Carling Cup round-up

Hammers leave it late to see off Macc

Last updated: 28th August 2008   Subscribe to RSS Feed

Carling Cup round-up

Bowyer: Massive goal for Hammers

Individual match stats and reports

Nottm Forest 1 Sunderland 2 AET
Blackburn 4 Grimsby 1
Fulham 3 Leicester 2
West Ham 4 Macclesfield 1 AET
Huddersfield 1 Sheff United 2

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All four Premier League clubs in Carling Cup action progressed to the third round, but West Ham and Sunderland were both taken to extra-time.

West Ham eventually ran out 4-1 winners against Macclesfield but were behind for long spells, while Roy Keane owed a triumphant return to Nottingham Forest to a late leveller at the City Ground.

Elsewhere, Fulham left it late against Leicester and Blackburn had far too much for Grimsby Town at Ewood Park.

A miserable week for Alan Curbishley sunk to new depths when Gareth Evans was left free at a corner to head Macclesfield into a shock fifth minute lead.

Boos reverberated around Upton Park and while Dean Ashton struck the bar, West Ham were largely lifeless in their attempts to draw level.

No-one in East London was more relieved than Curbishley when Lee Bowyer struck with 15 minutes to go to force the game into an extra half hour, but not before Izak Reid was dismissed for a professional foul on West Ham namesake Kyle.

Macclesfield's ten-man resolve was finally broken in the 100th minute when Ashton set up his strike partner Carlton Cole. Youngster Zovan Hines, on his debut, and Reid completed the scoring for West Ham.

An entertaining game at the City Ground saw both Nottingham Forest and Sunderland field strong teams but it was the Premier League side which eventually ground out a 2-1 win.

Forest's Robert Earnshaw clipped a fine free-kick beyond Sunderland's defensive wall on the hour mark to give his side the lead.

With four minutes remaining Phil Bardsley proved the most unlikely of heroes when he popped up in Forest's box to convert El Hadji-Diouf's cross-cum-shot from close range.

Black Cats substitute David Healy then showed all his predatory instincts in finding a winner in the first period of extra-time, when he snapped up the rebound after Grant Leadbitter's shot was saved.

Carlos Villanueva arrived at Blackburn replete with a reputation for being a player who gets supporters off their seats; he did just that in delivering a virtuoso debut as Rovers saw off Grimsby.

The Chilean did not enjoy the best of starts though, as it was his conceding of a needless free-kick 25-yards from goal which saw the Mariners silence the Ewood Park faithful. Tom Newey's beautiful curling effort gave Jason Brown not a prayer, as it went in off the crossbar in the seventh minute.

Villanueva atoned for his error in firing a leveller from 30 yards, before laying one on for striker Matt Derbyshire.

Blackburn's supremacy was confirmed by Brett Emerton's goal before the break and Derbyshire's second in the second period.

A strong Fulham side were in complete control during the opening 45 minutes of their game against Leicester and deservedly went in at half-time leading, courtesy of Zoltan Gera's drive that deflected off Michael Morrison and beyond David Martin.

Whatever Roy Hodgson said at half-time was clearly not heeded by his charges though, as veteran striker Paul Dickov pounced for the Foxes a minute after the break before Andy King broke from midfield to give them a shock lead.

Jimmy Bullard rescued his side when he restored parity with just seven minutes left on the clock, leaving it to midfield partner Danny Murphy to grab a last minute winner with a strike from range.

Sheffield United were never at their best but did enough to book a place in the third round courtesy of a 2-1 win at Yorkshire rivals Huddersfield.

Michael Flynn gave Stan Ternent's side a deserved half-time lead but two second half goals in as many minutes from Darius Henderson (82) and Kyle Naught (83) booked Blades' progression.