Robson sent off for foul

Press, 27 January 1986, Page 24

Robson sent off for foul

NZPA-Reuter London The much-heralded comeback to the Manchester United side by the England captain, Bryan Robson, ended in sensational fashion on Saturday when he was sent off for arguing in an English Football Association Cup fourth round tie at Sunderland. Robson, who has played just 12 minutes of first team soccer since October because of injury, was dismissed by the referee, Colin Seel, 11 minutes from time, seconds after Mr Seel had booked the midfielder for fouling Sunderland’s Barry Venison. But United, which won last year’s Cup final 1-0 against Everton with just 10 men after Kevin Moran was dismissed, scrambled a nil-all draw and will be confident of beating the second division side in Wednesday’s replay. Everton, Cup winners in 1984, had an easier passage into the fifth round, winning 3-1 against Blackburn. The defender, Pat van den Hauwe, and the England striker, Gary Lineker, put the home side 2-0 up at half time but van den Hauwe’s joy was short lived as he scored an own goal in the fifty-third minute. Lineker ensured victory with his second goal, his twenty-sixth of the season, in the eighty-third minute. Robson’s dismissal provided the main talking point on a day when surprises were few and the big clubs generally brushed aside lower grade opposition. The England captain, bom just 10km from Sunderland’s Roker Park, has been virtually out of the game since pulling a hamstring in England’s World Cup 5-0 victory over Turkey in mid-October. Many feared he had returned too early for his own good as special treatment in Amsterdam ended only earlier this week. But United, both with and without Robson, contained the home side although it needed a goal-line clearance by the United centre-back, Paul McGrath, to prevent Paul Atkinson giving Sunderland the lead in the fifty-fifth minute. Tottenham, in the midst of a dreadful run of form, struggled to a 1-1 draw at second division Notts County while first division Aston Villa could only manage a 1-1 draw at home to second division Millwall. But Sheffield Wednesday maintained its impressive first division form with a 5-0 thrashing of fourth division Orient, while Arsenal’s renaissance continued with a 51 win over third division Rotherham. lan Allinson started the Arsenal goal rush with a penalty in the first minute. Stewart Robson, Charlie Nicholas — with his tenth goal in 11 games — Graham Rix and Allinson again completed the rout. Tommy Tynan scored for Rotherham. Third division York ended the Cup dreams of Altrincham, the last surviving nonleague side, with a hardfought 2-0 success. Southampton, Cup winners in 1976, eliminated third division Wigan 3-0. Another first division side to qualify for the fifth round at the expense of a third division side was Luton, which thrashed Bristol Rovers 4-0. Rovers, which beat first division Leicester in the previous round, was stunned by an early goal from the Luton striker, Mick Harford, who returned to the side just three weeks after knee surgery. Ricky Hill, Stacey North and an own goal completed the score. Chelsea and Liverpool clash today in a televised tie but the two all-first division clashes on Saturday both ended in predictable draws. West Ham and Ipswich fought out a drab 0-0 draw, while a fifty-third minute goal by Manchester City’s Gordon Davies was cancelled out eight minutes later by a penalty from Watford’s Kenny Jackett The all-second division affair between Hull and Brighton ended in a 3-2 away victory for Brighton. Hearts continued its impressive run of form with a 32 victory over Rangers in the third round of the Scottish F.A. Cup. In a full-blooded, and often controversial, match at Tynecastle the Edinburgh side sealed victory with a John Robertson goal just five

minutes from time. The Rangers goalkeeper, Nicky Walker, appeared to have the ball knocked out of his hands and Robertson tapped home. The Glasgow side, outplayed during most of the match, had Derek Ferguson ordered off 17 minutes from time for over-reacting to a challenge by Gary Mackay. Mackay and Colin McAdam scored the other Hearts goals and Ally McCoist and lan Durrant replied for Rangers. The Cup holder, Celtic, cruised through to the next round after a comfortable 2-0 win over St Johnstone. The City of Dundee also had a good day. Dundee thrashed the minor league side, Nairn County, 70, and Dundee United won 40 against Morton. ENGLISH F.A. CUP Fourth round Arsenal 5, Rotherham 1; Aston Villa 1, Millwall 1; Everton 3, Blackburn 1; Hull 2, Brighton 3; Luton 4, Bristol Rovers 0; Manchester City 1, Watford 1; Notts County 1, Tottenham 1; Peterborough 1, Carlisle 0; Reading 1, Bury 1; Sheffield United 0, Derby 1; Sheffield Wednesday 5, Orient 0; Southampton 3, Wigan 0; Sunderland 0, Manchester United 0; West Ham 0, Ipswich 0; York 2, Altrincham 0. Division one: Oxford 0, Coventry 1 (postponed from December 28). Division two: Crystal Palace 1, Norwich 2 (from December 28); Grimsby 3, Stoke 3 (from December 28); Portsmouth 1, Middlesbrough 0 (from November 9). Postponed: Bradford v. Fulham. Division three: Bolton 3, Walsall 1; Bristol City 2, Cardlff 1; Chesterfield 1, Gillingham 1; Newport 3, Plymouth ? 1; Swansea 0, Wolverhampton 2; Brentford 1, Doncaster « 3. Postponed: Derby v. Bury, Lincoln v. Bristol Rovers, \ Notts County v. Bournemouth, Reading v. Rotherham, York v. Blackpool. Division four: Burnley 3, 1 Hereford 2; Cambridge 1, — Port Vale 3; Chester 3, Torquay 1; Crewe 0, Northampton 1; Exeter 0, Wrexham 1; Mansfield 2, Aidershot 0; Rochdale 0, Hartlepool 2. Postponed: Orient v. Halifax, Preston v. Stockport, ' Swindon v. Peterborough. SCOTTISH F.A. CUP Third round Airdrieonians 0, Partick 0; Arbroath 0, Clyde 0; Ayr 1, Stenhousemuir 0; Berwick 2, Alloa 3; Celtic 2, St Johnstone 1 0; Clydebank 0, Falkirk 0; " Dundee United 4, Morton 0; East Fife 1, St Mirren 1; »■ Hearts 3, Rangers 2; Kilmarnock 1, Stirling 0; Motherwell „ 1, Brechin 1; Nairn County 0, Dundee 7; Queens Park 1, Dumbarton 0. Postponed: Aberdeen v. Montrose. ' NORTHERN IRELAND LEAGUE Ards 1, Coleraine 0; Bal- - . lymena 2, Bangor 1; Carrick 0, Linfield 4; Cliftonville 2, ** Glentoran 3; Glenavon 0, Distillery 2; Newry 2, Larne 6. " Postponed: Crusaders v. " Portadown. GOLA LEAGUE Cheltenham 2, Barnet 1; Enfield 2, Wycombe 3; Kettering 4, Telford 0; Maidstone 2, Dagenham 1; Scarborough 3, Kidderminster 5; ’ Weymouth 1, Stafford 1. Postponed: Bath v. Frick- <> ley. NORTHERN PREMIER ~ LEAGUE Chorley 0, Marine 1; Gains- r borough 3, Morecambe 0; : Gateshead 1, South Liverpool 0; Hyde 0, Bangor City 4; - Rhyl 2, Matlock 2; Southport 3, Caernarfon 3; Workington 1, Goole 1; Worksop 1, Moss- r» ley 1. Postponed: Horwich v. Buxton. . SOUTHERN PREMIER DIVISION Bedworth 0, Gosport 1; Corby 2, R.S. Southampton 4; Crawley 3, Gravesend 0; ■ Fareham 3, Alvechurch 3; “ Folkestone 1, Chelmsford 2; King’s Lynn 1, Basingstoke 1; ■> Willenhall 1, Worcester 0; ‘ Witney 0, Fisher 2. ’ MIDLAND DIVISION Bilston 0, Bromsgrove 1; > Bridgnorth 1, Stourbridge 3, Coventry Sporting 0; Mile Oak ' 1, Gloucester 4; Rushden 0, • Leicester United 1; Grantham 2, Merthyr 1; Sutton Coldfield 3, ;• VOL PREMIER DIVISION < Bishop’s Stortford 0, Worthing 1; Bognor 3, Slough 0; Carshalton 2, Epsom 1; Tooting 1, Harrow 4; Waltham- ' stow 0, Kingstonian 1.