LONDON – Chelsea maintained their bid for a third consecutive FA Cup after snatching a 1-1 draw with Everton on Saturday as non-league Crawley advanced to the last 16 with a 1-0 win over Torquay.
A goal from Salomon Kalou on 75 minutes saved Chelsea’s blushes at Goodison Park after the Toffees had taken a deserved lead through a 62nd-minute headed effort from Louis Saha. Everton boss David Moyes said his side were unlucky to have conceded an equaliser at a time when they had started to get on top.
Chelsea, who on Friday had a bid for Liverpool striker Fernando Torres rejected, could have done with the Spaniard’s services up front where both Nicolas Anelka and Didier Drogba were disappointing. Chelsea’s uncharacteristic vulnerability from set-pieces proved costly on 62 minutes when Saha headed the Blues in front from a Leighton Baines corner. With the possibility of defeat looming, Chelsea rallied and hit back with a classic goal on the counter, sweeping up field after an Everton corner came to nothing and scoring through Kalou on 75 minutes.
Crawley meanwhile became only the sixth non-league side to reach the fifth round after Matthew Tubbs scored on 39 minutes to down the Gulls in a stormy encounter at Plainmoor. Crawley, who had knocked out Derby in the previous round, missed two second-half penalties as both sides finished with 10 men. In other matches Saturday, lowly League One side Leyton Orient were the first team to reach the last 16 with a 2-1 upset away at Championship outfit Swansea, before Aston Villa downed Blackburn 3-1 in an all-Premier League tie.
Birmingham staged a dramatic fightback against midlands rivals Coventry to advance, recovering from 2-0 down to win 3-2 at St Andrews thanks to goals from David Bentley, Stuart Parnaby and Kevin Phillips. Burnley defeated Burton Albion 3-1 while Championship side Watford were stunned 1-0 at Vicarage Road by Brighton from League One.
League Two Stevenage, conquerors of Newcastle in the previous round, saw their hopes of an extended cup run extinguished by Reading, who grabbed a 2-1 win courtesy of an 87th-minute strike from Shane Long. In the day’s other meeting between two Premier League clubs, Bolton drew 0-0 with Wigan at the Reebok Stadium. Three-time FA Cup winners Sheffield Wednesday advanced to the fifth round after recovering from a goal down to beat Hereford 4-1.
Manchester United were facing Southampton in Saturday’s late kick-off on the south coast, while on Sunday Manchester City face an away tie against Notts County while Fulham entertain Tottenham at Craven Cottage. Arsenal play Huddersfield at the Emirates and West Ham take on Nottingham Forest at Upton Park, while Wolves face Stoke.
