Football
Reuters 17y

UPDATE 1-Soccer-Boro and Man City through in FA Cup thrillers

(Updates after late game, adds detail)

By Mitch Phillips

LONDON, Jan 16 - The FA Cup served up two classic
third round replays on Tuesday when the Premier League twice
overcame the second division, Middlesbrough holding off Hull
City 4-3 and Manchester City beating Sheffield Wednesday 2-1.

In a remarkable game at the Riverside Stadium 18-year-old
debutant Seb Hines's 32nd minute goal for Boro was a rare moment
of excitement in the first half.

It all changed after the interval when Boro stretched their
lead to 3-0 and 4-1 but then spent the last 20 minutes
desperately clinging on.

Mark Viduka got Boro's second after Aiyegbeni Yakubu's shot
came back off a post and when Yakubu added the third with a 57th
minute penalty it looked all over.

However, Hull pulled one back with a glancing header by
defender Andy Dawson two minutes later and then made it 3-2 with
a Jon Parkin penalty in the 63rd minute.

Viduka scored Boro's fourth with a clinical finish a minute
later but Hull refused to lie down and Dawson, whose last goal
before Tuesday came almost three years ago, got his second to
bring it back to 4-3.

From then on it was all Hull, with Boro defending
desperately and just about holding out against a team
fourth-last in the second division.

BUSY KEEPERS

It was end-to-end action from the start at the City of
Manchester Stadium with both goalkeepers kept constantly busy.

It somehow stayed goalless until the 44th minute when City
midfielder Joey Barton, who spent the day embroiled in transfer
speculation, squared for Stephen Ireland to touch into an empty
net.

Lee Bullen headed Wednesday level in the 51st minute but
City reclaimed the lead four minutes later when Darius Vassell
cracked a shot into the top corner.

There were chances galore at both ends but City held out to
earn a fourth-round meeting with Southampton, when Barton says
he will still be around despite interest from Everton.

"I'm happy here, I've always said that, and I'm enjoying my
football," he told Sky Sports.

Second division Coventry City's woes continued as they went
down 2-0 at home to third division Bristol City, who now host
Middlesbrough.

Wolverhampton Wanderers won 2-0 at Oldham to set up a first
FA Cup derby with West Bromwich Albion since 1962.

In other replays, Ipswich Town beat Chester 1-0, Southend
won 2-0 at Barnsley and Plymouth beat Peterborough 2-1. Luton's
game against Queens Park Rangers was postponed due to a
waterlogged pitch.

There are three more replays on Wednesday, all Premier
League against second division. Newcastle United host Birmingham
City, Tottenham Hotspur face Cardiff City and Fulham take on
Leicester.

The fourth round takes place over the weekend of Jan. 27/28.

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