FA Cup - Southend force Chelsea replay

Eurosport - Sun, 04 Jan 09:02:00 2009

Southend stunned Chelsea with a stoppage-time leveller at Stamford Bridge as the Shrimpers earned an FA Cup third-round replay with a 1-1 draw.

FOOTBALL 2008/09 FA Cup Southend's Peter Clarke scores last-minute equaliser to secure 1-1 draw and a third round replay against Chelsea - 0

Salomon Kalou's first-half goal looked to have earned Chelsea a place in the next round until Peter Clarke headed an equaliser from close range in the 90th minute for the League One minnows.

Chelsea had dominated the game but paid for a host of squandered chances by allowing an unmarked Clarke to beat Carlo Cudicini with a close-range header.

It was just reward for the Shrimpers who valiantly kept out Chelsea's wave of attacks in a pulsating second half.

But Chelsea's need for a first-class finisher was further underlined after an afternoon when they failed to kill off their lowly opponents.

Drogba should have put the Blues ahead in the 10th minute, but he waited too long to shoot and former Chelsea youngster Anthony Grant managed to get in a superb tackle to deny the Ivorian.

Joe Cole, Lampard and Drogba again went close as Chelsea struggled to find a chink in the Southend rearguard.

They eventually opened the scoring in the 31st minute when Kalou rose unmarked to head home a corner from Lampard.

After the break Drogba brought a fine save out of Mildenhall when he met a cross from John Obi Mikel. There was little respite for Steve Tilson's men as the chances kept on coming for the Blues, but the away side continued to defend valiantly inside their own penalty area.

In the 66th minute Belletti saw his header cleared off the goal-line as Southend began to show some attacking desire on the counter.

Inside the final 10 minutes Chelsea had a narrow escape when a cross from Johnny Herd was met by Clarke under pressure from Cudicini, the United defender getting to the ball first - his header bounced off the top of the crossbar.

However the defender then stunned Chelsea with a 90th-minute equaliser from close range before the hosts were denied a late winner by Mildenhall when he somehow kept out a header from substitute Franco Di Santo.

TeamTalk / Eurosport

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  1. Perhaps chelsea & man shity should merge,then no!­ you still would,nt win anything,apart from sack the­ managers league,

    From ian, on Sun 4 Jan 7:23AM

  2. This is message from Luiz Felipe Scolari: Post #101 - I­ am a patient and understanding person and ehh this why­ I manager of lousy Chelsea but ehh I do not tolerate­ people when they ehh question my tactic. Post #93 - I­ say 'ehh' every 6 words, same way I speak. Post­ #103 - You are persistent woman and ehh we must make­ hump and ehh next weekend Chelsea have game with United­ that ehh we cannot win so ehh I am up for action­ anytime.

    With much ehh love,
    Big Phil

    From gene_hackman_stunt_double, on Sun 4 Jan 6:52AM

  3. so chelsea fans will have 50 yrs staring at the­ trophies they won in the last 50. how many are they­ 2????

    From Hamad, on Sun 4 Jan 6:37AM

  4. use all chat poo ding an so are chelsea

    From heughs, on Sun 4 Jan 5:50AM

  5. i am not a chelsea fan but i believe southend are­ losing at home...sadly....):

    From lanre s, on Sun 4 Jan 5:34AM

  6. kenyon need to leave chelsea, scolari need to be fired,­ i wish jose return back to chelsea

    From monacomaville, on Sun 4 Jan 4:54AM

  7. Post 70
    Big Phil a very easy promise to ehh keep!

    From Nicholas, on Sun 4 Jan 3:26AM

  8. Don't worry Scott all my postings will be deleted­ as per usual.

    From Nicholas, on Sun 4 Jan 3:26AM

  9. stupid as hell he is clearly are worst manager if he­ steps up hes game then good on him but at the moment he­ should be sacked chelseas match stats FAIL!!!!!!!!!!

    From igottea, on Sun 4 Jan 1:39AM

  10. Scolari should try both Drogba n Aneka together in a­ couple of games n c if things will improve.However, he­ should utilise this transfer window very well by­ bringing in a more aggressive striker,Drogba is fading­ out,Aneka needs a very biting conpetitor to bring out­ the best in him.This competition will do more good 2­ Chelsea.Up blues. Tunde

    From tunde, on Sun 4 Jan 1:36AM

  11. Maybe the Bridge will get renamed Pork Pie Bridge :-)

    From art_tidesco, on Sun 4 Jan 1:14AM

  12. I wonder when Chelsea will be rebranded by Abramovich­ as Pork Pie United ?

    From art_tidesco, on Sun 4 Jan 1:13AM

  13. Post 93
    ehh?

    From Nicholas, on Sun 4 Jan 12:37AM

  14. dont worry so much chelsea fans. the united museum of­ trophies is for the public, u guys r welcomed to see­ the EPL 2008-2009 trophy, the uefa champs trophy, the­ club world cup trophy, the FA cup trophy, damn theres ­ to much trophies, just dont scratch the trophies. ok­ guys (chelsea fans) dont cry like terry n lampard when­ they lost the champs league n the EPL. wut a baby. booo­ hooo !

    From penyus_00, on Sun 4 Jan 12:36AM

  15. Chelsea need to buy players.We need wingers and­ strikers okay

    From Olu-Ijo-Mimo, on Sun 4 Jan 12:30AM

  16. Anyone remember the 1-1 with Avitaberg with John­ Hollins missing a penalty that was the onset of the­ decade of misery?

    From John French, on Sun 4 Jan 12:21AM

  17. gene_hackman_stunt_double please stop writing coments­ and saying 'ehh' every 3 words

    From Samuel, on Sun 4 Jan 12:06AM

  18. The roll of shame. Anelka for not caring about the­ penalty in the Champions League Final. Kenyon for being­ a fat useless @#$%. Drogba for being a windbag. Frank­ Arsene for non existent results. Roman for signing­ Sheva and booting JM. Bobby Campbell and Ray Wilkins­ (amongst many others) for taking mnoey under false­ pretences.

    Out by Juve, out next round of FA Cup and­ 5th at best in the league. Watching this fall apart is­ more depressing than relegation. Resign in shame.

    From John French, on Sat 3 Jan 11:46PM

  19. GET OVER IT MOURINHO WILL NEVER COME BACK TO CHELSEA­ WHIKE ABRAOVICH IS THERE .CHELSEA ARE A BIG CLUB ON­ PAPER
    KALOU @#$% MOOOOOOODA @#$% U HAVE ONLY 1­ BIG PLAYER AND THATS LAMPARD .
    CANT WAIT UNTILL JUVE­ COME TO TOWN
    JOSE BE BACK WHEN ROMAN LEAVES BUT DONT­ THINK HE WILL BEACUSE THERE WONT BE ANY MONEY SO­ CHELSEA CAN GO BACK TO THE SMALL TEAM OF THE MID 90s

    From jmcrowie, on Sat 3 Jan 11:37PM

  20. No abramovich's money - no chelsea!!

    From zukmaciej, on Sat 3 Jan 11:28PM
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