United	Versus	Coventry City
11	Shots on Goal	8
2	Corners	3
52%	Possession	48%
Batty Laudrup Bakke	Booked	Eadie Parlour Stubbs
0	Score (aet)	0
Sheringham 52	Scorers	Owen 83
Leeds United win 5-4 on penalties
Venue: SAS National Internet Stadium
Attendance: 74,490

The Soccer All Stars Millennium Stadium held almost a full house for what was one of the first ever SAS Cup Quarter Finals in history. Almost 53,000 made the trip to London to watch the fun as the real SAS Cup fever kicked in for the first time. Win and your through, lose and your out. Simple as that, no mathematical brain surgeons needed. There was no time for bad mistakes, no time for errors and no time to become complacent. It was knock out time and the question that burned was; Who had the killer punch? With extra time, golden goals and penalties to follow if necessary, you can't blame the crowd for conjuring up a tense atmosphere before kick-off.

A near packed Millennium Stadium though all had their eyes firmly on one man... Both Tottenham Hotspur and Blackburn Rovers fans pondered the big question; Would Michael Owen play? You can imagine the excitement of the Blackburn fans and even their players when the announcement went up that he wasn't starting the game. An almighty roar echoed around the ground from the Rovers fans, although that became all subdued when his name was read out on the substitutes bench. For the first time since fracturing his shin, Michael Owen could finally, after 2 weeks of being fully fit, make his first ever appearance for Tottenham Hotspur. Once those previous questions had been raised, a new one came along even quicker... Just when would Owen enter the fray? Tottenham, in a compromising position, knew, if they were in trouble throughout the game, Michael Owen could be the man to unlock the deadlock or bring them back into the game... We'd just have to see when and where it was going to happen.

As it happens, Blackburn Rovers had Darren Huckerby start the game after his shock move from White Hart Lane last week after a shock bust up with Spurs manager Brian Thompson. Hucks, seeking revenge had a point to prove today. With no goals this season the pacy forward wanted to make sure he let Tottenham know what they were missing. Jason Wilcox, who was part of the �3.5m package that saw Huckerby move to Ewood Park never even made the substitutes bench for today's game despite his brilliant form in recent weeks.

The Rovers fans were also delighted to see other new signings Marc Vivien Foe from West Ham and Andy Hunt, the most in-form striker in SAS at the moment both start. Hunt completed his move from Charlton Athletic over the weekend and formed an immediate debut partnership with Darren Huckerby. A gamble, that Satan Taggart was hoping would pay off.

With such an occasion and the pressure on, there was a danger that the football on show may lack the usual quality from either side. However, from today's game, you wouldn't have thought it. The football at times was too open it was almost surreal and the game flourished, rich in quality, high in chances, booming with entertainment, it was just a question of who would take their chances, and which team would win?

In the opening 10 minutes of this encounter there were four chances, three came Spurs way, one came Blackburn's. The 1st minute had the Blackburn Rovers' fans hearts placed firmly in their mouths as Ali Daei, so influential to the Tottenham attack hit the crossbar with a flying header. From a blitz of a five man attacking move Tottenham bombard the Rovers goal and a cross from Stephen Hughes on the left wing saw Daei rise above Christian Dailly and easily beat John Filan from almost the penalty spot. The bar denied him on this occasion though.

Only three minutes later Tottenham came surging forward again. Frank Lampard and Gareth Barry came through the middle of the park indulging in one-two's along the way and found Matt Jansen inside the Rovers penalty box. A chorus of boo's greeted the former Ewood Park hero and he almost made them pay for their taunts. With Stephane Henchoz right up his back he swiftly spun off his marker and curled a right-footed effort to the far post. Filan looked desperate as he stumbled across to try and make the save but completely missed and the ball dropped just wide of the post. The Spurs fans were suddenly voicing their appreciation and 'There's only one Brian Thompson' seemed to be screamed out more than sung.

Tottenham though, through their increasingly strong attacking methods found Blackburn equally impressive as they hurtled forward. Darren Huckerby, also greeted by boo's picked up the ball on the left hand side of the pitch from a Teddy Sheringham flick on. The former Spurs player turned around and drove forward past Jacob Laursen and into the edge of the penalty box... Cutting inside he shaped to shoot with his right foot and dummied as Martin Keown slid in for the challenge. This gave his time to shape up a shot again and this time it was Blackburn's turn to hit the post as Huckerby's shot cannoned off the near post with Epsen Baardsen well beaten.

Tottenham then came forward again an in the 10th minute completely tore Blackburn apart with a rippling passing move. Gareth Barry took the ball and raced forward before passing to Alan Thompson. Sitting deep, Thompson played a long pass out to the right wing and superb control from Rory Delap helped him move past a static Callum Davidson. Delap roared down the wing and pulled the ball back across the penalty box. With Frank Lampard, Matt Jansen and Stephen Hughes all in the penalty area, the three of them got in each others way and the ball eventually fell to Hughes who fired a weak snap shot at goal. Filan, quick to react pulled off a good save.

The football at times was quite frantic and Tottenham were really driving forward in numbers which Blackburn at times found very hard to deal with. The Spurs side had a solid midfield which suffocated Blackburn's and were also flying forward at every opportunity. However, the Rovers side also held their own threats as their three man attack force was unexpected by Spurs who found themselves with a lot more work to do at the back than anticipated.

Blackburn were playing a very attacking side and Teddy Sheringham came close to opening the deadlock with a wonderful piece of skill. With 22 minutes played Tottenham had just had an attack broken down that saw almost 8 of their players in the Blackburn goal mouth. A long clearance from Filan found the head of Sheringham who wonderfully trapped the ball with his right instep and turned to face goal. With 25 yards of space from him and goal it looked as if he was to shoot. Instead, with three on three, he cleverly chipped the ball over the back line and Andy Hunt was in. Hunt, composing himself was being quickly harassed by Martin Keown but still got a good shot in. An amazing reflex save from Epsen Baardsen denied him though and both managers on the sidelines were looking fairly tensed. Both teams could have grabbed two goals apiece at least, but as it was, it was still 0-0.

The only sour incident of the first half came between Frank Lampard and Marc Vivien Foe who clashed after a challenge. The former Hammers team-mates put their heads against one another's and it looked as though a fight would break out. The referee was quick in though to clean up the mess and die down any bad tempers and booked both players as a warning.

The rest of the first half was played in the same open and entertaining manner from either side. With chances galore falling to players, it was hard to believe that by half time no-one had capitalized on their efforts. Blackburn had a good opportunity on the counter attack in the 28th minute through Marc Vivien Foe. His shot though went just high whilst Spurs finished the half far more strongly. A golden chance for Frank Lampard was wasted when he scuffed a left foot shot from 20 yards and another chance in the 40th minute, which fell to Rory Delap was cleared off the goal line after a strike through a body of players seemed destined to go in.

It was a great opening 45 minutes, a lovely Cup atmosphere, although tense at times. However, if the game remained in the state it was in, surely, just surely, there would be goals to come. As the half time whistle went, both managers looked delighted not to be any goals down although Blackburn's Satan Taggart knew that with higher level opposition, his side would need to take their chances if they got them. Tottenham may have felt they should have been at least a goal up. They looked certain to score on many occasions and played with an element of danger in their attacks to Blackburn. The Rovers side looked frightened by the sheer speed and amount of bodies that came forward and often panically cleared their lines. However, the Spurs side had yet to find a way through and soon enough, many people, many fans and even many players pondered over whether Michael Owen would start the second half.

SAS Cup Quarter Final - HALF TIME

(Div 4) Blackburn Rovers 0-0 Tottenham Hotspur (Div 3)

It was crunch time in the second half. As the teams came out to an almighty roar, the fans were all looking to see if Michael Owen was to come on. As it was, he didn't. He remained on the bench and when he went for a short warm up only minutes into the second half, Owen fever soon caught on. Tottenham's fans were chanting his name and the sound of 'We want Owen, we want Owen' rippled through the stands.

Satan Taggart looked wide eyed at the chants. A gulp in his throat, he already had the likes of Ali Daei, Matt Jansen, Stephen Hughes, Frank Lampard and Alan Thompson to be dealing with. The addition of Michael Owen, for him and Blackburn, was certainly not a welcome one. Blackburn though defended superbly. Lee Carsley and Stephane Henchoz both made superb challenges on Ali Daei and Matt Jansen to deny them goal scoring opportunities as Tottenham once again flew forward.

Stephen Hughes, one of the stars of the season then had a good chance to score in the 52nd minute. The youngster broke though and skipped a challenge from Marc Vivien Foe. Playing the ball out to the wing to Ian Harte he was delighted to see the pull back come straight onto his left foot. Shaping up he blasted the ball from just inside the penalty box towards the top left corner of the goal. Filan, who looked no where near the ball on impact somehow darted across in mid air and beat the ball out with his hands. The save brought the whole crowd of their feet cheering their sides on and suddenly Blackburn were on the break. Garry Flitcroft scooped the ball and and sprinted out of the Blackburn area. A long ball up towards Teddy Sheringham was headed into the path of Darren Huckerby near the right wing. The youngsters pace flew past Gareth Barry and a pull back across the face of the goal found Andy Hunt from 8 yards out. A turn and strike saw his effort cannon off the underside of the bar and bounce back out to him with all the Tottenham players stranded. To Hunt's horror though, with an open goal staring him the face, the ball bounced too high for him and went over his head. Blackburn though were lucky to have Teddy Sheringham storming in and he blasted home as Baardsen tried to recover. The Division 4 side had the lead!

You could feel the excitement of the fans and even the players as the thoughts of winning and making the Semi Final's tingled through the Blackburn faithful. Could they do the unthinkable and beat Tottenham Hotspur? A side beaten just once this season and although with several draws to their name, this was knock out time in the SAS Cup and only winners and losers participated from now on.

Tottenham, whose manager Brian Thompson looked woefully shocked on the sideline produced a siege on the Blackburn goal mouth. Some courageous and at times lucky defending kept Blackburn a goal up until the 63rd minute. This was when the Tottenham fans, possibly for the first time this season, became impatient with their side. Tottenham were playing awesome, they looked menacing, they looked lethal, but they had no goals. The chant, that lasted a whole 8 minutes for Michael Owen was almost too much too bear for the crowd. Owen, who'd come out to warm up in the 65th minute was greeted by almighty roars and Satan Taggart and Blackburn knew that the time was drawing near and Michael Owen would soon be entered into the fray.

Their concentration seemed to slip and they were starting to look nervous and the crowds beat and chant for Michael Owen grew and grew. A bad pass from Carsley to Huckerby was well cut out by Jacob Laursen who found Delap with a long pass. Again, concentration levels were low as Davidson was again far too static and Delap raced around him. A deep cross found the head of Stephen Hughes and Filan just managed to keep the ball out with a one handed stop. It was a corner and 68 minutes of the clock when a thunderous roar came about as Brian Thompson approached the edge of the pitch with Michael Owen, stripped and ready by his side. It was time, or was it... Spurs manager Thompson waved away the referee thinking he was bringing Owen on for the corner and play continued. The cross came in and Filan caught well and the pressure died down for just a moment. A clearance from Filan again was won by Sheringham, having a brilliant game with Huckerby and a long effort from Huckerby almost found it's mark but was well caught by Baardsen. The 71st minute had now approached and with Spurs a goal down, Owen and Tottenham were kept waiting as the ball failed to go out of play for an entire 3 minutes. It did eventually and Blackburn's Callum Davidson will be remembered for the obscenities that blurted out of his mouth when he failed to control a deep pass that led the ball to go off for a throw. It was obvious they were trying to keep the ball on as long as possible and they did a good job.

Enter Michael Owen. 71 minutes had passed, Spurs a goal down and he replaced Matt Jansen for his debut. He looked excited as he crossed the white line and entered the pitch. Tottenham looked excited to and their fans went haywire with celebrations. It was almost as if he'd already scored the equaliser! Blackburn and Satan Taggart looked worried and their hearts and souls were gone in the 72nd minute for brief moments. Frank Lampard found the ball deep in midfield and simply played the ball through the heart of the defence and they nervously slipped about all over the place trying to stop the through ball... They couldn't and who popped up to latch onto it? Michael Owen, with 30 yards to go picked up on the ball and stormed through as the crowd exploded. He was composed and Filan closed the angle down quickly as Owen left the defence eating his dust... A cool look up and placing his shot he curled the ball around Filan from outside the box with his right foot. The ball floated with pace and seemed to take an age, it was Owen's first touches of the ball. Filan looked around and could only watch with the rest of his team and the ball hit the inside of the right post and bounced along the line and struck the other post and came out!!! Filan pounced immediately though as Owen closed in and scuffled his body over the ball. They'd survived! Michael Owen puffed his cheeks and Brian Thompson clenched his fist at the miss. They were unlucky and still couldn't believe they were a goal down.

Tottenham though had raised their game that little bit more since the arrival of Owen. It was that inspiration they needed to lift them that little bit more they needed. Owen, lethal in presence again caused absolute mayhem in the 77th minute. The Rovers players scared of his pace backed off him allowing him room to run and he almost punished them. A superb dart took him away from both Dailly and Foe and as Henchoz approached him in the penalty box, it looked as though he'd run past him and shoot but instead, he cleverly pulled Henchoz in and square'd to Ali Daei who somehow put his shot wide with the goal and John Filan gaping at him!

It just didn't seem to be like Tottenham's day when they scored in the 81st minute. Michael Owen again involved causing problems with his pace was hacked down by Stephae Henchoz. Yellow card and no questions asked. Ian Harte whipped the ball around the wall and into the back of the net, 1-1... Not so... The referee had adjudged that Ian Harte had taken the free-kick too quickly despite the wall and keeper well in place. Harte was fuming and booked for his protests and Brian Thompson had to be calmed down by assistant manager Sammy McLintock.

The frustration seemed to boil over on several other players from Tottenham who were all calmed down by captain Frank Lampard, also on a yellow card. The fans were annoyed but had another chance as the free-kick had to be retaken. This time it was Alan Thompson and he went so close it was unreal! The ball for 85% of his strike looked a certain goal but swirled just over. Unbelievable and Thompson sank to his knee's with the miss!

Tottenham looked demoralised. They couldn't find the net but were playing so well and attacking with so much force and vengeance. Another day and we would have seen a repeat of the 8-1 crushing they gave Watford earlier in the season. It wouldn't have been too far off. Blackburn, who played marvellously well on the day were hanging on by a thread and they could hardly offer an attack for the last 25 minutes of the second half.

The pressure was so great is soon cracked. The man that did it was the man that took all the euphoria and hype before he even came onto the field. Michael Owen, in the 83rd minute of the game clawed his side a goal from the tightest of situations. Rory Delap got down the right wing and managed to squeeze a ball across the face of the box, Daei and Henchoz went for it, the ball ricocheted off them and Michael Owen, near the penalty spot pounced with a sliding shot across the floor that hit the back of the next before anyone could react. Tottenham and their fans exploded! It was like a carnival with cheers and chants booming out from the stadium and Michael Owen stormed over to Brian Thompson and almost flattened his manager as he leapt all over him.

There was only one team in it now and Tottenham looked like the only side who were going to win this game and again they forced themselves forward at every opportunity. Michael Owen seemed to cause absolute havoc whenever he picked up the ball and Blackburn had no answer to his pace or presence. However, Satan Taggart's men held on strong. They've been superb all season and managed to squeeze the game into extra time and golden goals. They looked exhausted though at the final whistle as they balanced themselves to be equipped as Tottenham came at them.

Despite not getting the job done in 90 minutes, Tottenham were delighted to be back in the game and at 1-1, it looked as though they were the stronger of the two sides. Surely Tottenham would go on to win via a golden goal. The pressure they put on Blackburn at times was silly. The remaining 30 minutes were all about fitness levels and who was in the right frame of mind?

The opening period of the first half of extra time started in the fashion expected. With Spurs adrenalin running high they flooded Blackburn down the wings and had several crossed being pinged into the box. Ian Harte and Stephen Hughes caused most problems down the left and twice Frank Lampard and Alan Thompson headed freely over the crossbar. With 96 minutes on the clock, Tottenham looked in complete control. However, things turned sour very quickly when both Frank Lampard and Stephane Henchoz collided when going up for a ball. Lampard insisted Henchoz had pulled his shirt and pushed the player in the face. Henchoz, angered by Lampard's actions kicked him up the backside as he walked off causing him to turn back and they began to argue. The referee intervened and sent off both Lampard and Henchoz via a double yellow card for both players.

With the sides down to 10 men each, it was questionable to how they would then play on from here. It was the ringing bell for Tottenham to suddenly switch off the attacking and take precaution as well as Blackburn and the first half of extra time soon fizzled out and it ended at 1-1 with the golden goal rule still hovering around them. Michael Owen looked slightly a little tired as the half ended, purely as it was his first action in a long time.

Blackburn actually finished the half on a stronger note with Darren Huckerby causing problems with his electric pace. However he fluffed a shot and Andy Hunt has a half decent header easily saved by Epsen Baardsen.

SAS Cup Quarter Final - End of First Half Extra Time

(Div 4) Blackburn Rovers 1-1 Tottenham Hotspur (Div 3)

With the second half of extra time spurning upon the too tired sides, you may have thought that fresh legs would have been brought on to compensate. They never arrived! Blackburn didn't make any changes throughout the game and Teddy Sheringham dropped into the midfield and Foe into the defence to cater for the sending off whilst Tottenham seemed to be happy to switch to almost a 3-4-2 formation.

The game was still being played at a frantic pace and the 109th minute provided the biggest scare for Blackburn. Michael Owen once again used his pace to penetrate the Rovers defence but saw a shot well parried by John Filan. Alan Thompson, storming through blasted over from 22 yards after. A disappointing miss but Tottenham still had the majority of the play.

Andy Hunt and Darren Huckerby linked well only minutes later which saw Huckerby's shot skim just past the post and wide. The game was wearing on and the teams were noticeably tired but managed to keep the spirits up on either side. As the game wore down and the final whistle went, it was penalties...

120 minutes of football had yet to decide a winner but Tottenham, who were still in high spirits at the end, knew that possibly they should have won. Blackburn though weren't out. They'd held on fantastically and should they win via the penalty shoot-out there was no doubt they deserved credit.

Tottenham Hotspur won the toss first and they instructed Blackburn to take the first set of penalty kicks when the most bizarre of incidents happened in the Millennium Stadium. Satan Taggart, on the pitch had ordered his penalty takers, Darren Huckerby, Andy Hunt, Teddy Sheringham, Lee Carsley and Marc Vivien Foe. Foe though refused to take the penalty and a full row escalated on the pitch before Jason McAteer finally took the responsibility instead. Taggart, so enraged by Foe, sent him off to the showers!

Tottenham looked calm and composed and had their men prepared. Michael Owen, Rory Delap, Ian Harte, Alan Thompson and Ali Daei.

1st penalty for Blackburn: Darren Huckerby
What a moment. A penalty, a vital penalty, against his former employee's of a week ago. Without a goal this season the pressure was on Hucks to score. He stepped up and drove to the 'keepers left sending him the wrong way, good goal.
GOAL: Blackburn Rovers 1-0 Tottenham Hotspur

1st penalty for Tottenham: Michael Owen
Wow, a debut goal, an equaliser, what would he do now? His penalty was reminiscent to his World Cup one against Argentina in the World Cup of '98. In of the left hand angle, keeper no chance.
GOAL: Blackburn Rovers 1-1 Tottenham Hotspur

2nd penalty for Blackburn: Andy Hunt
A good debut and he looked confident when he stepped up to take the penalty. He struck to Baardsen's left and.... SAVED BY BAARDSEN!!!
SAVED: Blackburn Rovers 1-1 Tottenham Hotspur

2nd penalty for Tottenham: Rory Delap
Rory Delap, one of the most consistent Spurs players this season and with a goal to his name. The manager reckons he doesn't score enough. Perhaps the pressure was too much from the spot then? Apparently not, Delap drove down the center, the keeper dived to his right and it was 2-1 Spurs.
GOAL: Blackburn Rovers 1-2 Tottenham Hotspur

3rd penalty for Blackburn: Teddy Sheringham
Incredible pressure on the former Spurs player. The fans booed him hugely but they were soon silenced by a well taken strike from Shezza. He curled the ball to the right and it swerved back in before beating Filan's dive. Great penalty, pick of the bunch so far.
GOAL: Blackburn Rovers 2-2 Tottenham Hotspur

3rd penalty for Tottenham: Ian Harte
A penalty expert... Would he use his expertise to the maximum extent possible? He stepped up, looked cool but didn't feel so cool after! His penalty hit the underside of the crossbar before just sneaking in past Filan's legs... A fortunate goal and for a moment Tottenham were speechless...
GOAL: Blackburn Rovers 2-3 Tottenham Hotspur

4th penalty for Blackburn: Lee Carsley
A good battling performance, needed a goal as the pressure was beginning to mount on the team. A miss was unthinkable. A deep breath, head down, he ran up and struck low to the keepers right... Bad idea.... Baardsen got down and saved with his legs!
SAVED: Blackburn Rovers 2-3 Tottenham Hotspur

4th penalty for Tottenham: Alan Thompson
The excitement buzzed around Thompson who'd already missed a penalty this season. He looked a little nervous as he stepped up for the spot kick. A goal would put Blackburn out... What would it be?... He struck with power to the right of the goal and Filan flung himself across.... He got a hand to the ball.... but.... couldn't keep it out! It was in and Tottenham had won!!!
SAVED: Blackburn Rovers 2-4 Tottenham Hotspur

Quite simply an amazing finish to a sensational SAS Cup Quarter Final. Tottenham had won on penalties by 4 goals to 2. However, some may be mistaking that for a final score line that could have been into double figures. Both sides played superb, Blackburn were obviously very, very upset but now have �3m in the bank to console themselves. Tottenham march onto the SAS Cup Semi Final, they are looking a good bet to win the competition and the fans, who were still chanting Michael Owen's name at the end were delighted. For Brian Thompson, this will be a day long remembered. It has seen the end of Blackburn and will soon see the end of whoever else gets on the end of their beatings which they've so enjoyed handing out this season.

Both managers shook hands gracefully at the end. It was sad to see a loser. Nobody likes it, Blackburn certainly didn't but their fans still applauded them as if they'd won

Blackburn Rovers: John Filan 9, Jason McAteer 8, Callum Davidson 7, Christian Dailly 8, Stephane Henchoz 8, Garry Flitcroft 8, Teddy Sheringham 9, Lee Carsley 8, Darren Huckerby 9, Andy Hunt 7, Marc Vivien Foe 8

Tottenham Hotspur: Espen Baardsen 8, Jacob Laursen 8, Martin Keown 8, Gareth Barry 8, Rory Delap 8, Frank Lampard 8, Alan Thompson 8, Ian Harte 8, Stephen Hughes 8, Matt Jansen 7 (Michael Owen 9), Ali Daei 8

Star Man: Teddy Sheringham - Simply sensational for Blackburn. Experienced head, knew what he was doing and caused problems. Darren Huckerby and John Filan came close, but Shezza and his goal shaved it.

Star Man: Michael Owen - It had to be... He was Man of the Match before he came on to the sound of the Spurs fans. His presence got them the lift they needed, he scored the important goal to get them back into the game and topped the afternoon off with a penalty.

Match Statistics
Blackburn Rovers	Versus	Tottenham Hotspur
8	Shots on Goal	20
6	Corners	11
47%	Possession	53%
Henchoz	Booked	Lampard Harte
1	Score (aet)	1
Sheringham 52	Scorers	Owen 83
Tottenham Hotspur win 4-2 on penalties
Venue: SAS Millennium Internet Stadium
Attendance: 52,854

An explosive SAS Cup Quarter Final occasion took place with two sides that at the beginning of the season were relegation candidates of their respective Divisions. How things change. In the space of a couple of months Bradford City's Buck Hysen and Ipswich Town's Doctor Olivier Cadin have sensationally turned their teams around on tight budgets and gotten themselves within shouts of promotion. The remarkable achievements by both managers were clearly illustrated today as they clashed for the first time in the history of SAS. One of the teams had to unfortunately make an exit from the SAS Cup today, but which would it be? Bradford, chasing glory under Hysen are some people's favourites to land the SAS Cup, Ipswich on the other hand must be the underdogs of the competition. They though, will not be underestimated with fine wins this season against the likes of Middlesbrough, who are also SAS Cup Quarter Finalists.

Bradford's week has been dogged by the news that their number one goalkeeper Gary Walsh was offered a bribe to throw the match. Two Chinese men offered the former Manchester United 'keeper �20,000 to throw the game. The pressure on him to perform was now at sky high levels as he and everyone in the football world kept their eyes peeled for anything that looked remotely dodgy.

Ipswich Town, Dr Olivier Cadin... A legend at Portman Road. However, Cadin is reportedly still upset with the Board for not releasing any funds for new transfer signings. The unrest could have a reversed affect on his side and only a win would ensure even more money would be eventually made available. It was a tough day for Ipswich. They knew that a defeat would see cash quickly boosted into the club, which is highly needed according to Cadin, a win however, means they won't get a penny of prize money from the Board until they are either knocked out or win the competition.

The game was incredibly tight and so close too. However, the opening 4 minutes cast a serious doubt over the future of some men in the professional game. With both teams wanting victory, Ian Wright of Ipswich Town gave his side a wonderful 4th minute lead, although the manner of which the goal was scored left a horrifying effect on the rest of the game. With the fans in full flight Wright picked up a deep pass and was with his back to goal from 30 yards. Running directly at the defence he was confronted quickly by Frank Sinclair but then veered off away from the goal. Sinclair backed off allowing him time and space and suddenly Wright, from 25 yards struck a fairly simple shot with little accuracy but some power towards goal. A standard save was required and Gary Walsh made the worst possible blunder he could ever imagine. It looked as though he would catch the ball with ease but he flapped at it and let it slip through his hands in the air and was seen jumping back into the net as he scrambled to stop the ball going in... He couldn't... he could only help the ball on it's way into the net and Ipswich had an amazing 1-0 lead.

However, despite the mistake, Walsh collided with the post in his effort to save his obvious embarrassment. He needed treatment for a badly wounded eye and although he played on with a large lump, he would have wished he didn't. The entire set of Bradford City supporters turned on their keeper! They chanted abuse, they chanted 'judas', 'cheat' and other horrible things and Walsh was almost in tears by the 10th minute of the game. They were convinced he let the goal in and Bradford's bench looked extremely concerned.

Buck Hysen, with his cast around his wrist looked as though he wasn't sure if his man was innocent and Gary Walsh just looked miserable and nervous from thereon and it nearly cost Hysen's men so dearly. The matters got worse when Bradford City supporters started throwing objects onto the pitch and directed at Gary Walsh who looked as though he was in for a very rough afternoon for all sides. However, Buck Hysen, on the sideline, signaled to him as if to ask if he wanted to come off or not but the former Manchester United keeper refused and demanded to be left on the field of play. To make matters worse, Bradford didn't even have a second choice keeper on the substitute's bench which Hysen only realised when checking to see who was there. A grit of the teeth and clench of the fist said it all... He didn't look happy with the situation... There could have been many reasons for that. Either he felt he was guilty or felt his keeper wouldn't be able to perform in the circumstances around him...

As the 14th minute approached Ipswich very nearly went 2-0 up when another long effort from Craig Bellamy from 30 yards was completely fumbled by the keeper and the crowd were having a field day. Was he just plain nervous over the allegations in the week? Or did he accept the bribe? The horrific taunts of 'Judas, Judas' echoed out around the SAS National Internet Stadium and the referee was forced to call the players OFF THE FIELD of play and into the dressing room area as Gary Walsh was hit with missiles from the Bradford section. It was a horrible site as Walsh started to cry and the players had to quickly escort him off the field.

It was mayhem for several minutes with the teams inside and the tannoy announcer asked the crowd to calm down or the game would be postponed. Bradford City though were not listening and continued to barrack chants of abuse towards Gary Walsh despite the missiles from the crowd being stopped. Within several minutes a legion of 300 police crammed around the sides of the pitch in case of a pitch invasion or anymore troubles. The delay lasted 15 minutes but with the teams still inside. The tannoy announcer then announced the teams would return to the pitch and that was greeted by boo's from the Bradford fans and cheers from the Ipswich ones.

It was a crazy sight to see and nobody could have thought something as bizarre as that would have happened. It was hard to tell whether Gary Walsh had let the goal in or not but it could have happened to anybody. As the teams took to the field of play again it was Ipswich Town's corner from the re-start and Ian Wright went over to Gary Walsh and gave him a confidence booster... The cross was due to come in from Steve Lomas but again, missiles, despite the police surrounding the pitch area, were aimed towards the goals and Steve Lomas was struck. This caused the referee to again call the players back into the changing rooms.

It was mayhem as the fans screamed out their abuse and 'Cheat Cheat Cheat Cheat' rung out around the stadium Horrific scenes then followed as the sides that are Alliance partners got involved with one another and soon enough crowd trouble erupted and fighting began on the terraces. They were terrible scenes and the police was called upon and 200 more police officers had come into the stands area armed with helmets, shields and batons. Unfortunately these items were used in all of the worse fighting areas of the ground. Eventually, 15 minutes later everything was calmed down and at least 150 Bradford City and Ipswich fans were removed from the stadium. The tannoy announcer spoke briefly before the players came back out and warned that anymore misbehaviour, anymore fights, anymore objects being thrown onto the pitch, then the game would be abandoned. The crowd took this on board this time and the teams finally returned after almost 30 minutes of stop and starting.

The corner, once again taken by Steve Lomas, was whipped into the penalty box and Gary Walsh amazingly caught well with both hands and fell to the floor clutching the ball tightly. The Bradford fans went ballistic with sarcastic cheers and Walsh was left shaking his head as he booted the ball up the field. The game, which had already stopped twice had an effect on the football in the first half. The players seemed to lose their rhythm and tactical play and opted for hit and hope passes. It wasn't at all pretty and the game just went out of hand with tackles suddenly flying in from all corners.

There were bookings for Angelo Di Livio, Andy Roberts, Darren Peacock and Lee Morris as some late challenges caused more tension amongst the spectators.

Half time was soon approaching and both teams had hugely disappointed in the first half. Bradford hadn't gotten a single shot on target and Mikkel Beck and Fabrizio Ravanelli were both being well marked out of the game. Likewise, Ipswich's Ian Wright and Lee Morris found it very difficult to get past a stubborn Bradford defence. As the whistle went and the teams went in for the break, the Bradford fans cried out with more boo's and they certainly let Gary Walsh know what they thought of him. Incredible drama and still 45 minutes to play for.

SAS Cup Quarter Final

(Div 2) Bradford City 0-1 Ipswich Town (Div 4)

The second half saw two sides come out looking completely different in contrast to the first. They were here to play football and not become involved in a war and made sure that they were professional on the job at all times. The two managers obviously had stern words at the interval and they took this out onto the pitch.

Bradford turned on the style in the opening 15 minutes of the half and showed why they are fast becoming one of the most feared and recognised teams in SAS today. Angelo Di Livio, pelting up the wing in the 49th minute found Ravanelli with his back to goal who played in Attlillio Lombardo on the right hand side. The Italian maestro curled in a peach of a cross and a header from Mikkel Beck was superbly saved by Shaka Hislop. The first piece of work he'd done all day!

Just minutes later he was called into action again. Gary Speed linked well with Noel Whelan who struck a blistering strike from 24 yards which Hislop could only beat out and then let Craig Short clear up the mess. Ipswich were being tested well by Bradford whose passing at times was although simple but very, very effective. Noel Whelan was playing another blinder in the middle of the park and although he was often closed down fast, he was the key to whether Bradford were going to get back into the game.

Whelan, in the 54th minute showed immaculate touch as he brought down a long ball from Dean Blackwell. Moving the ball in front of himself he looked like he was going to shoot but played in Ravanelli with Darren Peacock hot on his heels. The former Magpies defender wasn't able to stop Ravanelli get his shot in but Ipswich escaped as the ball hit the post and went off for a goal kick from 17 yards.

Ipswich though again caused problems with long range efforts. There was too cases for them basically. The first, Bradford were defending well enough to give them little chance to get near their goal from their counter attacks and the second, well after all the problems in the first half, why not have a shot at Gary Walsh?

Lee Morris fired in a good strike from 25 yards and Gary Walsh had to get a hand on it to push it over the crossbar and the fans, again, cheered with huge sarcasm and Walsh's face just dropped a mile. The corner though, in the 59th minute caused mayhem for Bradford and their fans. A cross was whipped in with pace and Daryll Powell rose in the centre of the goal unmarked to nut his header goal wards. A goal surely? No, a brilliant reflex save from Gary Walsh denied him from almost all of 4 yards. With such power it seemed destined to go in and for once the Bradford fans were silenced from the keepers efforts. Walsh saved again two minutes later when Wright had a good shot from the edge of the area plucked out and for the first time in the game, a small section of the fans gave him applause but there were still many jeering him.

Bradford though weren't out of this tie yet and they got the goal they were looking for in the 70th minute of the game. Noel Whelan, so inspirational, was again the man for Bradford to open the scoring. Lombardo magnificently tricked his way past Manuel Thetis and Fabian Wilnis on the right wing before crossing into the box and Noel Whelan, from 19 yards out, thundered a volley into the roof of the net for 1-1! The fans were for once cheering for the right reasons and Bradford deserved their second half goal.

Ipswich though still strung together some very good counter attacking moves but were often blocked out well by Bradford who looked tactically better than their opponents on the day. They attacked well too and although their strikes were tightly marked, the rest of the team did the job they had to, to ensure they got back into the game.

Paul Merson soon came on for Attillio Lombardo, despite the Italian having a good game. He slotted onto the right hand side and again, his trickery caused problems for Ipswich and he hit the crossbar with a blistering looping volley from the edge of the right hand side of the penalty area in the 76th minute.

As the game approached the final whistle it remained to be seen who was going to take the win. Bradford were defensively very sound and in the 90th minute, a back pass to Gary Walsh seemed simple and he had to to clear up the field but fluffed his effort and it went straight to Craig Bellamy with the goal completely open. Bellamy, 35 yards from goal struck the ball hard and Walsh was stranded but then delighted to see the ball hit the top of the crossbar before going over. Bellamy and Cadin held their heads in their hands, Walsh looked amazed and once again the Bradford fans turned on him and as the final whistle blew, the barricade of abusive chants directed at Walsh was incredibly fierce.

The extra time and burden of golden goals and penalties had hit both teams by surprise. More so, Bradford City who hadn't expected the game to drag on this long. They didn't seem mentally nor tactically prepared and despite finishing the game on a high, it was Ipswich who dominated the extra time completely.

The superb defensive and concentration display shown by Bradford throughout the 90 minutes had suddenly evaporated and Ipswich were all over them as their counter attacks paid off. Lee Morris latched onto a Lomas pass and struck just over in the 93rd minute and a superb header from Morris in the 96th minute was goal bound but for a clearance off the line from Frank Sinclair.

Ipswich played their best football here and a corner in the 99th minute of the game almost produced a goal. A fast ball in saw Darren Peacock rise unmarked for a clear header at goal which slipped through the hands of Gary Walsh and hit the crossbar before coming back out! The chants of 'cheat' were soon emerging again as Walsh danced with danger at his errors.

Then the moment of truth came in the 103rd minute of the game. A sublime passing move saw Ian Wright and Lee Morris rip Dean Blackwell and Lee Todd to shreds and Todd could only bring down Morris just inside the penalty area.... The referee paused and then.... awarded a penalty! The Ipswich fans were going haywire on the terraces and Bradford's just looked pretty fed up. Gary Walsh had to stop Ian Wright and he knew anything other than a save meant his future would be in considerable doubt.

Wright, with his hands on his hips weighed up his options and went for a strike to Walsh's left. The ball moved with pace and power and somehow Walsh got across in time and stopped the ball with BOTH hands!!!! The Bradford fans were in fits of cheers and almost tears as they saw a white faced Walsh get to his feet and suddenly pump the ball downfield. Everyone was asleep at the back for Ipswich and suddenly Mikkel Beck broke away and found himself one on one with Hislop! A fine strike was stunningly saved by Hislop's foot but Noel Whelan wasn't picked up and he fired into an empty net and Bradford ran away 2-1 winners through the golden goal!!!

Dr Olvier Cadin looked stunned on the sidelines. He was just within a whisker of making the SAS Cup Semi Final's and then suddenly he and his troops were out. They went with their heads held high and proved they were capable of playing very well and matching the best at times.

Hysen and Cadin embraced at the end. There were no hard feelings despite all the controversy surrounding the game. He went onto the field where Gary Walsh was being lifted by the other players into the air. His astonishing penalty save kept them in the tournament and for the first time in the whole match, the Bradford fans sang 'There's only one Gary Walsh!'

Bradford City: Gary Walsh 7, Lee Todd 6, Angelo Di Livio 7, Frank Sinclair 7, Dean Blackwell 7, Andy Roberts 7, Attillio Lombardo 8 (Paul Merson 8), Noel Whelan 9, Fabrizio Ravanelli 7, Mikkel Beck 7, Gary Speed 7.

Ipswich Town: Shaka Hislop 7, Manuel Thetis 7, Fabian Wilnis 7, Craig Short 7, Spencer Prior 7, Darren Peacock 7, Craig Bellamy 7, Daryll Powell 7, Ian Wright 8, Lee Morris 8, Steve Lomas 7.

Star Man: Lee Morris - Worked so hard, came out with nothing... He'll feel so hard done by. Good performance from the youngster and Cadin will be pleased.

Match Statistics
Bradford City	Versus	Ipswich Town
14	Shots on Goal	12
9	Corners	8
51%	Possession	49%
Di Livio Roberts	Booked	Peacock Morris
2	Score (aet)	1
Whelan (2) 70, 104 (GG)	Scorers	Wright 4
Bradford City win 2-1 via the Golden Goal
Venue: SAS National Internet Stadium
Attendance: 69,843

The fans turned out in numbers for what was one of the most intriguing games so far this season on paper. There was no doubt that Middlesbrough, with one of the best records in SAS, were favourites against Division 3 Everton who have lost their way a bit in recent weeks after such a superb start to the season.

Middlesbrough are having a glorious campaign. Flying high and heading for Division 2 glory, they are one of the favourites for the cup too and have every chance of doing an historic double. Manager Nick Matthews has been widely praised this season and despite many questions about the strength in depth of his squad, so far he has answered them all as Middlesbrough continue to get the results. In contrast, Long Ball has been widely criticised for his outburst following the Tottenham cup defeat and since then his side have struggled in comparison to how they started off the campaign. 4 points behind the top two in Division 3, the cup is beginning to look like Everton's best chance for glory and having won Group C ahead of their arch rivals, Long Ball and his men were keen to show they could continue that form by advancing even further.

This was a battle of tactics and both managers made some very intelligent tactical moves to try and exploit and expose the other. The game was fashioned to be a battle for midfield might and a lot of the possession for both sides was in the centre of the park. It would no doubt be time for the likes of Tim Sherwood and Emmanuel Petit to prove themselves in the centre stage of SAS.

As the teams came out at the start of the match they were looking composed and ready for battle. Nick Matthews and Long Ball looked focused too and watched as their sides warmed up for a potentially thrilling encounter.

When the whistle was eventually blown to begin, it didn't take long for the game's first incident, only 15 seconds actually. Paul Gascoigne picked up the ball and before he had time to decide what to do Tim Sherwood was on him quickly. Gascoigne touched it past Sherwood nicely but he was cynically put down by the Everton midfielder in a blatant foul. After taking a couple of seconds to decide, the referee decided to book Tim Sherwood as Gazza lay face down on the ground. Gazza went off to recieve medical attention and Middlesbrough played on with 10 men for a few minutes while Gascoigne was off. Fortunately the former England great soon came back although he was hobbling slightly.

It took 7 minutes for the first clear cut chance. After dispossessing Robbie Stockdale, Dean Gordon surged forward. He squared it to Emmanuel Petit instead of crossing and the former Arsenal man floated a beautiful ball across the area....Kevin Gallacher came in and met it ferociously with his head but the ball bounce just past the post, a good chance though.

Everton's tactics weren't paying off too well in the first half. They constantly found themselves outnumbered in the centre of midfield and even Tim Sherwood, one of the players of the season, was struggling to contain Gazza and co. In the 13the minute, Gascoigne picked up the ball on the half way line, after passing to Kevin Gallacher he continued his run and was nudged off balance by Tim Sherwood as he ran past him. Gallacher played the ball forward back to Gascoigne and the Boro midfielder got his balance back and launched a 26 yard shot before Slaven Bilic could close him down.....Steve Simonsen had to be at his best as he pushed the ball away for a corner. One thing was clear though, Gazza was on form.

As time ticked on, the game moved into it's midfield domination role. Everton were looking weaker and Robbie Stockdale and Alan Rogers had to adjust and move in field more to cope with Gascoigne, Petit and Gallacher. Long range efforts from Gallacher and Robbie Mustoe drifted wide but it was clear who was in control. In frustration, Robbie Stockdale was booked after a third late challenge, this time on Petit.

Everton manager could see things weren't working out as he planned and his forwards were just not getting the service they needed from midfield. Georgi Kinkladze started dropping very deep just to see more of the ball and put in a couple of rash challenges himself. In the 32nd minute, Middlesbrough made the best passing move of the match. Oleg Luzhny picked up a loose ball and looked to launch it upfield with Peter Ndluvu flying in to charch it down. Luzhny cheekily just played the ball in front of him and skipped past before unleashing a thunderous ball cross field. It was a spectacular pinpoint pass down the other side of the pitch and Robbie Mustoe chested the ball down. Mustoe played the ball square to Gascoigne who sent the ball through, past two Everton defenders to Davor Suker. Suker's backed the ball to Gascoigne and as he looked set to shoot he instead dummied the ball to Robbie Mustoe who eluded Alan Rogers and crept in behind the Everton centre backs. Mustoe charged down on goal and placed the ball to Simonsen's left from inside the box. Simonsen got the slightest of touches and the ball went past the post, unlucky Middlesbrough again.

To their credit, Everton got into the game more at the end of the first half and just began to show signs that they were going to give Middlesbrough a game. Everton made a great passing move themselves in the 40th minute when Sherwood fed Nick Barmby and he played in Lee Mills. Mills sent a wicked pass across the area for Peter Ndluvu but the African hesitated slightly and his shot just clipped the angle of the goal from 14 yards.

As the half time whistle was blown it had been a good first half of football. Nick Matthews was undoubtedly the happier manager but Long Ball will have seen at the end of the half that his side were starting to come back into the match.

SAS Cup Quarter Final - HALF TIME

(Div 3) Everton 0-0 Middlesbrough (Div 2)

It was the Merseysiders who then came out with more intent in the second half. Long Ball must have given them a bit of a bashing in the locker rooms because his side almost threatened to run riot in the opening 25 minutes of the half and Middlesbrough were completely over-run.

Everton upped the tempo and turned defence into attack wonderfully with some stunning counter strikes. Robbie Stockdale and Alan Rogers began to wake up from hibernation it seemed and the forward men of Everton finally got the service they needed. A few minutes after the restart Kinkladze weaved his magic and he left Robbie Mustoe and Colin Copper for dead as he broke into the box. Forced wide by Colin Hendry he managed to still float a beautiful cross into the centre of the box....Mark Schwarzer hesitated, he came and then went back....Lee Mills came in and rocketed the ball at goal but Schwarzer produced a fantastic reaction save and tipped the ball over, it was a diamond studded opportunity.

Everton were rampant and Schwarzer had to make up for some bad defending with excellent saves to keep Boro in the match, and in the cup! Everton continued to surge forward and defensive errors from Colin Hendry and then Colin Cooper gave Everton two shooting opportunities. First Kinkladze's shot drifted high and then Peter Ndluvu brought the best out of Mark Schwarzer as he forced the Middlesbrough keeper to make another magnificent diving save at full stretch. Gary Pallister was booked for a hefty challenge on Ndluvu in the 61st minute.

Everton made a double substitution in the 65th minute. Kevin Campbell and Jody Morris were brought on for Lee Mills and Nick Barmby and the subs both had chances soon to give their side the lead. In the 68th minute Jody Morris picked up the ball from David Unsworth and turned Gary Pallister inside out. Morris shot from the edge of the box and his shot smacked against the post, rebounding wide and allowing Middlesbrough to clear. Less than a minute later Alan Rogers crossed from the left after fine work from Morris again and Kevin Campbell met his header full on! The old Arsenal hitman was dismayed to see his effort also cannon off the post and go wide for a goal kick.

Just when things were all Everton, Middlesbrough came back into the game. Gascoigne spouted verbal encouragement at his players and the old genius started to dazzle as he did in the first half. Gacoigne started sending passes all over the shop and he twice played Davor Suker in but the Croat was twice denied by excellent challenges, first from Unsworth and then from David Weir.

Gscoigne himself had a shot deflected off David Unsworth and go off for a corner in the 79th minute. Gazza went over to take it and he whipped a curling ball into the thick of things in the middle of the box. Colin Hendry, up from the back, powered a header at Steve Simonson who saved with his legs. Unfortunately for Everton the ball dropped sweetly for Kevin Gallacher wgho tapped the ball into the net with 10 minutes remaining for a priceless lead. The travelling Middlesbrough fans went wild and Nick Matthews jumped off his seat and punched the air.

Long Ball was furious. His side had dominated the second half and then conceded a careless goal that could have been cleared. He ordered his men to get forward more as Everton went in search of a goal to keep their SAS Cup hopes alive.

In the 84th minute Kevin Campbell created a chance for himself out of nothing. he picked up the ball at his feet just outside the box and moved to his right before going left and fooling Colin Cooper. He took one more touch and fired a powerful drive at goal. Once again, to Everton's frustration, the ball smacked against the woodwork and went off, Campbell cursed the ground in agony.

In the 86th minute Everton had their chance to score. They broke up a Middlesbrough attack and once again hit them on the counter attack. Jody Morris sped away down the right and it was three on three. With the Middlesbrough defenders struggling for pace Morris whipped a ball into the middle of the box from wide and Pallister and Hendry were left watching the ball as they were beaten by the accuracy of Morris's pass. It found Kevin Campbell in the middle who hit it first time at goal....the ball was rising and once again it hit the bar before coming back out but Hendry cleared. Campbell knew he should have scored. He missed from 10 yards and had more time to make his move than he thought. Everton missed their chance.

Middlesbrough started to hold the ball up and tried to keep possession. Long Ball was having none though and screamed at his players to get in and challenge the Boro players, hard if they had to. In his sheer enthusiasm Jody Morris hacked down Robbie Mustoe and was booked.

Then, in the 90th minute, Slaven Bilic won the ball off Emmanuel Petit and sent Stockdale on his way down the right. Stockdale could not be stopped and he went past Gascoigne and then Dean Gordon. Sending in a cross he put too much power on it and it sailed over the heads of Kevin Campbell, Peter Ndluvu and Tim Sherwood. However! The ball fell neatly for Georgi kinkladze who volleyed the ball in from 6 yards at the back post, 1-1! Everton were still in the cup!

With full time blown soon after, it was extra time. It was a thrilling match and Everton thoroughly deserved their equaliser having dominated the second period. The managers looked somewhat enthralled and it was sure to be a great climax to a great match.

SAS Cup Quarter Final - End of normal time

(Div 3) Everton 1-1 Middlesbrough (Div 2)

There was no faffing about on Everton's part. They were looking to score with their adrenalin rush at the end of the 90 minutes and came at Middlesbrough as if they still needed to score to stay in the competition. Nick Matthews brought on some fresh legs though Igor Stimac came on for Gary Pallister and Neil Maddison replaced a worn out Paul Gascoigne who was still slightly pained from Sherwood's early challenge.

As early as the 93rd minute Everton could have wrapped it up with a Golden Goal. Kevin Campbell was again the guilty culprit as Jody Morris laid the ball of to him only to see Campbell blast high from 15 yards. But the pressure didn't stop. In the 97th minute Ndluvu beat Colin Cooper to a mistimed back pass from Oleg Luzhny. Ndluvu bared down on goal and at the last minute squared the ball to tim Sherwood. With all the goal to aim at from 8 yards, Sherwood just put his head down and blasted it before Hendry could put his foot in. The ball went for the top right hand corner....it was in....until mark Schwarzer pulled off one of THE saves of the season to deny Sherwood. A magnificent diving save at full stretch and Everton once again could have wrapped it up. Sherwood knew he should have scored.

With the energy and adrenalin on their side, Everton piled forward in search of the winner and once again almost found it with a great chance in the 104th minute of the game. Once again Kevin Campbell missed a golden chance for a Golden Goal as he squandered another shot from inside the box. Campbell was in open space as he received a pass from Kinkladze and he once again fired over from close range. The Everton fans went mad, Campbell missed yet another chance to put his side through.

It was entertainment of the highest calibre though and neither set of fans could complain about the value in terms of entertainment. Middelsbrough were awesome first half but from then on it was all Everton. As half time was blown, the stadium was alight with tension and the atmosphere was incredible.

SAS Cup Quarter Final - End of first half Extra Time

(Div 3) Everton 1-1 Middlesbrough (Div 2)

The second half was cooler than the first but it was still Everton who were coming at Middlesbrough. They were so full of adrenalin that they ignored their defensive duties and in the 107th minute almost paid for it. Neil Maddison played a beautiful through ball to Davor Suker who cut the Everton defensive line in two. As Simonson rushed out, Suker chipped the ball over the Everton keepers head but to the relief of the Merseysiders it drifted wide and Suker held his head in frustration.

In the 110th minute Everton really should have tied it up. After winning a corner, Jody Morris played a short one to Robbie Stockdale. Stockdale faked a cross and played it back to Morris. Morris whipped the ball in.....Tim Sherwood flicked it on.....and Kevin Campbell came in at the far post with a header.....his header smashed into the side netting and Campbell was the villain once again.

Middlesbrough started to come forward a bit more and a couple of long range shots from Petit and one from Mustoe shook Steve Simonson up and made him pull out three very decent saves.

Then, with a minute of time remaining, Middlesbrough won a corner after Suker's shot deflected off Unsworth. Middlesbrough packed the box with bodies, as did Everton and there was a lot of hustling and shuffling. As Gallacher curled the ball in, Hendy rose and won it....his header smashed against the bar and dropped for David Weir. Campbell raced out of the box and Weir, with little time, played a fantastic pass out to the Everton hitman. Campbell was well on his way and Oleg Luzhny was too far on the right to catch him. With everyone trailing in his wake, Campbell surged forward from his own area and ran the length of the pitch towards the Middlesbrough goal.....Mark Schwarzer was in two minds and finally, realising the danger, came out to stop Campbell on the edge of his area.....Campbell went left, the right, then left and then he placed the ball around Schwarzer.....Campbell ran the other way around the keeper and Schwarzer made a lame effort to bring him down.....no use.....Campbell picked up the ball, took another touch and passed it into the open net, EVERTON HAD THEIR GOLDEN GOAL!!!!

The stadium went absolutely wild and Campbell, still running after doing the length of the pitch, ripped off his shirt and waved it over his head. After all his earlier misses he was once again the hero and he was mobbed by his team mates. The SAS Millennium Stadium shook like it had been hit by thunder and Long Ball ran onto the pitch embracing his man.

It was a wonderful end to a wonderful match and will be remembered in SAS for its sheer tension and excitement for a long time to come. Everton looked out but two last minute goals in each second half sent them into the Semi Finals of the SAS Cup against Division 2 leaders Middlesbrough.

Long Ball shook a dejected Nick Matthews' hand and for Everton, the party can now begin. For Middlesbrough, thoughts of what might have, and perhaps should have been

Everton: Steve Simonson 7, Robbie Stockdale 7, Alan Rogers 7, David Unsworth 7, Slaven Bilic 7, David Weir 7, Tim Sherwood 7, Nick Barmby 6 (Jody Morris 7), Lee Mills 6 (Kevin Campbell 7), Peter Ndluvo 7, Georgi Kinkladze 7

Middlesbrough: Mark Schwarzer 8, Oleg Luzhny 7, Dean Gordon 7, Gary Pallister 6 (Igor Stimac 6), Colin Cooper 6, Colin Hendry 7, Paul Gascoigne 7 (Neil Maddison 6), Emmanuel Petit 6, Kevin Gallacher 7, Davor Suker 7, Robbie Mustoe 7

Star Man: David Unsworth - A solid team effort but Unsworth was quietly efficeint and excellent throughout. Good tackling and passing and a very important performance.

Star Man: Mark Schwarzer - Gazza was great but some of Schwarzer's goalkeeping was breathtaking. Made a few truly world class saves and withheld the second half and extra time onslaught fantastically well.

Match Statistics
Everton	Versus	Middlesbrough
15	Shots on Goal	11
5	Corners	6
54%	Possession	46%
Sherwood Stockdale Morris	Booked	Pallister
2	Score (aet)	1
Kinkladze 90 Campbell 119 (GG)	Scorers	Gallacher 80
Everton win 2-1 via the Golden Goal
Venue: SAS Millennium Internet Stadium
Attendance: 52,587

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