D Wednesday, January 13, 2010 SPORT 23 THE FA CUP THIRD ROUND Acc Stanley P Gillingham . P Brentford ... P Doncaster .. P Bristol City ..1 Cardiff .........1 Williams 90 Chopra 76 Notts Cnty . P Forest Grn P THIRD-ROUND REPLAY Birmingham 1 Nott Forest .0 Ferguson 62 Coventry .....1 Portsmouth 2 Best 22 Wright 90 og Mokoena 120 (after extra time, 1-1 at 90 mins) Derby ..........1 Millwall .......1 Davies 114 Morison 108 (after extra-time, Derby win 5-2 on penalties) QPR .............2 Sheff Utd ....3 Buzsaky (pen) 71 Williamson 19 Stewart 88 Ward 68 Cresswell 70 COCA-COLA LEAGUE ONE Walsall ....... P Norwich ..... P LEAGUE TWO Aldershot ... P Bradford .... P Bury ............ P Macclesfd P SCOTTISH CUP FOURTH ROUND Albion ......... P Stirling ....... P Forfar ......... P St Jnstne .. P Inverness C P Motherwell P Kilmarnock P Falkirk ........ P Livingston .. P Dundee ...... P Morton ....... P Celtic ......... P Ross Cnty .. P Inverurie .... P CLYDESDALE BANK PREMIER LEAGUE St Mirren .....1 Aberdeen ....0 Innes 74 P W D L F A Pts Rangers 19 13 5 1 47 13 44 Celtic 18 11 4 3 37 19 37 Hibernian 18 9 6 3 26 15 33 Dundee United 18 7 7 4 22 23 28 Hearts 19 6 6 7 18 20 24 Aberdeen 18 5 6 7 13 19 21 St Mirren 18 5 5 8 20 25 20 Motherwell 18 4 8 6 21 29 20 St Johnstone 17 5 4 8 24 30 19 Hamilton 16 4 4 8 15 26 16 Kilmarnock 18 3 5 10 12 23 14 Falkirk 17 2 6 9 14 27 12 AFRICA CUP OF NATIONS GROUP C Egypt............3 Nigeria ........1 Mozambique .2 Benin ...........2 SNOOKER ThE MASTERS, WEMBLEy 1st round: Ronnie OSullivan (Eng) bt Neil Robertson (Aus) 6-4. TENNIS SONy ERICSSON WTA TOUR MEDIBANK INTERNATIONAL (Sydney, Australia) 2nd round: (1) Serena Williams (USA) bt Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez (Spa) 6-1 6- 2; Dominika Cibulkova (Svk) bt (3) Svetlana Kuznetsova (Rus) 7-5 6-2; (5) Elena Dementieva (Rus) bt Daniela Hantuchova (Svk) 6-2 4-6 6-2. FIXTURES RESULTS FOOTBALL (7.45pm unless stated) The FA Cup sponsored by E.ON Third Round replays Liverpool v Reading......................TV ITV1 Newcastle v Plymouth...................... Clydesdale Bank Premier League Hamilton v Dundee Utd.................... Active Nation Scottish Cup Fourth Round Ayr v Brechin .................................... Edinburgh City v Montrose.............P Africa Cup of Nations Group D Cameroon v Gabon ................. (4pm) Zambia v Tunisia................. (6.30pm) FA CUP ROUND-UP MANCHESTER City striker Benjani is hoping to earn a new contract at Eastlands. Benjani has recently returned to favour after a series of injuries and has taken his chance in the absence of Roque Santa Cruz and Emmanuel Adebayor by scoring in the FA Cup at Middlesbrough and impressing in Mondays 4-1 win over Blackburn. I have always wanted to see out my career at City, said the 31- year-old. I have six months left on my deal and it would be nice to another year or so. You have to keep on believing, even if you know chances of playing regularly are slim. u DERBy captain Robbie Savage has angrily refuted claims some players believe the clubs backroom staff are not up to the job. The former Wales international reacted furiously after hearing a phone-in on a local radio station following the 4-1 home defeat to Scunthorpe on Saturday. I sit in that dressing-room every day and they are up to the job 100 per cent and so is the manager, said Savage. Ive never heard one player question the manager or somebody whos played for Real Madrid [first team coach Johnny Metgod]. u footballdigest hitting back: Savage BIRMINGhAM have released Ecuador defender Giovanny Espinoza after he made just two Carling Cup appearances for the club. The 32-year-old was signed from Barcelona Sporting Club in the summer but had his contract cancelled by mutual consent. Meanwhile, Blues boss Alex McLeish insists he will ease new 3million signing Michel into first-team action. The midfielder completed his move from Sporting Gijon on Monday and McLeish said: hell need time to get to know his team-mates and see the sort of demands we ask from players in training. uAN inspired display from captain Ahmed Hassan helped holders Egypt come from a goal down to defeat Nigeria 3-1 in the opening Group C match at the Africa Cup of Nations yesterday. Hassan, 35, set up Egypts first and scored their second as they outplayed the World Cup-bound Nigerians. Emad Moteab and substitute Mohamed Nagui were also scorers after Nigeria had taken an early lead through Chinedu Obasi. Meanwhile, Benin blew a 2-0 lead and a golden chance to win for the first time at the tournament when they were held to a 2-2 draw by fellow underdogs Mozambique. u Coventrys Best just not good enough SOCCER FA CUP THIRD ROUND REPLAY Coventry: Westwood, Wright, Wood, Bell, McPake, Cranie, Gunnarsson, Best (Grandison 92), Clingan (Eastwood 45), McIndoe, Morrison. Booked: Bell, Cranie. Portsmouth: Begovic, Vanden Borre, Diop, Mokoena, Wilson, Hreidarsson, Boateng (Utaka 56), Mullins (Basinas 77), Brown, Piquionne, Smith (Webber 70). Booked: Boateng. Ref: Mike Jones COVENTRY CITY 1 PORTSMOUTH 2 (after extra-time, 1-1 after 90 minutes) By Danny Griffiths crisis club Portsmouth scored in the final minute of normal time and extra- time to prolong their FA cup campaign. The Premier Leagues basement club were trailing to a wonder strike from Leon Best and heading out of the com- petition when stephen Wright rose to direct a cross from Angelos Basinas into his own net on ninety minutes. it was a cruel blow for chris cole- mans team as they deserved to win the third-round replay in normal time. But things got even worse at the end of extra-time when, with penalties loom- ing, Aaron Mokeona rose unopposed to head past Keiren Westwood. republic of ireland forward Best ap- peared to have denied cash-strapped Pompey a payday at home to sunder- land with a wonder goal, his tenth of the season, in the 22nd minute. Portsmouth failed to clear a long kick from sky Blues goalkeeper Westwood and the ball fell perfectly for the former southampton trainee to turn and smash an unstoppable effort from the edge of the area beyond Asmir Bergovic. Best nearly increased the lead with a volley which fizzed narrowly over the bar. it proved to be a costly miss when Wright put into his own net,And Mokoe- nas last-gasp winner ensured the hosts paid the ultimate price. u POrTsMOUTH are still waiting to learn whether their transfer embargo will be lifted by the Premier League and if they will receive 7m in television reve- nue. Pompey officials presented a new set of financial figures in a meeting with their league counterparts yesterday as they challenge a winding-up petition and con- tinue to battle debts to other clubs. A Premier League spokesman said: The board will now consider this new information and make a decision in due course. Mandaric facing tax evasion charge FORMER Portsmouth owner Milan Mandaric has been charged with tax evasion, the Crown Prosecution Service has revealed. Mandaric, now Leicesters chairman, is due at City of Westminster Magistrates Court on February 11 to face two counts of cheating the public revenue. He was arrested with former Pompey boss Harry Redknapp in November 2007. Both men have strenuously denied any wrongdoing. The charges against Mandaric date back to his time at Fratton Park and relate to the payment of 183,000 (204,000) to another person via a Monaco bank account, evading tax and national insurance contributions. On song: Leon Best runs past Michael Brown (left) and hayden Mullins Decider: Ferguson Plucky Forest downed by Ferguson first BirMiNGHAM finally saw off Nottingham Forest as Barry Ferguson set up a trip to Everton in round four. The scot played a one-two with christian Benitez before firing past Lee camp to clinch a 1-0 win for the Blues at st Andrews. rob Earnshaws woeful penalty miss had denied Forest victory in the first tie and the visitors were once again unfortunate. Nathan Tyson headed wide early on and Blues goalkeeper Joe Hart thwarting David McGoldrick. Birmingham then struck against the run of play on 62 minutes and held on to book a visit to Goodison Park. QPRs appalling run in the competition continued as they were beaten 3-2 by Sheffield United, who will face Bolton next. Lee Williamson put the Blades ahead and QPrs fate in front of owners Flavio Briatore and Bernie Ecclestone was sealed midway through the second half when Jamie Ward doubled the visitors lead and richard cresswell made it 3-0 from close range. Akos Buzsaky and Damion stewart scored for QPr. Gavin Williams last-ditch strike handed hosts Bristol City a replay in their tie with Cardiff. Michael chopra looked to have booked the visitors a clash with Leicester in the fourth round before Williams pounced. Derby ousted Millwall 5-3 on penalties after their replay at Pride Park sparked into life in extra time. After a goalless 90 minutes steve Morison put Millwall ahead only for Derby substitute steven Davis to force the shootout. footballdigest hitting back: Savage Brave faces: QPR owners Briatore and Ecclestone Reports, reactions and pictures from last nights FA Cup third-round ties at metro.co.uk/football Picture:ActionImages index.html2.html3.html4.html5.html6.html7.html8.html9.html10.html11.html12.html13.html14.html15.html16.html17.html18.html19.html20.html21.html22.html23.html