Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
NACHO SNATCHES A LATE FOXES WINNER
KELECHI IHEANACHO clinched an FA Cup quarterfinal spot for Leicester with a dramatic last-gasp winner.
The Foxes substitute crashed home a close- range header in the fourth and final minute of stoppage time to snatch it from a devastated Brighton side.
It was the one bright spot of a disappointing match which looked certain to go another 30 minutes in the bitter cold.
Leicester boss Brendan Rodgers said: “I think everyone was delighted just because the game wasn’t going to extra-time!
“If ever there’s a time to score a winner, that’s it. It just shows that you have to keep fighting.”
Brighton finally got caught out from a quickly taken short corner and Iheanacho made no mistake after Youri Tielemans stuck the ball straight on his head.
Seagulls’ boss Graham Potter couldn’t hide his disappointment and said his men were gutted at losing to such a late goal.
Potter said: “The overall feeling is of disappointment because I thought overall we were the better team over 90 minutes. We’re a bit sore at losing like that.”
Leicester’s bright young star James Justin was carried off on a stretcher late in the game, jarring his right knee as he fell awkwardly controlling a ball.
But Rodgers said medical staff were hopeful it wasn’t as bad as it first appeared.
“He said he heard something in his knee when he landed, but the medical guys have looked at him and we’re hoping it’s not anything major and he will be okay,” said Rodgers.
Referee Mike Dean must have been praying for a quiet game after his turbulent week and at times he must have thought his voluntary stand down from games had started early.
When he brandished his yellow card to Ayoze Perez just before half-time it was only the third and final foul of the half.
Neither goalkeeper had a proper save to make in an opening 45 minutes which Brighton shaded.
The first half really hadn’t taken any living up to at all and as the sides came out after the break there was a stark realisation from both teams that things surely had to get better.
And things did brighten up a bit after the interval, and both sides actually managed to get the ball in the net, only for their efforts to be ruled out for offside.
Brighton were first, with Andi Zeqiri clipping the ball over Danny Ward after a great assist from Percy Tau in the 65th minute.
Immediately after that it was the Foxes’ turn, with Cengiz Under applying the finishing touch after the ball fell to him from Dan Burn’s attempted clearance, but again the flag was raised.
BILLY SHARP was among the fans the last time Sheffield United played at Wembley in the FA Cup – and he is just one game away from returning as a player.
The diehard Blade was on loan at Doncaster from Southampton and made the trek down south with his mates to see United lose to Hull City in the 2014 semi-finals.
United remain on course for Wembley thanks to Sharp’s fifth goal in his last 10 games from the penalty spot when Alfie Mawson handled David Mcgoldrick’s goalbound shot and was sent off.
Chris Wilder (circled) was Northampton boss seven years ago, and was also at Wembley, and he was delighted to put United’s Premier League woes to one side and progress to the last eight.
The Blades boss said: “I thought we were in control against stubborn opposition.
“We had some tight games against Bristol City in the Championship and they turned us over here a couple of times.
“I believe we deserved to win the game. We’re through to the quarter-finals for the second year on the spin and that’s good for us.
“The key now is to make sure we build on this momentum.” Mawson was sent off after referee Robert Jones was alerted to his handball by VAR.
And City boss Dean Holden claimed the video technology is “killing football”.
“I thought it was a really disappointing way to lose a game of football, it’s difficult to take,” he said.
“Alfie feels responsible and he shouldn’t. I don’t even think it was handball.
“I’ve never been a fan of VAR and I think it’s killing football.
“If this game had been played at Ashton Gate, that would never have been given because they don’t have VAR in the Championship.”
United deserved to claim their third EFL scalp in the Cup and were dominant.
But their finishing let them down and they missed a couple of chances before Sharp scored in the 66th minute.
Wilder made four changes to Holden’s five and fielded a strong side to signal how seriously he is taking the
Cup. The Robins matched United by going with three at the back and posed a threat from set-pieces.
Skipper Tomas Kalas had a shot from just inside the area saved by Aaron Ramsdale when a free-kick fell to him and Taylor Moore directed a glancing header from Jamie Paterson’s free-kick just over.
United enjoyed more possession and territory, but failed to make these advantages count.
Max Lowe grazed the top of the bar from a fine opportunity before Jayden Bogle should have done better when he headed
Ethan Ampadu’s cross into the ground from seven yards out and Max O’leary saved comfortably.
It could have got worse for City near the end when VAR Anthony Taylor checked whether O’leary had handled outside his area.
But the decision was the ball hit the keeper’s chest.