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Sports FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2015 47 Grayson out to shock Man Utd in FA Cup again LONDON: Preston North End manager United team in the third round. After a also won the Double in the first season of Preston in the FA Cup 43 years ago will be Simon Grayson has already mastermind- fourth round in which the FA Cup rekin- the Football League-and again in 1938 as memorable for him as that victory over ed a famous FA Cup victory against dled its old magic with the exits of the when they beat Sunderland with a penal- Leeds was five years ago. “It was a fantas- Manchester United and will hope to do it Premier League leaders Chelsea and ty in the last minute of extra time, would tic occasion that day,” Grayson said. “This again when they visit his League One side champions Manchester City to lower end Louis van Gaal’s best hope of his first is a different United team but one we will in the fifth round on Monday. league opponents, the Preston boss trophy as United manager, with the look forward to playing. “The football club Grayson was in charge of Leeds wants to use his previous experience of league seemingly out of reach. deserves it, because we have not had any United, then a third tier side themselves, conquering 11-times winners United to Preston and United were regular ties like this over the last few years. “I’m when they won 1-0 at Old Trafford in do it again. opponents until 1961 when Preston lost sure Deepdale will be full and it’s a mas- 2010 to become the first lower league A win for his third tier side, who won their top flight status and Grayson hopes sive boost for us. The profile of the game opposition to beat an Alex Ferguson-led the FA Cup in 1889 — when they won their first meeting since United beat makes it a fantastic attraction.”—Reuters Mourinho threatens walk-out over Ivanovic LONDON: Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho threatened to walk out of his media conference as he bristled at questions about a melee involving Branislav Ivanovic in the 1-0 win over Everton. Mourinho, who also broke off a BBC interview when asked about the incident, refused to give his view when questioned in the post-match press conference. Defender Ivanovic appeared to head-butt Everton’s James McCarthy in a scuffle before Willian’s 89th-minute winner preserved Chelsea’s sev- en-point Premier League lead. “I am concerned with my reaction because one more ques- tion and I leave,” Mourinho said, seemingly referencing his recent £25,000 ($38,000, 34,500 euros) FA fine for bringing the game into dispute over the conspiracy claims. Retrospective action by the Football Association is now a possibility, with Everton manager Roberto Martinez, who lost Gareth Barry to a late red card, strongly critical of the Serbian defender. Chelsea have already fallen foul of the video replay panel, with striker Diego Costa missing Wednesday’s game due to his three-game suspension for stamping on Liverpool’s Emre Can in last month’s League Cup semi-final. The Ivanovic incident came directly after referee Jonathan Moss had shown a second yellow card to Barry for a foul on BARCELONA: Villarreal’s midfielder Manuel Trigueros Munoz scores a goal during the Spanish Copa del Rey (King’s Cup) Willian. Martinez was adamant the official had missed a more semifinal first leg football match FC Barcelona vs Villarreal CF at the Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona on Wednesday. — AFP serious offence as players from both sides came together angrily in the aftermath of Barry’s challenge. “From that moment the red card gives an unfair momen- tum to the home side and allows them to score a goal. And Barcelona ease towards then, if you look at the images, Ivanovic’s behaviour is wrong. That shouldn’t be allowed,” Martinez said. He added: “First of all he grabs James McCarthy around his Copa del Rey final neck in a very forceful manner. Then he put his head against him. James McCarthy never reacted one single bit and if you want to be fair with the laws, that’s a red card. MADRID: Barcelona took a huge step but captain Bruno and former Barca after half-time when he failed to keep “It is even more hurtful because Ivanovic was involved in towards a fifth Copa del Rey final in sev- midfielder Jonathan dos Santos to out Trigueros’s thunderbolt from out- the goal and there was a deflection on the way in and it went en years with a 3-1 win over Villarreal in injury. “This game seemed lke a horror side the area. through Darron Gibson’s legs.” the first leg of their semi-final on film. Barcelona took advantage of our The visitors were only on level terms Wednesday. mistakes and scored the type of goals for a minute as Suarez again created the ‘Super’ Cech Lionel Messi opened the scoring from we didn’t expect. “We have two injuries, danger when he claimed to have been Despite the incident, it was a vital win for Chelsea after sec- Luis Suarez’s cutback four minutes one of which could be serious. I am sad fouled inside the area by Mario Gaspar ond-placed Manchester City’s 4-1 victory at Stoke, and kept before the break, but Villarreal levelled for all these combined circumstances and Iniesta swept the loose ball into the Mourinho on course for a third Premier League crown with shortly after half-time when Marc-Andre that mean we are much further away far corner. the club.—AFP Ter Stegen failed to keep out Manu from reaching the final.” Another defensive error allowed Trigueros’s drive. All of Villarreal’s good defensive work Barca to extend their lead when However, Barca were back in front in the opening 45 minutes was undone Musacchio and Asenjo were caught flat- within a minute through Andres Iniesta four minutes before half-time when footed by Messi’s corner and Pique and Gerard Pique’s header 26 minutes Mateo Musacchio slipped to allow headed home unmarked at the far post. from time made it 3-1. The Catalans Suarez to rob possession and he Musacchio was also at fault seven could have had an even healthier squared for Messi to slot home his 11th minutes later when he handled as Messi advantage to take into the second leg goal in his last nine games. tried to wriggle free inside the area. The on March 4, but Neymar had his penalty The roles were reversed a minute lat- Argentinian had missed from the spot in saved by Sergio Asenjo. er as this time Messi freed Suarez inside the previous round against Atletico “I think it was a very good perform- the box, but the Uruguayan drove his Madrid and handed the responsibility to ance on our part against an opponent low shot beyond the far post. Neymar, but he too failed from 12 yards that was more defensive than we as Asenjo made a comfortable save low expected, but against a very good team. Dominance to his right. It is a good result, although it isn’t defin- For all their dominance, Barca nearly Suarez nearly rounded off the itive,” said Barca boss Luis Enrique. went in at the break level as Villarreal’s evening with a stunning effort from just “It could have been even better with only threatening counter-attack of the inside the Villarreal half, but the ball the penalty we missed, but it is a good half ended with Ter Stegen making a floated just wide with Asenjo beaten. result and deserved based on what we fine save to turn Luciano Vietto’s shot Espanyol also moved closer to mak- LONDON: Chelsea’s Didier Drogba is fouled by Everton’s saw on the pitch.” behind. ing it an all-Catalan final as they secured Darron Gibson during their English Premier League soccer Villarreal coach Marcelino meanwhile However, the young German goal- a vital away goal in a 1-1 draw away at match between Chelsea and Everton at Stamford Bridge described his side’s evening like a “hor- keeper was very much at fault when Athletic Bilbao in the night’s other semi- stadium in London, Wednesday. — AP ror film” having not only lost the match Villarreal did equalise just three minutes final.—AFP.

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