Carling Cup Results 21st September 2010 Part 1

Birmingham City 3-1 Milton Keynes Dons
Birmingham learned from Blackpool’s experience and made sure MK Dons were finished off before they got started. Three goals in four minutes meant MK Dons were 3-0 down with more than an hour still to play. MK Dons did get a goal back near the end but they were unable to build on it.
Jermaine Easter started off as a loan striker for MK Dons but he was unable to repeat his goalscoring exploits in the last round.

Brentford 1-1 Everton aet, 4-3 on pens
Both sides have had a poor start to the season in the league. Brentford have one only once this season while Everton’s first three points are yet to come. But even so, Everton are two divisions above Brentford so you wouldn’t think a draw was the obvious result.
But a draw it was – and it was Brentford who held their nerve in the penalty shoot-out. Well done to Brentford. They are one of just three London sides remaining in the Carling Cup.
Nicky Adams started for Brentford but he came off after 68 minutes so he couldn’t take a penalty. He did nearly score a normal goal though.

Burnley 1-0 Bolton Wanderers
This wasn’t only a giant-killing, it was a triumph of Burnley over their former manager. Owen Coyle joined Bolton last season, leaving Burnley to sink back down into the Championship, although not before beating Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur.
Burnley were lucky to get their goal at all. The referee, thinking the ball had not crossed the line, waved play on, but luckily one of his assistants was paying attention. I bet all you England fans wish he’d been on duty at the Germany match.
Sam Ricketts played the full match for Bolton.

Millwall 1-2 Ipswich Town
Millwall have forgotten how to win. It was a big improvement on the weekend match against Watford but they haven’t actually won a game for nearly a month. Ipswich’s good season continues in the Carling Cup as well as the League.
Steve Morison could have put Millwall into the lead early in the game but it wouldn’t go in. Steve attempted to begin a Millwall fightback when he did score in the 62nd minute but although Millwall ‘won the second half’ (I quote my Millwall-supporting father), it is the score over the full match that counts and Millwall are out, having got just as far in the compeititon as Chelsea.
Troy Brown was on the bench for Ipswich.

Peterborough United 1-3 Swansea City
Maybe Chelsea should have hung onto Scott Sinclair. His hat-trick gave new club Swansea City a 3-0 victory over Peterborough United – meaning that Sinclair progresses further in the competition than his former employers. Peterborough, going well in League One, managed to find an equaliser for Sinclair’s first goal but after that Swansea were unstoppable.
Arron Davies had recovered sufficiently from a hamsttring injury to sit on the bench.
Swansea didn’t field a full-strength team – Neil Taylor was one of those rested - but there were still starting berths for Ashley Williams and David Cotterill – and it was a lovely pass from David which led to Swansea’s taking the lead for a second time. Jazz Richards played for the first team for the first time this season while Joe Allen, a 70th-minute substitute, played a big part in the winning goal.
Daniel Alfei made what I believe is his first appearance on the bench for Swansea. David Cornell was among those keeping him company. I was actually a little bit annoyed about that because Swansea’s first-choice goalkeeper didn’t play and David is the second-choice so he should have played but instead they gave the start to some new goalkeeper. But I’m a Cardiff girl. Why would I care if Swansea don’t play their best players?