Beardo reports on a three-mendous night for Ipswich, Liverpool, Fulham and Crystal Palace.
Ipswich 3 Middlesbrough 1
Ipswich may be struggling in the league but when it comes to cup football they are a different proposition, as Middlesbrough found in crashing out of their most realistic route to Europe. Having said that it was not the kind of Boro side that Steve McClaren would field in the Premiership and only two of the side that lost to Newcastle took the field at Portman Road.
Those who did were caught flat-footed as Ipswich took the lead just two minutes from the kick-off. Jamie Clapham hit a superb pass for Thomas Gaardsoe to surge forward. The Danish defender side-stepped Robbie Stockdale before finishing with a clever shot over Mark Crossley to record only his second goal for Ipswich.
Boro had a chance to equalise as they slowly began to assert themselves but Alan Johnston fired narrowly wide with the keeper struggling. Johnston then set up Queudrue but the Frenchman sliced wide.
The killer blow for the Premiership side came when Ipswich hit them with two quick goals, just before the break. Clapham, who had been inspirational in midfield, latched on to a Miller pass in the 40th minute and fired home his first goal of the season. Right on half time Ipswich went to town and were 3-0 up when a Wilnis cross was headed home by Darren Bent.
The second half was 45 minutes of inevitability and the 88th minute goal from Queudrue was the smallest of consolations.
Fulham 3 Bury 1
Fulham set a record by fielding a side of 11 reserves against Bury, notable enough, but the fact that everyone in a Fulham shirt had international experience and that nouse was too much for a brave Bury side.
Andrejs Stolcers, who had not registered a goal for almost two years scored twice on the night, either side of half time. Bury fought and frustrated Fulham until Stolcerjs scored five minutes before the interval. The Latvian doubled the lead eight minutes into the second period and the game was virtually over.
A 72nd minute mix up between Woodthorpe and keeper Garner gifted Lee Clark a headed third for the Premiership side but there was some consolation for Andy Preece's side when Jon Newby netted a last-minute goal to claim some consolation. Bit like Boro really.
Liverpool 3 Southampton 1
Liverpool progressed into the fourth round of the Worthington Cup but the real winners from this game may well turn out to be England, because understudy keeper Chris Kirkland took centre stage and won a standing ovation with his performance.
Kirkland stood firm and thwarted Southampton with a string of first half saves that could have given the Saints an unassailable lead. Liverpool took heart from Kirkland's heroics and took the lead through the forgotten man that is Patrik Berger. The Czech international, who is on the verge of leaving Anfield, crashed home a 45th minute free-kick, via a deflection.
Liverpool's lead was threatened early in the second half but Kirkland repeated his goalkeeping heroics and made one particularly fine save to deny Rory Delap. But the young keeper was finally beaten in the 55th minute when defenders failed to clear and the ball was lashed home by Delgado.
Parity lasted less than a minute until Milan Baros drove into the box only to be denied by Niemi but the ball rebounded to Diouf who tapped home to make it 2-1. Baros was rewarded three minutes later when Diouf and Berger combined to set up the young striker for Liverpool's third goal.
Crystal Palace 3 Coventry City 0
Andrew Johnson took his impressive goal tally to ten in just five games with a brace that swept Coventry out of the Worthington Cup (as Beardo predicted: Ed) but the Sky Blues will be kicking themselves that they didn't convert their early domination into goals.
Lee Mills was the most guilty party and squandered three good chances, early on. Craig Hignett fared no better and fired over the bar from a great position. Gary Caldwell then had a go but sent his long-range drive over the bar.
Despite the onslaught on their goal Palace took the lead midway through the first half, from an unexpected opening. Coventry keeper, Morten Hyldgaard cleared a ball but only as far as Dougie Freedman. The Scot's first time pass put Adebola in possession and he, in turn, found Johnson who finished with consummate ease.
The in-form striker then wasted two opportunities to add to his tally but with 16 minutes left he made no mistake with goal number ten in the last five games. Julian Gray made it 3-0, two minutes from time, to leave Coventry wondering why Palace and not they would be in the next round.
