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FA Cup: Spurs, Villa through to quarters after dramatic night

February 25, 2010 10:23 IST

Two goals for Roman Pavlyuchenko and two own goals helped Tottenham Hotspur advance to an FA Cup quarter-final meeting with Fulham after a 4-0 home win over Bolton Wanderers in their fifth-round replay on Wednesday.

Aston Villa's John Carew celebrates after scoring against Crystal Palace during their FA Cup fifth round replay match at Villa Park on WednesdayAston Villa, Stoke City and, for the first time in 87 years, Championship (second division) Reading, also went through to the last eight after a dramatic night of penalties, extra time and a red card.

Big-spending Manchester City look destined to end another season without a trophy after they produced another anaemic display to go down 3-1 after extra time at Stoke.

Spurs striker Pavlyuchenko followed up his weekend double with the opener at White Hart Lane before own goals by Bolton keeper Jussi Jaaskelainen and Andrew O'Brien effectively settled the game early in the second half.

Russian Pavlyuchenko, who seemed on the verge of an exit from Spurs last month after struggling to get a game, completed an excellent few days with a late fourth goal.

"It's great to see Pavlyuchenko score four goals in two games," said Spurs manager Harry Redknapp. "He's in great form and let's hope he can keep that up to the end of the season."

TWO PENALTIES

Villa went through as two penalties in the last 10 minutes from John Carew secured a 3-1 win over Championship visitors Crystal Palace.

The home team had led through Gabriel Agbonlahor, Palace levelled with a Darren Ambrose penalty after 73 minutes but near-identical fouls by Matt Lawrence on Carew allowed the Norwegian to settle the match from the spot.

At Stoke, Manchester City's Craig Bellamy cancelled out Dave Kitson's opener but the tie swung the home team's way when Emmanuel Adebayor was shown a straight red after 82 minutes.

Ryan Shawcross headed in a Rory Delap long throw in extra time and Tuncay Sanli completed the win that takes Stoke, who knocked Arsenal out earlier in the competition, into a quarter-final meeting with holders Chelsea.

It will be their first appearance in the last eight since 1972 but that looks like yesterday in comparison with Reading, who ended a drought going back to 1927.

They looked to be going out when they trailed 2-1 into stoppage time at fellow Championship side West Bromwich Albion only for Brian Howard to equalise in stoppage time before Gylfi Sigurdsson thumped in a long-range winner to secure a home quarter-final against Villa.

Source: REUTERS
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