Socer ‘Blitz’ by Spurs secures victory

Press, 8 March 1982, Page 23

Socer ‘Blitz’ by Spurs secures victory

NZPA London Hampaging Tottenham Hotspur kept on course for four big titles when a second-half “blitz" carried it to a 3-2 triumph over Chelsea in the English Football Association (F.A )' Cup quar-ter-finals on Friday. Three goals in 14 minutes right after the break carried the exciting North London club into the semi-finals of the event it won last year, and the team is still chasing the English League and League Cup titles and the European Cupwinners' Cup. Spurs were joined in the last four of the F.A. Cup by West Bromwich Albion, the only other survivors from the First Division and Second Division sides Leicester City and Queen's Park Rangers’ West Bromwich eliminated Coventry 2-0. Leicester used three players in goal in a 5-2 triumph over Shrewsbury, and Rangers beat Crystal Palace 1-0. The semi-final draw will be heldtoday.

In the First Division league race. Southampton continued to have difficulty away from home and was held’ to a 1-1 draw at Notts County as its lead dwindled to two points over Swansea. The Welsh club crushed Stoke 3-0. Manchester United stayed in third place two more points back with a 1-0 away victory over Birmingham, but the European Cup champions Liverpool had its challenge interrupted at home when Brighton upset it 1-0. Chelsea had produced the shock, of the season by beating Liverpool 2-0 at home last month, and when Fillery put it ahead after 43 minutes’ against Spurs on Friday another sensation looked likely. But that lead iasted only four minutes in to the second half. Argentine Osvaldo Ardiles took a short free kick, Glenn Hoddle curled the ball towards the goal and Steve Archibald was right there to knock home the rebound.

Hoddle. after a quiet first half, continued to shine with a fiftyfifth minute goal off a shot from outside the area which the Chelsea keeper, Steve Francis, probably should have saved. Mike Hazard made it 3-1 after 63 minutes, and though Alan Mayes pulled one back two minutes later. Spurs were the rightful winners. ENGLISH LEAGUE Football Association Cup quar-ter-finals: Chelsea 2, Tottenham 3: Leicester 5. Shrewsbury 2; Queens Park Rangers 1. Crystal Palace 0: West Bromwich 2, Coventry 0: Semi-final draw will take place in London on March 8. Division one: Birmingham 0, Manchester United 1; Ipswich 3, Everton 0; Liverpool 0, Brighton 1: Manchester City 0. Arsenal 0; Middlesbrough 0, Wolverhampton 0; Notts County 1. Southampton 1: Swansea 3. Stoke 0; West Ham 2. Aston Villa 2: Coventry v Nottingham Forest. Tottenham v

Sunderland, and West Bromwich v Leeds all postponed. Division two: Blackburn 4. Derby 1; Bolton 1. Cardiff 0; Grimsby 0, Luton 0; Newcastle 1. Barnslev 0: Oldham 0. Rotherham 3:' Sheffield Wednesday 1, Charlton 1; Watford 0. Cambridge 0: Chelsea v Leicester. Crystal Paiace v Wrexham. Queens Park Rangers v Orient and Shrewsbury v Norwich ail postponed. Division three: Bristol City 0. Oxford 2; Exeter 2. Burnley 1; Huddersfield 2. Gillingham 0; Lincoln 1. Brentford 0: Millwall 0, Doncaster 2; Plymouth 1. Carlisle 0; Portsmouth 1, Walsall 0: Reading 2. Preston 1: Swindon 5. Bristol Rovers 2; Chester v Wimbledon postponed because of illness. Division four: Blackpool 0. Aidershot 2; Bournemouth 1. Peter- . borough 1; Crew 0, Stockport 2: Hartlepool 2, Sheffield United 3; Hereford 2. Scunthorpe 1; Mansfield 2, Darlington 3: Port Vale 0.

Bury 0: Tranmere 1. Torquay 1: Wigan 2. Hull 1; Rochdale v Halifax postponed. SCOTTISH LEAGUE Football Association Cup quar-ter-finals: Aberdeen 4. Kilmarnock 2: Queens Park 1. Forfar 2; Rangers 2. Dundee 0: St Mirren 1. Dundee United 0: Semi-final draw will be sent later. Premier division: Morton 1. Airdrieonians 0; Partick 1. Hibernian 2: Celtic v Dundee United. Dundee v Rangers and St Mirren v Aoerdeen all postponed. Division one: Dumbarton 3. Ayr 1: Falkirk 3. Hearts 1: Queen of the South 4, East Stirling 0: Raith 1. Hamilton 2: St Johnstone 3. Motherwell 2: Clydebank v Queens Park and Kilmarnock v Dunfermline postponed. Division two: Alloa 1, Berwick 1: Cowdenbeath 1. East Fife 2; Meadowbank 0. Albion 2: Montrose 4. Clyde 1; Stirling 0, Brechin 2; Stranraer 0, Stenhousemuir 1; Forfar v Arbroath postponed.