Chelsea squeeze through as Watford upset Pompey
(Agencies)
Updated: 2004-12-01 10:39

Chelsea's Damien Duff (C) celebrates with Alexei Smertin (L) and Didier Drogba (R) after scoring against Fulham during their English League Cup quarter-final soccer match at Craven Cottage in London November 30, 2004. [REuters]

Chelsea booked their place in the League Cup semi-finals with a late 2-1 win at Fulham and were joined by unfancied Watford after the Championship side trounced Premier League Portsmouth 3-0.

Chelsea, who thrashed Fulham 4-1 just over two weeks ago, needed an 88th minute winner from substitute Frank Lampard to scrape victory on their return to Craven Cottage.

The leaders went ahead in the 55th minute on Tuesday with a deflected shot from Ireland winger Damien Duff, only for American striker Brian McBride to level in the 74th.

Watford, who thrashed Southampton 5-2 in the fourth round, claimed another top flight victim with two goals from Icelandic striker Heidar Helguson and one from Bruce Dyer.

Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho showed his determination to reach the February 27 final at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff by fielding nine first-team regulars, plus defender Glen Johnson and midfielder Scott Parker.

Fulham made much the better start, though, and striker Andy Cole was among those missing chances. They paid the price when Duff's shot from the edge of the area took a deflection off defender Ian Pearce and beat goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar.

McBride equalised when Elvis Hammond provided a low cross just a minute after replacing Cole and the American forward steered home for Chris Coleman's side.

Lampard settled the tie with a shot from outside the area which cannoned off Van der Sar into the roof of the net.

CHELSEA FIGHT

Mourinho said: "It's always difficult against a team you played 15 days ago. They felt that game, they could study it and use it to prepare the next one.

"The game was very difficult for us and credit to Chris and his players, who were fantastic. My players fought a lot... and I think we were a bit lucky to score that goal at the end."

Coleman, who slammed his men after Saturday's 2-0 defeat by Blackburn Rovers, said: "We perhaps deserved more than what we got, it was a fantastic performance.

"We were booed off on Saturday, and rightly so. Tonight we were cheered. Our fans realised we came out to prove a point. If we play like that, week in week out, there won't be a problem."

Portsmouth, playing their second game under executive director and caretaker boss Velimir Zajec after Harry Redknapp's resignation, never hit their stride at Vicarage Road.

Watford were ahead after 24 minutes when defender Neil Cox hit a free kick from the halfway line and Pompey keeper Jamie Ashdown was beaten to the ball by Helguson's header.

Helguson flicked in his second goal off Jermaine Darlington's cross in the 57th minute and Dyer snapped up their third just past the hour mark after Ashdown spilled a shot from James Chambers.

The quarter-finals continue on Wednesday with Manchester United hosting arch-rivals Arsenal at Old Trafford and Tottenham Hotspur welcoming Liverpool to White Hart Lane.

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