Magic Max continues Coventry Cup glory
MAXIME BIAMOU’S winner saw 1987 FA Cup winners Coventry upset League One strugglers MK Dons.
The Sky Blues are fast becoming one of this season’s memorable FA Cup stories with their second scalp of the competition.
Mark Robins’ men had already seen off Premier League Stoke – and ended boss Mark Hughes’ reign – thanks to Jack Grimmer’s strike to set up this tie.
A total of 7,833 travelling supporters – almost 750 more than the hosts – made the trip to Stadium MK to see them repeat their cup heroics – and ruin new MK Dons boss Danny Micciche’s dugout debut.
Coventry boss Robins said: “Our fans deserve enormous credit because they’ve got behind the team and made it an unbelievable atmosphere.
“It’s exactly what we’ve come to expect from our supporters because they never let us down – it’s brilliant for everybody and you can see what it means to them.
“We’re in the hat and we can’t afford to be picking and choosing who we want in the next round. Of course we’d like to go somewhere with 70,000 fans but whoever we get our focus is going to be trying to progress again.”
The League Two outfit started on the front foot and went close in the 23rd minute when Biamou’s powerful drive forced Dons keeper Lee Nicholls into a testing save.
Winger Tom Bayliss was next to threaten to score an opener shortly after half-time when he cut inside on to his right foot but fired just wide.
And the visitors snatched a winner moments later through Biamou’s third goal of the season and his second in as many games.
Ethan Ebanks-Landell failed to clear his lines for MK and the French forward gleefully poked in from close range to put Coventry into the fifth round for the first time in nine years.
Dons boss Micciche, who watched his side carve out few chances, said: “There won’t be any knee-jerk reactions – I’m a very calm and considered coach and there were a lot of encouraging signs.”
GLENN MURRAY’S taxing week ended on a happier note – with a huge slice of luck.
Brighton striker Murray, who was arrested along with his wife on Tuesday in connection with a
£1.1million tax probe, was booed by Boro fans when Chris Hughton sent him on in the 72nd minute.
But he rammed the jeers down their throats in the
90th minute when the ball cannoned off him and into the net from George Friend’s attempt to clear Markus Suttner’s left-wing cross.
Seagulls boss Hughton praised the striker’s impact. He said: “Glenn has been focused as normal and I had no hesitation in bringing him off the bench.
“With all strikers, you want to be in there to anticipate any mistakes. It was a very good cross and Glenn did what he does.
“He’s used to scoring all types of goals.” Hughton, who refused to be drawn on reports of a loan return to Brighton for Leicester striker and former hero Leonardo Ulloa, added: “I thought, in the end, we were the team who looked more likely to win it.
“But goals have been hard to come by and it looked like it was going to a replay.”
The winner was cruel on
Boro after Adama Traore’s trickery and electrifying pace had rocked Brighton.
Tony Pulis’ promotion hopefuls squandered a string of chances in the first half, including when Tim Krul and the woodwork combined to deny the exciting Traore. The Boro boss said: “We created chances in the first half and didn’t take them and Lady Luck has not shone on our side.
“In the first half, I thought Adama was fantastic. In the second, I thought he dipped a bit but he’s got everything to be a top player and he’s learning as well, which is brilliant for us.”
Premier League strugglers Brighton made seven changes to the side that started the 4-0 home defeat by Chelsea last weekend.
And Netherlands keeper Krul, making only his third senior appearance since his August move from Newcastle, soon found himself in the firing line on his return to the North East.
Boro’s Ashley Fletcher, himself making his first start upfront for three months, collected Martin Braithwaite’s lay-off but drove comfortably wide of Krul’s left-hand post. It BOO ARE YA? Murray taunts Boro fans was a bright start from the hosts and when Friend delivered a left-wing centre, Braithwaite met it but could not keep his header down.
Boro should have gone in front on the half-hour mark. The home side won a disputed corner on the right – the ball appeared to come off Traore when he was tackled by Suttner.
And Daniel Ayala nearly profited but wasted a great opportunity by heading straight at Krul.
Patrick Bamford’s quick thinking was almost rewarded in the 33rd minute when his overhead kick looped just over the bar after Ryan Shotton’s long throw was flicked on.
Boro continued to dominate and were unfortunate five minutes before the break, Fletcher releasing Traore whose ferocious strike was touched on to the near post by Krul.
It was a while coming but home keeper Darren Randolph was finally called into serious action 13 minutes into the second half.
The Republic of Ireland international failed to hold Beram Kayal’s fierce shot and then blocked Jiri Skalak’s follow-up with the midfielder injured in the collision.
Boro continued to threatened again when Traore fired narrowly beyond the near post but it was Murray who had the final say to put Brighton through.