FA Cup 3rd Round Sunday: Chelsea, Sunderland, Sheffield Wednesday Each Advance
The Blues flattered to deceive against lowly Portsmouth at Stamford Bridge, labouring for much of the match with a 1-0 lead before a late flurry of goals led to a convincing-looking scoreline. Considering that Andre Villas-Boas played essentially a full-strength side against a team 33 places below them in the standings, it was a pretty sad display, and if not for a crucial intervention by John Terry following an error by David Luiz the score could have been very different. Still, goals by Juan Mata, Ramires (twice) and Frank Lampard see Chelsea through to the fourth round.
Sheffield Wednesday 1-0 West Ham United
League One Sheffield Wednesday pulled off a minor upset against West Ham with a very late 1-0 win. By and large outclassed by their Championship opponents, Wednesday managed to ride their luck throughout the match - the Hammers had a Sam Baldock penalty saved and also hit the post before Chris O’Grady slammed in from 12 yards in the 88th minute to give the hosts a surprise lead. The Owls then just about survived nine minutes of injury time to claim a prize scalp.
Peterborough 0-2 Sunderland
Sunderland had to rely on a pair of set pieces to beat Peterborough, but their win was well-deserved anyway. Despite being unable to penetrate Joe Lewis' guard from open play, the visitors were dominant throughout, hitting the bar early and putting major pressure on their hosts. It took until the second half for the Black Cats to open up their account, their opener coming through a Sebastian Larsson free kick. James McClean wrapped things up with a header from a corner ten minutes later.
See More:
