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. Why so many "invalid comments"???

    From Bring It On!, on Sat 3 Jan 11:19PM

  2. Why talk about Jose Mourinho when it was Avram Grant who was the closest to bringing any real success to stamford bridge~~~ he was so close to doing what man utd did, but only to be denied by them~~~ I personally think chelsea is not too stupid to get rid of mourinho as he was really getting @#$% results~~ but avram grant was amazing~~ people say he's @#$%~~ but his record was just unbeatable~ apart from utd~

    From Vitor, on Sat 3 Jan 11:05PM

  3. Jose Mourinho gave Chelsea a charisma, although everyone hated him because of his behavior (non Chelsea fans xD). After almost 2 years Mourinho`s impression is still visible in Drogba`s playing style, in Lampard`s playing style and so on. I think it was a mistake to kick him, he just had a bad start if I remember well...
    A Liverpool fan.

    From ferkofodor, on Sat 3 Jan 10:47PM

  4. JOE COLE ............hmm hmm i think not sale him 2 tottenham get some money so we can buy some good 1s ...

    From billiebdj, on Sat 3 Jan 10:42PM

  5. something must be done, new players would be nice

    From vandork85, on Sat 3 Jan 10:31PM

  6. Very bored seeing the same thing week in week out with Chelsea. Chelsea is too big a club for this rubbish. The quality of the players is not in doubt. The ability of the man at the helm very much is. Unlike JM he is unable to instil confidence and belief in the players to operate as a team. Big Phil has to go now.

    From MARTYN B, on Sat 3 Jan 10:27PM

  7. good luck chelsea ! YOU NEED IT

    From w.goodall946, on Sat 3 Jan 10:16PM

  8. Abramovich has made a super mistake removing Mourinho from Cheslea....He is the only coach who can do something, I mean, taking the Premier League title or even the Champions League(not to mention the fact that Chelsea had won, while he was the coach, Fa Cup and League Cup)...Today, Chelsea doesn't look like a tough team, it's just an ordinary one....This team needs a change and the only coach who can do this is Mourinho....He knows very well this team beacuse he's the firs one who took Chelsea after the russian bought the club...Now, he is at Inter and is normal to make offerts in order to buy and bring players from Chelsea....

    From Emilian, on Sat 3 Jan 10:02PM

  9. Invalid comment

    From who am i, on Sat 3 Jan 9:13PM

  10. Jose Mourinho was the only manager capable of bringing sucess to the club so why not go out there and bring him back to Chelsea??? better spend money that way then give it to some more mercenary players...Mourinho cares about Chelsea AND WILL NEVER go to any other team in P. L.; he constantly told it to the media and I 100% believe him...

    From VICTOR V, on Sat 3 Jan 8:55PM

  11. Jose Mourinho was far better than the scolari............................. he nurtured it well................. should get him back......

    From alan alfred, on Sat 3 Jan 8:49PM

  12. well chelsea are not performing good...... its disheartening...... to see them play like this....... scolari..... should b doing better with his boys

    From alan alfred, on Sat 3 Jan 8:48PM

  13. Jose Mourinho was the only manager capable of bringing sucess to the club so wy not go out there and bring him back to Chelsea??? beter spend money that way then give it to some more mercenary players...Mourinho cares about Chelsea AND WILL NEVER go to any other team in P. L.; he constantly told it to the media and I 100% believe him...

    From VICTOR V, on Sat 3 Jan 8:46PM

  14. Chelsea @#$%, hahaha!!!

    From Jonny Justice, on Sat 3 Jan 8:32PM

  15. penyus_00 = @#$%

    From afcwasps, on Sat 3 Jan 8:32PM

  16. its obvious scolari is sfinding it difficult to manage chelsea,wachting chelsea play these days is with doubt and anxiety,pls abramovic do something

    From Michael, on Sat 3 Jan 8:32PM

  17. This is message from Luiz Felipe Scolari to Scott S (Post #69) - Hello loyal Chelsea supporter ehh I appreciate undying support but ehh you call me by nickname for some reason ehh and I do not make joke about football but ehh it is joke that we ehh cannot win at Stamford Bridge.

    With much ehh love,
    Big Phil

    From gene_hackman_stunt_double, on Sat 3 Jan 8:30PM

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

    From Nicholas, on Sat 3 Jan 8:29PM

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

    From Nicholas, on Sat 3 Jan 8:27PM

  20. This is message from Luiz Felipe Scolari to rc_alcock (Post #68) - I will make this promise ehh I will be more better at getting this girl for hump session than ehh Chelsea is at winning at Stamford Bridge. This is challenge and ehh I guarantee good result for Big Phil.

    With much ehh love,
    Big Phil

    From gene_hackman_stunt_double, on Sat 3 Jan 8:25PM
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