• FA Cup round-up

Neville the hero as Everton dump out Chelsea in thriller

Leighton Baines forced Everton's fourth-round replay with Chelsea into penalties with an unstoppable 25-yard free-kick © Getty Images

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Exclusive post-match analysis
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Phil Neville's penalty earned Everton a thrilling victory over Chelsea in their FA Cup fourth-round replay at Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea took the initiative in the penalty shootout when Leighton Baines missed for Everton but, after Tim Howard kept out Nicolas Anelka's effort, Ashley Cole blazed over, leaving Toffees captain Neville to blast home for a stunning triumph.

Frank Lampard's volley in the first period of extra-time looked to have sent Chelsea through to face Reading in the fifth round only for Leighton Baines to rip a 25-yard free-kick into the top right corner with less than a minute to run.

After a goalless 90 minutes, an additional half an hour was needed after neither side managed to break the deadlock, although there was late drama at the end of normal time when Everton midfielder Marouane Fellaini turned home after Petr Cech had spilled Baines' long-range strike, but the Moroccan was fractionally offside and the goal was ruled out.

In a repeat fixture of the 2009 final, Chelsea were below par for much of the match, only coming alive towards the end of the second half. Everton were magnificent for periods but as their tired bodies faded as the game wore on, their keeper Howard was called upon several times to keep their cup dreams alive.

Much of the talk prior to kick-off had centred around Didier Drogba's omission from Chelsea's starting line-up against Fulham on Monday. But, with Fernando Torres cup tied, he had the chance to reassert himself as the club's leading man - although his rebirth never quite materialised.

Obafemi Martins bagged his first goal for Birmingham during their easy win against Sheffield Wednesday © PA Photos

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Everton had the better of the first half, without ever creating too much. The Toffees, unbeaten in four league and cup games against Chelsea before kick-off, regularly broke on the counter-attack with the impressive Baines proving to be a real handful down the left but it was Chelsea who manufactured the better chances, with the visitors needing the brilliant Howard to deny Lampard from close range.

Chelsea improved after the break and, as Everton tired, it looked as though Carlo Ancelotti's side would prevail. David Moyes' side hung on, however, to force extra-time but, with the fourth-round replay hanging in the balance, Lampard, as he so often seems to do, found himself in the right place at the right time to lash home his 23rd FA Cup goal from eight yards after the visitors had failed to deal with Nicolas Anelka's cross.

Everton looked dead and buried but Baines spoiled the party with a perfectly-struck free-kick to send the tie into an exhilarating finale - where Neville kept his cool to send the Everton fans into pandemonium and deny Chelsea the chance to become the first team in 125 years to win three FA Cups in a row.

In the late game, Crawley Town were far from disgraced as the non-league outfit went to Old Trafford to face the might of Manchester United and were only beaten 1-0.

Sir Alex Ferguson made a host of changes, but he still put out a side containing a string of internationals. Captain for the day Wes Brown handed United the advantage when climbing high to glance home a header, but they failed to put Crawley away.

Wayne Rooney was introduced at the interval, but Crawley were far from overawed and fashioned chances in the second half. David Hunt sliced a volley wide from 12 yards and just a week after Rooney's acrobatics in the Manchester derby, Matt Tubbs went for an overhead of his own that drifted just over the bar.

And in the dying seconds a corner founds its way through to Richard Brodie who looped a header against the crossbar, as United edged into the quarter finals.

Birmingham City's majestic run in the domestic cup competitions continued as they put Sheffield Wednesday to the sword at St Andrew's.

The Blues, who have already booked a place in the Carling Cup final against Arsenal, produced some classy football during the 3-0 victory but, in all honesty, their League One opponents paid the price for some woeful defending.

The hosts were up and running as early as the seventh minute, Jean Beausejour neatly side-footing home from Lee Bowyer's set-up. Michael Morrison was the culprit for the second, missing a header to allow Obafemi Martins to slot past Nicky Weaver for his first goal for Birmingham.

David Murphy made sure of the win early in the second half, rifling home from inside the box after the visitors had failed to clear Keith Fahey's corner.

Jon Walters got on the scoresheet as Stoke cruised past Brighton © PA Photos

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Two errors from keeper Peter Brezovan proved costly for Brighton as Stoke breezed through courtesy of a 3-0 win.

Brighton, flying high in League One, struggled to cope with Stoke's physicality and a two-goal blitz in the first half gave them with too much to do.

In the 18th minute, a trademark Rory Delap throw-in was poorly dealt with by Brezovan and John Carew was on hand to steer the ball over the line. Less than five minutes later, Stoke doubled their lead through Jon Walters. After a neat interchange between Marc Wilson and Jermaine Pennant, the former supplied a pin-point cross for Walters to nod in - though Brezovan should really have done better.

With the hosts pouring forward, it seemed only a matter of time before Brighton shipped another and, just before half-time, their fate was sealed. Pennant whipped in a corner and Walters' flick-on found an unmarked Ryan Shawcross, who duly headed past Brezovan to wrap up a comfortable win.

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