Biamou’s in for a date with Brum
MAX BIAMOU’S double saw Coventry set up a fourth round tie where Birmingham City will be the away team at their own ground.
Biamou paved the way for the unique tenants-versus-owners clash at St Andrew’s on Saturday week.
Coventry also bagged a £135,000 bounty in FA prize money to boost the coffers – handy when only 2,693 fans braved Storm Brendan for this.
Those supporters, already relishing the Blues derby, sang, ‘We’re coming for you, we’re coming for you, Birmingham City, we’re coming for you!’
Sky Blues boss Mark Robins was a Cup winner with Manchester United in 1990 and he was determined to honour the competition by going all out for glory.
Coventry went close when Liam Walsh’s early piledriver was held by
Jordi van Stappershoef.
But they went one better when Biamou, 29, neatly slotted home after on-loan Aston Villa midfielder Callum O’Hare put him through on four minutes.
The striker was inches away from doubling the lead when he just missed a cross from debutant Josh Pask, above.
Coventry began to seize control and centre-back Dom Hyam smacked a header against the woodwork from a corner.
Coventry wrapped up victory in six second-half minutes, making the five-point, eight-place gap between the sides in League One look more than it is.
Pask, 22, scored a debut goal with a scorcher on 50 minutes with O’Hare again the architect.
Then Biamou diverted home Walsh’s shot after Rovers failed to clear Jamie Allen’s corner. COVENTRY (3-4-2-1): Marosi 7; Rose 7, McFadzean 7 (Drysdale 85, 6), Hyam 7; Pask 7, L Kelly 6, Walsh 7 (Eccles 71, 6), Mason 7; O’Hare 8 (Jones 60, 6), Allen 7; Biamou 7. Goals: Biamou 4, 56, Pask 50.
BRISTOL ROVERS (4-2-3-1): Van Stappershoef 6; Menayese 6, Craig 6, Kilgour 6, Leahy 6; Upson 6 (Clarke 84, 6), Sercombe 6; Rodman 6, Hargreaves 5 (M Kelly 62, 6), Holmes-Dennis 5; Clarke-Harris 6.
Saturday. Should United beat Wolves, they cannot play in the fourth round next week because the Red Devils face Burnley in the Premier League. They then have a Carabao Cup semi-final second leg against Manchester City on Wednesday, January 29.
United also play Wolves in the league on Saturday, February 1. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s players will have their winter break after that game, while Wolves also have a fortnight’s rest following that match.
All top-flight clubs want to preserve their winter breaks, the first time they have been
ONCE AGAIN in the FA Cup, the gauchos came to Tottenham’s rescue.
Goals from Giovani Lo Celso and Erik Lamela settled this nervy first FA Cup tie at the new Tottenham Hotspur Stadium – and brought back some vintage memories.
The legendary Ossie Ardiles and Ricky Villa were the two trailblazing Argentinians who helped Spurs win the FA Cup in 1981 – and here were two more coming to the north London club’s aid.
Manager Jose Mourinho had moaned before kick-off that these were tough times for his injury-hit side, and fans would have to be patient.
They sure will. Spurs ended up nervously hanging on here to book introduced in England, without having to reschedule matches.
Watford must wait for their break. After the possible fourth-round tie on January 26 against United or Wolves, the Hornets play Everton in the league on February 1.
Pearson’s men also meet Brighton on February 8 before taking a two-week rest until they face United at Old Trafford in the league on February 23.
The only thing that would ease Watford’s hectic schedule of fixtures is if the game against Villa is rearranged by the Premier League and played a week later. a fourth-round tie at Southampton as Middlebrough substitute George Saville scored with eight minutes left after Lo Celso and Lamela had netted early on.
Mourinho went into this potentially awkward tie having never lost a third-round FA Cup tie.
But Jonathan Woodgate’s reviving Boro arrived unbeaten in their last six games under the former Tottenham defender.
There was some relief for the beleaguered Spurs boss with Gedson Fernandes’ loan deal from Benfica close to being completed, a medical having taken place the