Chelsea's Michael Essien (left) is challenged by Colchester United's Neil Danns (right) during their FA Cup fifth round match at Stamford Bridge in London yesterday. Chelsea won 3-1 to advance to the last eight. - REUTERS
london (reuters)
CHELSEA NEEDED TWO late goals by Joe Cole to beat Colchester 3-1 in the fifth round of the FA Cup on Sunday after the third division side had taken the lead and threatened to hold on for a notable Stamford Bridge draw.
A Ricardo Carvalho own goal put Colchester ahead in the 28th minute with Paulo Ferreira equalising nine minutes later.
Champions Chelsea looked increasingly nervous until substitute Cole scored in the 79th minute and the England midfielder then curled in a sublime second in injury time.
Manchester City snatched a 1-1 draw at Aston Villa as 17-year-old defender Micah Richards headed a deserved injury for City in injury time.
Earlier Middlesbrough won 2-0 at Preston North End and Birmingham City reached the last eight for the first time in 22 years with a 1-0 success at Stoke City that ended the first division's interest in the competition.
The results mean that there will be eight Premier League sides in the quarter-finals for the first time in 10 years.
Colchester hold a special place in FA Cup history thanks to their giant-killing 3-2 win over then-mighty Leeds United in 1971. The Essex team were in the fourth division then, this time they are in the third and pushing for promotion. Their entire squad cost 15,000 pounds ($26,030) compared with the 227 million of their billionaire-backed opponents yesterday.
Colchester went close to taking a shock lead in the 22nd minute when on-loan Mark Yeates drove a low shot against a post.
Chelsea failed to heed the warning though and paid the price for more slack defending. A neat build-up sent Richard Garcia free down the right and when he drove in a low cross Carvalho clumsily turned it into his own net.
The equaliser came in the 37th minute when Carvalho got his shoulder to a corner and fellow Portuguese international Ferreira hooked the loose ball in from close range.
Chelsea coach Jose Mourinho, with an eye on Wednesday's Champions League game against Barcelona, started with Frank Lampard and Cole on the bench, but threw both men into the fray for the second half and later added Hernan Crespo to the mix.
MUDDY PITCH
Colchester held out until 11 minutes from time when 37-year-old goalkeeper Aidan Davison, who had made several good saves, failed to hold a Crespo shot and Cole was on hand to drive in the rebound.
Cole capped things off for the Premier League leaders when he was left to pick his spot after Colchester had thrown everyone forward in a desperate attempt to fashion an equaliser.
The draw for the quarter-finals takes place today.
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