Sports

VAR helps Leicester advance in FA Cup

January 17, 2018
Leicester City’s players congratulate Kelechi Iheanacho for his goal after a VAR against Fleetwood Town at King Power Stadium, Leicester, Tuesday. — Reuters
Leicester City’s players congratulate Kelechi Iheanacho for his goal after a VAR against Fleetwood Town at King Power Stadium, Leicester, Tuesday. — Reuters

LONDON — Leicester City’s Kelechi Iheanacho scored the first goal in English football to be awarded using the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) as they reached the FA Cup fourth round with a 2-0 replay victory over third-tier Fleetwood Town Tuesday.

Iheanacho, who had put the host ahead in the first half, was initially ruled offside when he deftly chipped the ball over the keeper into the net in the 77th minute but the goal was given after consultation between referee Jon Moss and the VAR.

Video replays showed former Manchester City striker Iheanacho was level with Fleetwood defender Nathan Pond’s back foot before the Nigeria international raced clear to finish.

“I didn’t know if I was onside or offside but I agree totally now that I was onside,” Iheanacho told BT Sport.

“I was concentrating on the goal, I didn’t think if I was onside or offside but Riyad (Mahrez) told me that I was onside. We just waited to see what the decision was.”

Premier League side West Ham United was given a severe test by third-tier Shrewsbury Town but came through in extra time thanks to Reece Burke’s first goal for the London club.

Championship sides Cardiff City, Sheffield Wednesday and Reading all reached the next round with victories over Mansfield Town, Carlisle United and Stevenage respectively.

Iheanacho, a 25 million pounds ($34 million) signing from Manchester City in August, had endured a barren spell in front of goal since making the move, but was given a chance to shine with former Fleetwood striker Jamie Vardy starting on the bench.

The 21-year-old Nigerian opened the scoring with only his second goal for the club in the 43rd minute as Islam Slimani played a neat ball over the top and Iheanacho coolly converted.

He was similarly sharp with 13 minutes remaining as he latched onto Riyad Mahrez’s through ball and lifted it precisely over Fleetwood keeper Chris Neal only for his celebrations to be temporarily halted by the linesman’s flag.

The goal was awarded, however, 68 seconds after it hit the net as video official Mike Jones told Moss that Pond’s back foot had kept Iheanacho onside.

The second goal effectively ended Fleetwood’s resistance and set up a fourth round match between Leicester and League One side Peterborough United.

West Ham had been held to a goalless draw at Shrewsbury in the first tie and needed 112 minutes of the replay to break the deadlock at the London Stadium.

The goal was worth waiting for, however, as Burke met a cross and thrashed the ball into the top corner off the underside of the bar leaving West Ham to play Bournemouth or Wigan Athletic in the next round.

Cardiff swatted League Two Mansfield aside 4-1 away to set up a tie at home to Premier League leader Manchester City, whose manager Pep Guardiola was watching the third round replay from the stands.

Sheffield Wednesday scored in each half through Marco Matias and Atdhe Nuhiu to beat visiting League Two outfit Carlisle 2-0.

Reading’s Icelandic forward Jon Dadi Bodvarsson got a hat trick for the second-tier side who beat Stevenage 3-0.

Falcao nets late equalizer

Radamel Falcao rescued Monaco with an injury-time equalizer in a 2-2 home draw with local rival Nice Tuesday, after Mario Balotelli showed his finishing ability with both goals for the visitors.

Falcao scored from close range after substitute Stevan Jovetic’s shot was parried following a quickly-taken free kick. It was the Colombia striker’s 16th league goal in just 17 games and it cruelly usurped Balotelli’s otherwise match-winning performance.

The draw leaves defending champion Monaco third and trailing second-place Marseille — which earlier beat Strasbourg 2-0 — by one point. League leader Paris Saint-Germain will move 13 points clear of Monaco if it beats Dijon at home Wednesday. — Agencies


January 17, 2018
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