Arsenal will replay FA Cup win
Winning goal against Sheffield United embarrasses coach
Posted: Saturday February 13, 1999 07:56 PM
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Patrick Vieira (center) gave Arsenal a 1-0 lead in the 28th off a header. AP |
LONDON (AP) -- Arsenal coach Arsene Wenger, in a too rarely seen
gesture of sportsmanship, offered to replay his team's tainted 2-1
victory Saturday over Sheffield United in the fifth round of the FA
Cup.
The unprecedented offer was immediately accepted by the English
Football Association.
"It is an unprecedented situation," FA spokesman Steve Double
said. "Everybody welcomes the sporting gesture by Arsene Wenger."
Double said it was not immediatley clear where and when the
match would be replayed. The date was to be confirmed Monday with Feb. 23 the most likely.
With the fifth-round match tied 1-1 late in the second half at
Arsenal's Highbury ground, United striker Lee Morris fell injured
in the area on a challenge from Arsenal defender Gilles Grimandi.
United's appeal for a penalty was turned down and a Morris
limped off injured, Sheffield keeper Alan Kelly kicked the ball out
for an Arsenal throw-in.
Arsenal's Ray Parlour's intended his throw-in for Kelly -- in a
sporting gesture -- but Arsenal teammate Nwankwo Kanu (recently
obtained from Inter Milan) took the pass, and crossed the ball to
Marc Overmars who scored in the 76th.
Sheffield United coach Steve Bruce led a vocal five-minute
protest against referee Peter Jones -- joined by 6,000 visiting
Sheffield United fans at Arsenal's Highbury ground -- but to no
avail.
Patrick Vieira gave Arsenal a 1-0 lead in the 28th off a header
following a free kick, with Marcelo tying in the 48th on another
header off a free kick.
Chelsea also reached the final eight with a goal in the 85th by
substitute Roberto Di Matteo to win at fellow Premier League side
Sheffield Wednesday 1-0.
Everton and Barnsley also reached the last eight with victories.
Everton, which had only scored three home goals all season against
Premier League opposition, defeated Coventry 2-1. First-division
Barnsley swamped second-division Bristol Rovers 4-1.
Two other matches ended in draws to force replays. Huddersfield
drew 2-2 with Derby and Leeds scored late to tie Tottenham 1-1.
In two Premier League matches, struggling Charlton surprised
Liverpool 1-0, and West Ham added to last-place Nottingham Forest's
misery with a 2-1 victory.
Wenger was clearly embarrassed and saddened by the ill-gotten
victory.
"It was unfortunately an accident," Wenger said of the winner.
"I think spirit-wise we didn't want to cheat ... and Kanu didn't
know what happened, he didn't understand at all because he's a very
fair player."
"Kanu is feeling very down. He's very sad. And we all have the
feeling we didn't win the game like we wanted to. It was an
accident," Wenger added.
"Ray Parlour wanted to throw the ball back to Sheffield United
but Kanu didn't know why. He didn't know that the goalkeeper had
deliberately kicked the ball out of play so that a teammate could
have an injury treated."
Bruce thanked Wenger and said justice had been done.
"That's very, very good of him (Wenger)," Bruce said. "I
think half the Arsenal players feel the same way, too."
"This was the most bitter moment of my football life. To be
fair," he added.
Though Sunday's match between second-division Fulham and Premier
League-leader Manchester United was the most awaited match of the
fifth round, it would be hard to top the chaos at Highbury Saturday
between holders Arsenal and Sheffield United.
Details of six FA Cup fifth-round games:
Arsenal 2, Sheffield United 1 (1-0)
With several Arsenal players on the bench or injured -- and some
being saved for Wednesday's showdown with Manchester United --
Dennis Bergkamp's free kick to Vierra gave Asenal a 1-0 lead in
the 28th. Marcelo drew on a header off a free kick in the 48th,
setting the stage for the late controversy.
Barnsley 4, Bristol Rovers 1 (2-0)
Craig Hignett scored a hat trick (38th, 44th and 71st) as
first-division Barnsley rolled over second-division Bristol Rovers.
Bruce Dyer scored Barnsley's other goal with Jason Roberts scoring
for Rovers after it was already 4-0.
Everton 2, Coventry 1 (1-0)
Everton scored only two goals, but it must have felt like a
dozen. Eighteen-year-old Francis Jeffers scored in the 20th and
John Oster made it 2-0 in the 77th. Gary McAllister got Coventry's
only goal in the 84th. Entering the game, Everton has scored only
three home goals against Premier League opponents -- and only 14
goals in the league all season.
Huddersfield 2, Derby 2 (1-0)
This match will have to be replayed, a disappointment for a
record crowd of 24,000 at Huddersfield. Chris Beech gave Huddersfield a 1-0 lead in the 42nd, but Deon Burton equalized in
the 55th. Tony Dorigo gave Derby a 2-1 lead on a penalty in the
59th with the tying goal by Marcus Stewart in the 71st.
Leeds 1, Tottenham 1 (0-0)
Ex-Leeds coach Tottenham coach George Graham -- who now heads
Tottenham -- got an unwelcome welcme on his return to Leeds, where
he was greeted with chants of "Judas, Judas." Tim Sherwood scored
for Tottenham in the 53rd with Leeds' equalizer from Ian Harte in
the 73rd. This match will also be replayed.
Sheffield Wednesday 0, Chelsea 1 (0-0)
Substitute Bjarne Goldbaek set up the winner as Roberto Di
Matteo scored in the 85th after coming off the bench. It was the
same old story for Sheffield Wednesday. Four times previously
Wednesday had played Chelsea in the fifth round of the FA Cup -- and
four times they had lost.
In two Premier League games:
Charlton 1, Liverpool 0 (0-0)
Keith Jones scored for Charlton in the 70th for a rare victory.
The win moved Charlton to 23 points in the league, but the club
still remained in 18th place -- the final relegation spot in English
soccer.
West Ham 2, Nottingham Forest 1 (2-0)
West Ham, after a bad run of form, finally found a worse side in
last-place Nottingham Forest. Ian Pearce scored for West Ham in the
35th and Frank Lampard made it 2-0 in the 39th. Jon Olav Hjelde
scored late for Forest.
Also on Saturday in England's first division, leaders Sunderland
won 1-0 at Bristol City, and No. 2 Bradford drew 0-0 with Ipswich.
In Scotland in the fourth round of the Scottish Cup, Celtic
defeated Dunfermline 4-0 with three goals from Henrik Larsson to
give him a league-leading 27. In other cup ties: Ayr 1, Albion 0;
Greenock Morton 6, Clyde 1; Livingston 1, St. Johnstone 3;
Motherwell 2, Stirling 0; Stranraer 1, Falkirk 2.
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