charles
Graham Fisher
Andrew Aigner-Muehler
LukeS
HardyManchester United and Chelsea through to FA cup semi-finals
March 20th 2007 04:05
Manchester United and Chelsea kept their 'treble' and 'quadruple' dreams alive after scoring wins over Middlesbrough and Tottenham in the FA cup quarter-final replays respectively.
The Red Devils went through courtesy of Cristiano Ronaldo's second-half penalty when the winger took a tumble under a Jonathan Woodgate tackle.
Up stepped Ronaldo to convert his own penalty past Boro's Aussie keeper Mark Schwarzer to send Middlesbrough tumbling out of the FA cup for another season.
In injury time, Boro substitute James Morrison was given a straight red-card for a reckless lunge on Ronaldo that sent the winger flying and sparked a touch-line tussle between the assistant coaches of both clubs.
Meanwhile at White Hart Lane, Tottenham's surrendering of a 3-1 lead at Stamford Bridge came back to haunt them as superb second-half strikes from Andriy Shevchenko and Shaun Wright-Phillips sent Chelsea on their way to a 2-1 win and a place in the semi-finals.
If Ukrainian striker Andriy Shevchenko had started to look a glimpse of his former self in recent weeks, then he confirmed he was well and truly back over-night with a gem of a goal.
Entering the penalty area from the right flank on 55 minutes, Shevchenko beat Steed Malbranque by cleverly checking his run, in the process switching the ball to his left boot.
He then arced a shot pass the helpless Paul Robinson into the top corner with a simply unstoppable shot.
The lead was doubled just after the hour mark with Didier Drogba trapping a long ball with his chest for Wright-Phillips to volley home first time for an equally impressive goal.
Spurs striker Robbie Keane converted a penalty in the 79th minute but it was too little too late.
Manchester United will now meet Watford and Chelsea will meet Blackburn in the FA cup semi-finals.
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