The offer, from Chainrai's company Portpin, is the only one Pompey's administrators PKF has received but, if it is accepted by creditors, the club could be out of administration within six weeks.

Administrator Trevor Birch said: "PKF has not received bids from any other potential buyers and we do not expect any new bidders to emerge before the club runs out of money.

"We've made it clear from the start that a new owner would need to demonstrate that it cannot only fund a Company Voluntary Agreement that is acceptable to creditors, but also cover the club's ongoing operating losses.

"Only Portpin has been able to give us the necessary assurances that the funding will be in place. This is important because at some stage it will have to give The Football League those assurances too.

"Portpin has made an offer to buy the club. The offer will form the basis of a proposal for a CVA that, in the circumstances, is likely to give the best possible deal for creditors of Portsmouth Football Club (2010) Ltd and provide the most realistic opportunity for protecting the club's financial position going forward and avoid liquidation.

"We are aiming to send details of the proposed CVA to creditors next week. Creditors will then get an opportunity to vote on the proposals at a meeting to be scheduled for early June. If the CVA is accepted, it will pave the way for Portpin to acquire the club by early July."

Perryman, Tottenham Hotspur's record appearance holder and a once-capped England midfielder, was watching as his current side - already condemned to relegation - drew 2-2 with the Blades, who saw their hopes of automatic promotion ended with the result.

"Exeter City director of football Steve Perryman was taken to hospital during today's match after feeling breathless," a club statement read.

"He is now comfortable in hospital."

Wednesday knew it only needed to match the Blades' result to secure promotion alongside Charlton Athletic after two seasons in the third tier and it took the lead through Michail Antonio in the 25th minute.

Wycombe's defensive record is the reason it will return to League Two and Nile Ranger was given far too much space to head in Chris Lines' free-kick seven minutes after half-time and seal victory.

United's disappointment was compounded as it could only draw 2-2 with another relegated side, Exeter, which went ahead in the 24th minute through a fine goal from Alan Gow.

The visitor was then reduced to 10 men when James Beattie was shown a straight red card for a tackle on James Dunne.

Lee Williamson levelled matters a minute before the break and Kevin McDonald put United ahead within two minutes of the restart, but Scot Bennett equalised late on, and if the Blades are to bounce straight back to the Championship it must be through the playoffs.

In a statement posted on the Yorkshire club's website, law firm Brabners Chaffe Street wrote that the 23-year-old striker, jailed for five years for the sex attack, 'maintains his innocence' and would be appealing against the jury's verdict.

"Mr Evans firmly maintains his innocence in this matter and as such, we confirm that Mr Evans will be appealing the decision," the firm's statement posted on www.sufc.co.uk read.

Evans was jailed at Caernarfon Crown Court last Friday after being found guilty of raping the woman at a hotel in North Wales last May.

He admitted having had sex with her, but the woman told the jury that she had no memory of the incident - and the prosecution argued that she was too drunk to consent to sexual intercourse.

Port Vale defender Clayton McDonald, 23, who also admitted having sex with the victim, was found not guilty of the same charge.

Sheffield United defender Connor Brown has been suspended by the club for comments he made on Twitter after the trial.

The Blades' reserve-team player responded to Evans's five-year prison sentence by tweeting various comments in relation to the case and his support for his team-mate.

Meanwhile, North Wales Police are conducting an investigation after the victim of the rape was named and subjected to abuse on Twitter and other websites.

Brown, 19, responded to Evans's five-year prison sentence by tweeting various comments in relation to the case and his support for his team-mate.

A club statement read: "Sheffield United Football Club have suspended reserve team player Connor Brown with immediate effect pending an internal investigation into comments apparently posted on his personal Twitter account.

"There will be no further comment from the club during the process of the investigation which it hopes to conclude swiftly."

A complaint about Brown's comments on Twitter was made to North Wales Police by a leading rape charity.

Evans, 23, was jailed at Caernarfon Crown Court on Friday after being found guilty of raping the 19-year-old woman, who was "too drunk to consent", at a hotel in North Wales last May.

Port Vale defender Clayton McDonald, 23, who also admitted having sex with the victim, was found not guilty of the same charge.

Brown, 19, responded to Evans' five-year prison sentence by tweeting his support for Evans.

A statement released on the club's official website read: "Sheffield United confirmed today that an internal investigation is under way into social media comments made by reserve-team player Connor Brown following the verdict in the Ched Evans trial.

"The club is aware of a very serious matter regarding comments made through the Twitter account of one of its players. As a result we have launched an inquiry."

England goalkeeper Joe Hart was selected between the posts while there were also places for defender Vincent Kompany and midfielders Yaya Toure and David Silva.

Tottenham Hotspur had three players included, with England internationals Kyle Walker and Scott Parker joined by last year's PFA Player of the Year Gareth Bale.

Wayne Rooney was the only representative from champion Manchester United with the league's top goalscorer, Arsenal's Robin van Persie, joining him in attack.

UEFA Champions League-chasing Newcastle United has been the surprise package of the season and was represented in the XI by Argentina defender Fabricio Coloccini.

Everton fullback Leighton Baines was rewarded for another impressive season by being handed a place, meaning there were no representatives from Champions League semi-finalist Chelsea.

Champion Reading has only one player in the Championship team of the year - experienced defender Ian Harte.

Southampton has goalkeeper Kelvin Davis, midfielder Adam Lallana and forward Rickie Lambert in the team.

James Tomkins and Mark Noble were West Ham United's two representatives with the rest of the team made up of individuals from different clubs.

Crystal Palace defender Nathaniel Clyne, Curtis Davies of Birmingham City, Cardiff City's Peter Whittingham, Blackpool winger Matt Phillips and Jay Rodriguez of Burnley completed the side.

Ched Evans, who was convicted of rape earlier this week, was named alongside Sheffield United team-mates Harry Maguire and Stephen Quinn in the League One team.

Charlton Athletic, which secured the title on the weekend, has four players in the side with Ben Hamer, Michael Morrison, Rhoys Wiggins and Johnnie Jackson making the cut.

Top goalscorer Jordan Rhodes and defender Jack Hunt were Huddersfield Town's two players with Milton Keynes Dons duo Stephen Gleeson and Darren Potter also included.

Paolo Di Canio has guided Swindon Town to promotion from League Two and two of his side, Paul Caddis and Matt Ritchie, have been named in the team of the year from the fourth tier.

Fourth-placed Torquay United was the best represented with Robert Olejnik, Kevin Nicolson, Eunan O'Kane and Lee Mansell all selected.

Kyle McFadzean and Tyrone Barnett from Crawley Town were also in the team along with Ian Sharps of Shrewsbury Town, Marlon Pack from Cheltenham Town and Barnet striker Izale McLeod.

Premier League team of the year: Joe Hart (Man City), Kyle Walker (Tottenham), Vincent Kompany (Man City), Fabricio Coloccini (Newcastle), Leighton Baines (Everton), David Silva (Man City), Yaya Toure (Man City), Gareth Bale (Tottenham), Scott Parker (Tottenham), Robin van Persie (Arsenal), Wayne Rooney (Man Utd)

Championship team: Kelvin Davis (Southampton), Nathaniel Clyne (Crystal Palace), James Tomkins (West Ham), Curtis Davies (Birmingham), Ian Harte (Reading), Adam Lallana (Southampton), Peter Whittingham (Cardiff), Mark Noble (West Ham), Matt Phillips (Blackpool), Rickie Lambert (Southampton), Jay Rodriguez (Burnley)

League One team: Ben Hamer (Charlton), Jack Hunt (Huddersfield), Michael Morrison (Charlton), Harry Maguire (Sheff Utd), Rhoys Wiggins (Charlton), Johnnie Jackson (Charlton), Stephen Quinn (Sheff Utd), Stephen Gleeson (MK Dons), Darren Potter (MK Dons), Jordan Rhodes (Huddersfield), Ched Evans (Sheff Utd)

League Two team: Robert Olejnik (Torquay), Paul Caddis (Swindon), Kyle McFadzean (Crawley), Ian Sharps (Shrewsbury), Kevin Nicholson (Torquay), Matt Ritchie (Swindon), Marlon Pack (Cheltenham), Eunan O'Kane (Torquay), Lee Mansell (Torquay), Izale McLeod (Barnet), Tyrone Barnett (Crawley)

The 23-year-old, who has scored 35 times this season for the League One club, is now considering an appeal against the jury's verdict at Caernarfon Crown Court where his co-defendant, Port Vale defender Clayton McDonald, was found not guilty of the same charge.

Both men admitted they had sex with the woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, but the prosecution said she was too drunk to consent to sexual intercourse.

In her evidence, the woman said she has no memory of the incident.

Evans' lawyers said he was "shocked and extremely disappointed".

"Mr Evans firmly maintains his innocence in this matter and is being advised regarding an appeal of the decision," they added in a statement.

The Football Association of Wales said it "recognised the seriousness of the situation".

Mr McDonald, vowed to stand by his friend, said in a statement from his legal team: "Clayton McDonald has maintained his innocence from the start and is relieved at his verdict."

"However, he is very upset and disappointed regarding the verdict given to his lifelong friend, Ched Evans, whom he will continue to support in any way possible."

The players first met 10 years ago when they were both at the Manchester City youth academy.

The incident happened at a Premier Inn near Rhyl after they had been on a night out in the seaside town on May 29.

The trial, which began on April 11, was told Mr McDonald met the woman on the street after visiting a takeaway in the early hours of the next morning.

He took her back to the hotel where they had sex and were joined by Evans, who also had intercourse with the woman.

The jury was told that as the incident took place, Jack Higgins, an "associate" of the pair, and Ryan Roberts, Evans' brother, watched through a window.

Video recordings found on Mr Higgins' phone showed he had been filming or trying to film the incident, the court heard.

Mr McDonald claimed that Evans asked if he could get involved, while Evans said it was Mr McDonald who asked him if he wanted to have sex with the woman.

Giving evidence Mr McDonald said the woman was "moaning and groaning like she was enjoying herself".

Evans told the jury she consented and was "in control of her actions".

Sentencing Evans, Judge Merfyn Hughes QC said: "The complainant was 19 years of age and was extremely intoxicated."

"CCTV footage shows, in my view, the extent of her intoxication when she stumbled into your friend."

"As the jury have found, she was in no condition to have sexual intercourse."

"When you arrived at the hotel, you must have realised that."

"You have thrown away the successful career in which you were involved."

He told Evans he must serve at least half the five-year sentence before he can be paroled.

David Fish QC, in mitigation for Evans, said it was a "sad day" for the Sheffield United striker.

"He is aged 23 and has, until now, had a promising career to which he has devoted his whole life since his teens," he said.

"That career has now been lost."

Earlier, there were chaotic scenes and Evans' verdict was delayed after court proceedings were disrupted when McDonald was acquitted, prompting a brief adjournment.

The jury first returned a not guilty verdict on Mr McDonald after four hours and 52 minutes of deliberations.

He looked elated as the verdict was read out and his family and friends in the public gallery reacted by shouting "Yes, yes".

One man left the courtroom and could be heard screaming.

Judge Hughes then rose and everyone in the public gallery was ordered to leave the court.

Mr McDonald remained in the dock with Evans who held his head in his hands and cried hysterically.

When the judge returned to court, the jury foreman gave the guilty verdict against Evans, who threw the headphones he was using to follow the trial on the floor and looked shocked.

Detective Chief Inspector Steve Williams, the senior investigating officer for North Wales Police, said: "I would like to pay tribute to the courage of the victim in this case, who has shown a great deal of resilience and strength in very difficult circumstances."

"I sincerely hope that the guilty verdict will provide some closure on this horrendous ordeal for the victim and that she will be able to rebuild her life which was shattered by these events."

Carlisle accepts that taking a hard line could spark a flurry of red cards and suspensions but he is convinced the sport would soon see the benefits and improve as a spectacle.

Last weekend saw two high-profile Premier League players accused of diving in the penalty area while there were also three instances of top-flight players arguing with team-mates.

Confrontations between rival players and the haranguing of referees are also not uncommon and Carlisle feels action should be taken.

Carlisle said: "I genuinely believe if the FA, the Premier League and referees just took a zero tolerance line to diving and confrontation, either player to player or surrounding referees, you would see a month of madness.

"You would see red cards flying around left, right and centre but it would stop it because players would be missing two games, three games - then five, six, seven through suspension.

"They would miss key games and clubs would then take a stance on it. I believe you would then see it wiped out.

"If you just took the hard line, said we're not taking it any more, you might have a month of seven-a-side games but after that, because of the financial and professional ramifications, you would see a dramatic difference in players' behaviours."

As a current player himself, Carlisle accepts his views may not be welcomed by all his fellow professionals, but he feels he has a duty in his role with the union to help project the game positively.

The 32-year-old, currently on loan with League Two Northampton Town, said: "I have to be mindful of my position as chairman of the PFA.

"I want our players to represent the game in the best possible way.

"I want them to be leading lights for future generations and want the game in England to be of the highest integrity in the world.

"To that end, we want it to be the cleanest game we have, the most genuine in the world, and that is the way forward."

Carlisle is helping promote the PFA's endorsement of the 'Know the Score' campaign to raise awareness of bowel cancer.

Players, managers and match officials are being encouraged to wear a silver 'Star of Hope' badge this weekend to highlight the case.

Carlisle said: "It is probably one of those campaigns that people don't pay any attention to until they are affected themselves.

"But with 'Know the Score' you can prompt families to take a more proactive assessment of their health.

"The earlier you catch any cancer signs, the greater your chances of survival."

England and Manchester City midfielder James Milner is also backing the campaign and Carlisle is pleased to see players getting involved with such worthwhile causes.

He said: "Because these guys play a sport they have a platform to convey a message to hundreds of millions of people on a weekly basis, not just at one-off events where they might be able to access that wider audience.

"We don't want members to feel they are taken advantage of, or there is anything expected, but we do want the boys to do more.

"There were 35,000 social inclusion visits last year, from a member base of 3,000.

"That is phenomenal and the players do fantastic work year on year, yet there is so much more we can do.

"The more work lads do like this, the better their image will be in society."

Preston manager Graham Westley accused four of his players of informing the Wednesday camp of his intended team and tactics in a press conference after his side's 2-0 defeat at Hillsborough.

The Lancashire club's chairman Peter Ridsdale has since confirmed tactical information had been divulged, but that it had not been done with any malicious intent.

The PFA's assistant chief executive John Bramhall told Press Association Sport: "We've spoken with one of the players already and a couple have commented on Twitter that they could not believe any of their team-mates would deliberately jeopardise their team's chances.

"The chairman has since said information was given, but that there was no intention to undermine their team-mates and that it was not malicious.

"He accepts that and we would support that - that the information has been inadvertently leaked."

Bramhall said the players' union would continue to monitor the situation, but that Ridsdale's comments had helped to diffuse the situation.

Bramhall added: "You would hope managers would be more mindful of their comments. An allegation had been made. It's a serious allegation against his players' integrity, but you have to accept the chairman's comments that thay had been made in the heat of the moment.

"It's difficult to understand why players would jeopardise the chances of their team getting a result and risk putting their team-mates closer to relegation."

Westley, 44, led Stevenage to the Football League for the first time in the club's history in 2010 and secured back-to-back promotions the following season when steering them to npower League One.

He replaced Graham Alexander as Preston boss in January, but the Lilywhites has won only two of the 15 games they have played since Westley took charge and has slipped to 16th place in the table, six points above the relegation zone.

North End was beaten by two Gary Madine goals at Hillsborough on Saturday lunchtime and furious manager Graham Westley immediately accused four players of informing the Wednesday camp of its intended team and shape in his post-match press conference.

However, Ridsdale, who appointed Westley in January, insists the actions were not malicious.

"What Graham said after the game on Saturday was true," Ridsdale told the Lancashire Evening Post.

"It was almost said in the heat of the moment after the disappointment of a defeat, and it was disappointing that our pre-match preparations were known to the opposition in advance.

"I'm aware categorically where the information came from, although I don't think it was done maliciously.

"It's unfortunate that it happened, but it's time to draw a line under it and move on in order to focus on our game against MK Dons on Saturday."

Westley did not take the same view in the aftermath of the defeat and believes he is working against forces in the dressing room, though has yet to name any of the accused culprits.

He said: "We are where we are because the club's got a lot of losing ways installed in the playing squad and there's no better example than when their bench said to me during the second half.

"I've got to believe their dugout when it says it to me and I think from dugout to dugout I would very rarely believe that someone would lie to me on that sort of information.

"Four players of ours yesterday (Friday), at five o'clock, revealed our team to them as a football club.

"Does it surprise me? When you've got a number of agendas within a club - and I've said since I've been here that that's the case within the playing squad here - this sort of thing happens and it's not the first time that something's happened that's surprised me.

"It's a difficult place at the moment, our club and our dressing room. But it's only by working through issues and sorting issues out that you get yourself into a winning position."

Westley's short stay at Deepdale has so far been riddled with controversy after reports emerged in national newspapers that he informed players that they would not be playing by text message in the early hours on the day of a game at Yeovil.

North End has won just two of 15 games under the control of Westley and they sit just six points above the League One relegation zone.

A report claimed the Old Firm giant was so keen to join English football that it was in talks over a move into League One.

Club sources have insisted that is not the case and Clarke himself said it would be 'disrespectful' to the Scottish football authorities to enter into any such talks.

Clarke said: "We have absolutely no intention of having any discussions with any club from another national league regarding membership of our competition.

"This would be highly disrespectful to the Scottish FA and Scottish Premier League and will not be countenanced by the Football League."

The man, aged 20 and from Aintree, Liverpool, was arrested after match officials made a complaint to Merseyside Police.

During the second half of the FA Cup third-round fixture on 6 January, Adeyemi appeared to take offence at something shouted from the Kop stand at Anfield.

The 20-year-old midfielder, who is on loan from Norwich City, alleged a fan had shouted a racially abusive comment at him as he retrieved the ball from near the crowd.

Adeyemi reported the incident to the referee. The referee notified the fourth official, who then notified the police.

The CPS said that after police interviews with the footballer and the suspect, and viewing 'enhanced' CCTV footage, there was insufficient evidence to bring any criminal charges.

In police interviews, he admitted shouting at the player, but denied it was of a racial nature.

Witness statements from others in the crowd 'tend' to support the man's version of events, the CPS said.

Jane Roden, Head of the Complex Casework Unit at CPS Merseyside, said: "I have considered a file of evidence submitted by Merseyside Police, relating to an incident which occurred when Liverpool and Oldham Athletic met in the FA Cup.

"I have viewed the extensive CCTV footage available, which has been enhanced to isolate and improve the sound.

"I have also read statements from Mr Adeyemi, the match officials and the many independent witnesses to the incident, many of whom came forward after the game to offer their evidence after hearing media reports of the incident.

"There are two important factors I have relied upon when making my decision: the enhanced CCTV footage and the high proportion of witness statements which tend to support the suspect's version of events.

"On the balance of all of the evidence, I have therefore concluded that there is insufficient evidence to bring any criminal charges in this case and I have advised Merseyside Police of my decision."

The League One side started as a huge underdog but took just two minutes to take the lead through Joel Byrom, who converted a penalty after being upended by Ryan Nelsen.

Jermain Defoe levelled for Spurs and the Premier League side moved into the last eight thanks to Emmanuel Adebayor's penalty and another well-taken strike from the impressive Defoe.

Stevenage showed glimpses of creativity which showed why it has achieved back-to-back promotions, but the gulf in ability between the two sides ultimately showed in the second half, with Defoe notching two extra strikes to push his claims for a recall.

The win came at a cost for the host, however, as Michael Dawson was carried off on a stretcher with what looked like a serious injury, while Aaron Lennon also hobbled off.

Willed on by its 4,200 travelling fans, the visitor earned a shock early penalty when Nelsen upended Byrom with a clumsy challenge.

The winger kept his nerve to slot home to Carlo Cudicini's right and give Stevenage a surprise lead.

Tottenham's night went from bad to worse shortly after when Dawson injured himself going for a challenge with Chris Beardsley. The defender, clearly in agony, came off and Kyle Walker replaced him.

Michael Bostwick fired wide for Stevenage before Lennon sneaked inside the box at the other end after beating two defenders but his low cross could only find a Stevenage defender.

Spurs almost went 2-0 down in the 25th minute when Jon Ashton met Byrom's cross but he headed just over.

Stevenage paid the price for the miss as it conceded soon after through Defoe's first.

The England international deftly took down Gareth Bale's 60-yard pass before rifling home a sweet left-foot volley.

Danny Rose had a penalty appeal turned down and Tottenham continued to be frustrated.

Its injury woes worsened eight minutes before the break when Lennon hobbled off and was replaced by Adebayor.

Bale slipped Adebayor in in first-half injury-time - but Mark Roberts put in a crucial tackle just as the former Arsenal man was about to shoot.

Defoe thought he had scored just after the break when he turned in Younes Kaboul's cross but the assistant referee flagged for offside.

Stevenage was still holding its own and came close to a second goal when Bostwick's shot ricocheted straight into the path of Roberts - but he shot straight at Cudicini.

Once again, the minnow was immediately made to pay for its profligacy as Spurs took the lead.

Roberts brought down Bale in the box as he attempted to pull a cross back, Michael Oliver pointed to the spot and Adebayor stroked home the spot-kick before running over to Harry Redknapp to shake his hand in celebration.

Stevenage then backed off Bale to almost deadly consequences as he fired a 30-yard shot which dipped over goalkeeper Chris Day and rattled the bar.

Boro hit back, with Bostwick firing a blistering 30-yard drive which Cudicini did well to tip around a post.

Roberts met Byrom's cross from the resulting corner but the defender's header crashed off the bar and bounced to safety.

Defoe wasted a glorious chance to kill the tie as he headed weakly at Day from Bale's pinpoint cross.

The England striker did not waste his next chance, however. He raced onto Bale's long throw, turned Ashton inside out and curled a shot into the far corner past the sprawling Day.

Stevenage looked for one more goal for its raucous support, who had not stopped chanting all night.

Lawrie Wilson found Craig Reid in the box but the striker's shot cannoned into Cudicini's arms.

Bale found space with his blistering pace on the counter but Van der Vaart somehow failed to connect with the cross.

The Welshman stung Day's palms in the final minute of injury-time as both sides pushed for another goal but it did not came and Spurs marched on to set up a home quarter-final against Bolton Wanderers.

Defoe is Tottenham's top goalscorer this season with 13 in 29 appearances.

Most of those goals have come off the bench however, as he has struggled to earn a starting berth for most of the current campaign after the arrival of Emmanuel Adebayor and Louis Saha.

England interim head coach Stuart Pearce hardly gave Defoe a vote of confidence last week when he ignored the 46-cap striker despite a glut of injuries up front. He even chose uncapped Sunderland striker Fraizer Campbell ahead of him.

But despite this, Redknapp still thinks the man who he has coached at Portsmouth and West Ham United has what it takes to cut it on the international level.

"I am sure he could (make the squad)," said Redknapp, who is the favourite to become the next England boss.

"There is a shortage of strikers if you look at England now, it's certainly a problem position.

"Darren Bent is out for the season, so suddenly you look at that and you think he (Defoe) has every chance of going."

Defoe will have a chance to boost his slim chances of an England recall on Wednesday evening (Thursday morning AEDT) when he takes to the field for Tottenham in its FA Cup fifth-round replay against Stevenage at White Hart Lane.

His manager has called on the 29-year-old to grasp the opportunity with both hands.

"Jermain will play," Redknapp said. "I hope he makes it for the Euros but at the moment, he has to take his opportunity when he has them for Tottenham.

"He has been disappointed not to play but Louis Saha has come in and has done well.

"He (Saha) has scored goals so it has been a difficult one. I have four front men - Saha, Defoe, (Rafael) Van der Vaart and Adebayor so there are always going to be two top players left out but that's life."

Redknapp will field a strong team for the game, meaning Scott Parker and Gareth Bale are likely to start after missing the 3-1 defeat to Manchester United.

With Spurs now almost certainly out of the Premier League title race, the FA Cup remains the only trophy that the club can realistically win this year.

Tottenham beat Cheltenham Town and Watford to reach this stage of the competition and has a great chance of making a Wembley semi-final as the winner of the Stevenage clash will face Bolton Wanderers at home in the last eight.

"It's a great opportunity for us," said Redknapp, who won the competition with Portsmouth in 2008.

"We are at home tomorrow and have a home draw in the next round so we really want to take the opportunity that we have been given.

"I would love to get to the final and to win with Tottenham. It would be great."

League One side Stevenage held Tottenham to a 0-0 draw in the original fixture last month and Redknapp has warned his team it cannot afford to underestimate its opponent.

He said: "If our players are expecting an easy night they will come unstuck.

"Over the years we have been involved in these sort of games enough to know that the Stevenage players will find another two yards of pace tomorrow night.

"They will be up for it. It will be a tough game and we have to make sure we are ready for that and be at our best."

William Gallas could also make an appearance after missing the last two months with a calf strain.

"It's good to have him available and around again," Redknapp said.

"He has good competition there. We would like to have him playing again. He has only played a few games.

"That's been a shame because he is a good player. He has won championships with Chelsea. He has been there and done it all and when he is fit he is a fantastic player."

Megson was ousted from the Hillsborough hot-seat by chairman Milan Mandaric after just over a year in charge, despite the Owls lying third in npower League One and having beaten city rival United in the Steel City derby on Monday (AEDT).

The 52-year-old is expected to be replaced by former Cardiff manager Dave Jones and Megson is disappointed he was not allowed the time to deliver promotion.

"I am very saddened that I will no longer have the opportunity to manage my hometown club, Sheffield Wednesday," he said in a statement issued through the League Managers Association.

"With just 13 games left this season and currently in third place in npower League One, it is very disappointing that I will not have the chance to guide this great club to promotion and back to the Championship.

"At some point in the future, I would love to come back to Hillsborough to finish the job I feel I had only just started.

"I am sure that many people are aware of the strong affection I hold for Sheffield Wednesday, not only from my playing days, but also the family connection with my father having served as club captain.

"One of the reasons I took the job was to be able to work with the Sheffield Wednesday supporters. They have been terrific, a highlight of my career, and I would love to work with such great fans again.

"I would like to thank the staff at the training ground, they are fantastic people, and the players, who are honest, dedicated and full of enthusiasm. I cannot praise them highly enough.

"I wish the club all the very best for the rest of the season."

Despite receiving widespread criticism for sacking Megson, Mandaric has remained defiant, insisting the decision was in the best interests of the club.

"It was very a hard decision but it was the best decision for our supporters," he said.

"It was not done for me or for anyone else, it was done for the best of the club."

Manchester United striker Macheda, currently on loan at Queens Park Rangers, Newcastle United forward Ranger and Walsall's Smith are accused of acting in a way which was 'improper and/or brought the game into disrepute', including 'a reference to a person's or persons' sexual orientation'.

The three players have until 4pm on Wednesday to respond.

An FA statement read: "Newcastle United's Nile Ranger, Walsall's Manny Smith and Manchester United's Federico Macheda, currently on loan at Queens Park Rangers, have all been charged with improper conduct in relation to comments made on Twitter.

"The charge is that the players acted in a way which was improper and/or brought the game into disrepute.

"It is further alleged that the breach included a reference to a person's or persons' sexual orientation.

"Each has until 4pm on Wednesday 29 February 2012 to respond to the charge."

West Ham United midfielder Ravel Morrison was last week fined £7,000 ($10,302) by the FA in response to a homophobic remark made on Twitter.

Morrison, who completed an undisclosed switch to Upton Park from Manchester United at the end of January, is reported to have made the comment in response to another Twitter user.

The 19-year-old was also warned as to his future conduct by the FA.

Liam Bridcutt twice turned the ball into his own net, the first, just before half-time after Kazenga Lua Lua had levelled Martin Skrtel's early header, proving crucial.

Lewis Dunk also scored an own goal, although Reds boss Kenny Dalglish will be more pleased that man-of-the-match Andy Carroll was also on target before setting up Luis Suarez, who had already missed a penalty he was urged to take by Dalglish.

Stevenage defied the odds and put on an impressive display to hold Tottenham Hotspur to a goalless draw in its fifth-round tie at the Lamex Stadium.

The League One side started the day 47 places below Spurs in the league ladder, but it more than held its own with some dogged tackling and confident passing in midfield.

Carlo Cudicini saved well from Scott Laird's header in the first half and Joel Byrom blasted just over in the second period while Tottenham had a goal ruled out for offside.

Crawley Town was unable to provide an FA Cup upset as 10-man Stoke City secured progression to the quarter-finals, a 2-0 winner in Sussex.

Stoke was on the backfoot for most of the opening 45 minutes and its League Two opponent went close when Peter Crouch hit his own crossbar.

Stoke's task became harder when it had Rory Delap sent off for a challenge on David Hunt after 17 minutes, but Jon Walters netted a penalty as half-time approached before Crouch added a second goal seven minutes after the restart to seal the win.

The 25-year-old's last-gasp effort secured a 3-2 victory against the Championship promotion-chaser at St Mary's and sets up a home tie with Bolton Wanderers.

Millwall started the match strongly and broke the deadlock after 17 minutes when Liam Trotter struck home from close range. Adam Lallana pegged the visitor back with a superb solo goal and after the break Rickie Lambert fired Southampton into the lead.

For all of the home side's attacking intent, goalkeeper Bartosz Bialkowski was being called into action regularly and was beaten by former Saints loanee Dany N'Guessan with 11 minutes remaining.

The match looked to be heading for extra-time until Feeney cut in from the left to curl in a stunning winner in stoppage-time.

In the night's other fourth-round replay, Blackpool earned a trip to Everton after a scintillating 3-0 demolition of Sheffield Wednesday at Hillsborough.

The game was effectively won in the opening 15 minutes as Matt Phillips continued his red-hot scoring streak with a precise finish and Lomana LuaLua curled in a superb effort soon after.

The Seasiders produced an outstanding attacking display and made it three shortly after the break with another goal of sheer quality, Ludovic Sylvestre bending in from the edge of the area.

The 31-year-old former Leeds United and Manchester United midfielder has made just two substitute appearances for the Magpies this season and has now joined the promotion-chasing League One club.

Newcastle confirmed in a statement that Smith would be available to make his debut when the Dons face Sheffield Wednesday on Tuesday evening (Wednesday morning AEDT).

The loan arrangement also contains a provision for Smith to play for the Dons in the play-offs. It is currently fifth in the League One table.

It was a sweet moment for Kenny Dalglish's side after its win over City in the Carling Cup semi-finals in midweek and against a background of heightened tensions between the two bitter rivals after Luis Suarez's eight-match ban for racially abusing United defender Patrice Evra.

Daniel Agger opened the scoring with a 21st-minute header for the host but Park Ji-sung equalised six minutes before the break and a replay looked on the cards until Kuyt grabbed the winner two minutes from time.

The match between Queens Park Rangers and Chelsea was also very much overshadowed by off-the-field issues in the build-up, with the teams meeting for the first time since John Terry was charged with racially abusing Anton Ferdinand during October's Premier League game between the two, a charge he denies.

The Football Association agreed the teams could forgo the traditional pre-match handshake in an effort to reduce tensions, which were ratcheted up the previous day when the Metropolitan Police announced they were investigating a 'malicious communication' sent to QPR and addressed to Ferdinand.

Events on the pitch did little to take the spotlight off Terry and Ferdinand, with Chelsea claiming a 1-0 victory courtesy of Juan Mata's 62nd-minute penalty for a debatable foul by Clint Hill on Daniel Sturridge.

The biggest shock of the day came in the final match as Brighton & Hove Albion dumped out Premier League Newcastle United with a 1-0 victory at the Amex Stadium.

It was a deja vu moment for Magpies defender Mike Williamson, who deflected in Will Buckley's close-range effort for the only goal 14 minutes from time.

Williamson also scored an own goal last season when Newcastle lost to then League Two side Stevenage in the third round of the competition.

In the 3pm (local time) kick-offs, once again it was Crawley Town which provided the shock of the day, the League Two side defeating Championship Hull City 1-0 thanks to Matt Tubbs' 57th-minute goal to reach the fifth round for the second successive year.

League One Sheffield Wednesday looked to have followed up its fourth-round win over West Ham United by knocking out another Championship side as Clinton Morrison lobbed it ahead at Blackpool but Kevin Phillips equalised in injury-time via a dubious penalty.

Last year's runner-up Stoke City made a great start, taking the lead in the fifth minute through Cameron Jerome, and Robert Huth added a second nine minutes from time for a 2-0 win at local rival Derby County.

Bolton Wanderers, the team Stoke beat 5-0 in the semi-finals in 2011, is also through thanks to Chris Eagles' 56th-minute winner against Swansea City - visiting goalkeeper Gerhard Tremmel culpable.

Luke Moore had put the Swans ahead but it was quickly cancelled out just before half-time by Darren Pratley, scoring for the first time since a goal for Swansea in last season's play-off semi-final.

A goal from Simeon Jackson five minutes from time earned Norwich City a 2-1 win at West Bromwich Albion in another all Premier League clash after Marc Antoine Fortune had cancelled out Grant Holt's first-half opener.

League Two Swindon Town was the hero of the third round after knocking out top-flight Wigan Athletic but it went down 2-0 to Leicester City as Jermaine Beckford made it five goals in the competition this season.

Birmingham City was a comfortable 4-0 winner against Sheffield United at Bramall Lane thanks to goals from 17-year-old Nathan Redmond, Wade Elliott and a brace from Adam Rooney.

Rickie Lambert's 31st-minute goal looked like it would be enough for Championship high-flyer Southampton to beat Millwall but Darius Henderson struck four minutes from time to secure a 1-1 draw.

In the all League One clash, Damion Stewart's own goal (12) put Stevenage into the fifth round for the first time in its history as it beat Notts County 1-0.

The npower League One club, which strengthened its playoff position with a 4-2 win over MK Dons under the guidance of caretaker boss Mark Roberts, turned to former Colorado Rapids coach Smith following Graham Westley's departure for Preston this month.

Smith coached at Wimbledon, Wycombe and Watford before joining the staff at Arsenal. In 2008 the Gunners arranged for him to join the Rapids, who are owned by the Barclays Premier League club's major shareholder Stan Kroenke.

A 20-year-old man arrested on suspicion of racially abusing Adeyemi has been released on bail, police said.

The man, from Aintree, was arrested by Merseyside Police, who are investigating the incident, and the Premier League club has now moved to express its regret over the matter.

A statement from the club read: "Whatever the outcome of what is now a police investigation, all of us are deeply sorry for what happened on Friday night and our players and our club pass on our sincere regrets to Tom Adeyemi for the upset and distress he suffered as a result of the matter at hand."

Gordon Taylor, chief executive of the Professional Footballers Association, said he had spoken to Adeyemi about the incident.

He said: "We can confirm that he was the victim of racist abuse towards the end of the Liverpool v Oldham FA Cup tie last Friday evening.

"This abuse came from a spectator sitting in the Kop section of the ground.

"Tom has given a full witness statement to the Merseyside police regarding the incident and will continue to assist the police fully in their enquiries."

Liverpool defended its record on racism and pointed to the ethnic diversity of its own fanbase.

"Our supporters are renowned throughout the world for their outstanding commitment, passion and fairness," the club statement continued.

"They are drawn from nationalities across the globe with widely diverse backgrounds and heritages.

"The actions of any one individual do not represent our fans. Their stance on these issues is just as resolute as the club's.

"We have a very clearly stated public stance on discrimination and intolerance with dedicated staff that work hard daily on programs in this important area.

"Regarding the incident that occurred on Friday evening, we have given Merseyside police every possible assistance we can and will continue to provide the necessary support to their investigation in order to ensure this particular incident is dealt with properly.

"We will continue to take the strongest possible action(s) against unacceptable behaviour during our matches."

The investigation takes place as Liverpool striker Luis Suarez is currently seeing out an eight-match ban for racially abusing Manchester United defender Patrice Evra.

The man, from Aintree, is being questioned by officers from Merseyside Police who are investigating the incident which took place in the second half of the match at Anfield.

Late in the FA Cup third-round fixture, the 20-year-old, on loan from Norwich City, appeared to take offence at something shouted from the Kop.

Despite reassurance from his team-mates and Liverpool players Dirk Kuyt and Steven Gerrard, the right-back seemed close to tears.

There then appeared to be discussion between the fourth official and a police officer down by the tunnel while the match was continuing.

A police spokesman said: "Merseyside Police can confirm that tonight a 20-year-old man from the Aintree area of Merseyside has been arrested on suspicion of a racially aggravated public order offence following an incident at Anfield on Friday evening.

"The man is currently in custody being interviewed by detectives."

Liverpool, which won the match 5-1, said it is also investigating the incident.

The club issued a statement saying it was continuing to work closely with the police to establish the facts surrounding the incident.

The statement read: "We take this matter extremely seriously and have today provided the police with the evidence we currently have available to us.

"This includes CCTV coverage and still photography of what we believe to be the relevant part of the stadium, statements from matchday stewards in that area and full access to all the footage captured by the cameras filming the match for our in-house TV operation.

"In addition, we have examined records of the tickets purchased in that part of the ground to see if they provide any additional information and have passed that on to the police.

"Finally, we would also urge any of our supporters who witnessed this incident or saw the individual involved and who have not already done so, to contact either the club or the police."

The investigation takes place as Liverpool striker Luis Suarez is currently seeing out an eight-match ban for racially abusing Manchester United defender Patrice Evra.

Premier League side Wigan was awarded a penalty after Aden Flint fouled Callum McManaman but Latics midfielder Ben Watson missed the resulting spot kick.

However, McManaman chased up the rebound to put Wigan ahead 10 minutes before the break, but the lead was short-lived as Alan Connell levelled the score with five minutes of the first half remaining with a header from the left of the six-yard box.

Paul Benson's strike gave the Robins the lead in the 76th minute and Paolo Di Canio's side held on to seal progression to the fourth round for the first time in 16 years.

Stevenage maintained its reputation as a giant killer as it beat Championship side Reading 1-0 at the Madejski Stadium.

The League One side, which knocked Newcastle United out of the cup in the third round last season, held on to the slender lead earnt by Darius Charles' 21st-minute strike.

Charles fired home from 20 yards to book his side a place in the fourth round.

Bolton Wanderers escaped embarrassment as David Wheater's header saw it salvage a replay against League Two Macclesfield Town as they drew 2-2 at Moss Rose.

The Premier League side took the lead through Ivan Klasnic after he pounced on Nathaniel Brown's clearance in the seventh minute but the advantage was shot lived as Colin Daniel drew Macclesfield level in the 16th minute.

Arnaud Mendy's 25-yard volley then handed the Silkmen the lead in the 68th minute before Wheater headed the Trotters level.

Blue Square Premier leader Wrexham earned a replay against Championship side Brighton as they drew 1-1 at the Falmer Stadium.

Jake Forster-Caskey's opener for Brighton was cancelled out by midfielder Adrian Cieslewicz's second-half strike to book a rematch at the Racecourse Ground.

League Two leader Crawley Town caused an upset as it beat 10-man Bristol City 1-0 at the Broadfield Stadium.

The Championship side was reduced to 10 men when midfielder Stephen Pearson was shown red for his second bookable offence after Matthew Tubbs' 73rd-minute score proved to be decisive.

League One Notts County caused a minor upset as it dumped Championship struggler Doncaster Rovers out of the cup with a 2-0 win at the Keepmoat Stadium.

Jeff Hughes scored a goal in each half for County to seal progression to the next round after it famously took Manchester City to a replay last season.

Swansea City came from behind to beat Championship side Barnsley 4-2 at Oakwell.

Ricardo Vaz Te put Barnsley ahead in the 29th minute but the lead was short-lived as Angel Rangel hit back for Swansea 90 seconds later.

Danny Graham blasted the Swans ahead in the first minute of the second half with a 30-yard strike before Nathan Dyer scored.

Vaz Te netted his second of the game, and 12th of the season, but Graham's 89th-minute score sealed progression for Brendan Rodgers' side.

Championship leader Southampton came from behind to beat Coventry City 2-1.

Gary McSheffrey gave Coventry the lead in the fifth minute before James Ward-Prowse levelled for Saints after the break with a close-range strike, with Aaron Martin's 82nd-minute header sealing the win.

Everton ground out a 2-0 win over Blue Square Premier League side Tamworth at Goodison Park.

Johnny Heitinga headed the Toffees in front from a Landon Donovan corner in the fifth minute before Leighton Baines sealed the win from the penalty spot after Royston Drenthe was brought down by Samuel Habergham.

Stoke City came from behind to run out a 3-1 winner over League Two's Gillingham.

Danny Kedwell put the Gills in front before Jonathan Walters levelled for Stoke 10 minutes before the break.

Cameron Jerome put the Premier League side ahead when he pounced on the ball after Ryan Shawcross' header rebounded off the bar before Robert Huth headed Wilson Palacios' corner past Gills goalkeeper Ross Flitney for the third.

Matty Phillips struck his second hat-trick in four games for Blackpool as the Seasiders ended Blue Square Premier Fleetwood's hopes of an FA Cup upset with a 5-1 win at Highbury Stadium.

Lomana Tresor LuaLua put the Tangerines in front in the 24th minute before Phillips' 25-yard curling shot beat keeper Scott Davies just after the break.

Thomas Ince's strike on the half-volley and two more for Phillips sealed the win, with Jamie Vardy's 70th-minute strike for Fleetwood scant consolation.

Clint Dempsey scored a hat-trick as Fulham avoided a potential upset against Charlton as it ran out a 4-0 winner at Craven Cottage.

Dempsey fired the opener in the eighth minute before netting again twice after the break, once from the penalty spot, before Damien Duff added the fourth to seal a convincing win over the League One side in the 87th minute.

Heidar Helguson's 89th-minute equaliser salvaged a replay for Queens Park Rangers as it drew 1-1 against MK Dons.

League One's MK took the lead through Dean Bowditch and looked to be on the way to creating an upset against its Premier League opponent, but Helguson drilled the crucial goal from the edge of the area to book a rematch at Loftus Road.

Grant Holt and Simeon Jackson put Norwich 2-0 up in the opening 12 minutes before Jay Rodriguez hit back for Burnley almost immediately.

Holt then struck the post with 31st-minute penalty but the miss did not matter in the end as Norwich added two more goals in the second half through Andrew Surman and Steve Morison.

Hull City edged into the fourth round at the expense of fellow Championship side Ipswich Town after winning 3-1 at the KC Stadium.

Aaron Mclean's 27th-minute effort and Tom Cairney's 25-yard strike five minutes later gave the Tigers a comfortable lead.

Jason Scotland hit back for Ipswich but Cameron Stewart's last-minute goal sealed the win for Hull.

Jonas Gutierrez's stoppage-time goal saw Newcastle United beat Blackburn Rovers 2-1.

David Goodwillie put Blackburn in front in the 35th minute but Hatem Ben Arfa equalised for Newcastle in the 70th minute before Gutierrez lobbed in the winner with the last kick of the game.

Sheffield United beat Salisbury 3-1 to book its place in the next round.

Chris Porter scored his eighth goal of the season to put the Blades in front before Ched Evans added a second and Daniel Webb's own goal secured the win, with Lloyd Macklin's late score for Salisbury small consolation.

Tottenham Hotspur claimed a comfortable 3-0 win over Cheltenham at White Hart Lane with goals from Jermain Defoe, Roman Pavlyuchenko and Giovani Dos Santos.

Craig Forsyth scored twice as Watford beat Bradford City 4-2 at Vicarage Road.

Troy Deeney headed Watford ahead early on but James Hanson's close-range strike brought Bradford level five minutes later.

Marvin Sordell edged the Hornets back in front before Forsyth's double sealed the win ahead of Nahki Wells' late score.

Simon Cox scored a hat-trick as West Bromwich Albion also claimed a 4-2 win, beating Cardiff City.

Cardiff had fought back from 2-0 down with goals from Robert Earnshaw and Joe Mason cancelling out efforts from Peter Odemwingie and Cox, but the Republic of Ireland international netted twice more in the last half-hour to seal the win and complete his treble.

Derby County beat Crystal Palace 1-0 thanks to Theo Robinson's ninth-minute goal while Marvin Emnes scored his first goal in nine games to help Middlesbrough defeat League Two Shrewsbury 1-0.

Elsewhere, there were goalless draws in the games between Dagenham and Redbridge-Millwall, Nottingham Forest-Leicester City and Birmingham City-Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Marc Albrighton, Gabriel Agbonlahor and Ciaran Clark gave Villa a comfortable lead before some poor defending allowed Scott McGleish to score in the 90th minute.

Villa then conceded a penalty in stoppage-time when Stephen Warnock handled the ball, but Brad Guzan comfortably saved McGleish's spot kick.

A host of Premier League clubs were monitoring Ibe but the forward will move to Anfield after the two clubs reached an agreement on Tuesday.

The 16-year-old shot to prominence this season, becoming the youngest player to represent Wycombe in the Football League and the youngest scorer for the Buckinghamshire club in its history.

Wanderers manager Gary Waddock said: "It's a fantastic move for him. He's a phenomenal talent which is why we gave him a chance to show what he can do at first-team level.

"Obviously we wanted to keep him, but we didn't want to stand in the way of an opportunity he deserves. I have no doubt in my mind that he will go on to become a big star and I will be keeping a close eye on his progress.

"I would like to wish him and his family all the best for the future."

Bermondsey-born Ibe arrived at Wycombe as a 12-year-old after being released by Charlton Athletic. After two superb seasons in the club's youth team, he burst onto the scene for the first team by scoring a superb goal against Staines in a pre-season friendly this northern summer.

He made his senior debut in a Carling Cup clash against Colchester United in August aged just 15 years and 244 years, and scored a stunning individual goal on his first professional start in a League One fixture against Sheffield Wednesday in October.

In total, Ibe made 11 first-team appearances for Wycombe.

The keeper collided with United defender Neill Collins just before half-time of the match and collapsed to the ground before Cresswell, Lucas's former Preston North End team-mate, put the 34-year-old into the recovery position to stop him swallowing his tongue.

"As dramatic as it sounds to say he saved my life, maybe he did," Lucas told the BBC.

"It was lucky on my part that someone as sensible and quick-thinking like 'Cressy' reacted as quickly as he did."

The keeper received medical treatment in his own penalty area as play was stopped for 10 minutes.

"I've been told Cressy put me in the recovery position and stopped me swallowing my tongue," said the goalkeeper about the game his team lost 3-0.

"I only remember a free-kick outside of the box which came into the area and started curling away from me. I thought 'I've got to steady myself here and go in for the ball'.

North End has been without a chairman since Maurice Lindsay stepped down last Thursday due to ill health.

Owner Trevor Hemmings was expected to make the new appointment from within his personal business empire, making Ridsdale's arrival at Preston - currently 14th in League One under manager Phil Brown - something of a shock.

Ridsdale moves to Deepdale from Plymouth Argyle, where as acting chairman he oversaw James Brent's takeover of the stricken npower League Two club.

The 59-year-old, who enjoyed a brief period at Barnsley, is best remembered for his time with Leeds from 1997 to 2003, when a lavish transfer policy led the Yorkshire club to the semi-finals of the UEFA Champions League before a dramatic slide in fortunes and relegation from the top flight.

In a statement released by Preston, Ridsdale said: "I am delighted and privileged to be joining Preston North End Football Club.

"Preston North End is a football club that has an incredible football heritage, a large and loyal supporter base and a club that frankly ought to be competing to join the Premier League rather than playing in League One.

"I sincerely hope that working with Preston North End's existing staff and with the continued support of its fan base, I can play a part in ensuring that we return to the Championship as a minimum in the not too distant future."

The League One star was held after police were called to the team's hotel in Croydon, south London, on Sunday (AEDT).

The 35-year-old was taken into custody following the alleged incident involving a woman the night before his team's FA cup fixture against Sutton United.

He was later released on bail.

A Metropolitan Police spokesman said: "Police were called at approximately 11.10pm on Saturday December 3 to a hotel in Purley Way, Croydon, following an allegation of sexual assault.

"A man, aged 35, was arrested on suspicion of sexual assault and taken into custody at a south London police station.

"He was subsequently bailed to a date in late January pending further investigation by officers from Croydon borough."

Notts County said it was aware that an allegation had been made.

The club said in a statement: "Notts County can confirm that the club are aware of an alleged incident involving one of our players at the team's hotel on Saturday, December 3.

"As this is a police matter, the club will be making no further comment on this incident."

Hughes, who has played for Notts County since 2009 after leaving Oldham Athletic, had his contract at the club extended in October by another 18 months.

Ojo, 14, has been snapped up by the Premier League club's academy after four years with the Dons.

The midfielder has been capped twice by England at under-16 level during its recent Victory Shield campaign.

"This is the opportunity of a lifetime for Seyi and his parents which has proved far too difficult to turn down," Dons chairman Peter Winkelman told the club's official website, mkdons.com

"There has been a lot of interest and speculation regarding Seyi which he has coped with admirably.

"We are extremely proud to have Seyi in our record books as our first schoolboy to receive an international cap. Everyone at the club would like to wish Seyi the best of luck in his future and we all look forward to the day he runs out at Anfield."

The 18-year-old, who is on loan from Colchester United, is now recovering at home after he was stretchered off with severe concussion during a Johnstone's Paint Trophy clash with Tranmere Rovers.

Bender needed 30 minutes of treatment on the pitch, including oxygen and a drip, before an ambulance took him to hospital for a brain scan, after a horrific collision with his team-mate Ian Dunbavin.

The match, which Tranmere was leading 2-1, had to be abandoned.

Being released from hospital is more good news for Bender and his family, with his father Lee having earlier released a statement thanking both clubs and the authorities for their help.

He said: "Tom's okay. He's in good spirits. He doesn't remember too much about it but that's nothing unusual!

"I'm just glad I was here really. I don't think he knew much about it, though. He certainly didn't acknowledge me in the hospital, he recognised his team-mate Kurtis Guthrie more than me.

"It was just a comfort to me, my wife and my family that I was able to be with him.

"The medical care he got was absolutely superb. I'd like to thank everyone from Accrington and from Tranmere and the medical staff.

"We couldn't have wished for any more. The players and management teams from both sides were great and everyone at Colchester has been brilliant too.

"We're just waiting to find out from the doctors when they are going to release him from the hospital and when he's available to come back for training and selection for the first team."

The incident happened when Bender collided with Dunbavin as the goalkeeper came out to clear a ball into the box in the 38th minute.

Bender was knocked out and needed half-an-hour of treatment on the pitch, before an ambulance took him to Blackburn Hospital for a scan on his head.

A spokesman at the hospital earlier said: "Mr Bender is comfortable and waiting to see the medic for assessment."

Stanley chief executive Rob Heys visited the player in hospital and on Wednesday morning said: "He regained consciousness last night and was in a stable condition. He was in good spirits when I left."

Bender joined Accrington last month on a season-long loan deal and made his debut as a substitute against Barnet, on 3 September. His first career start came in a 3-2 defeat of Carlisle United in the Johnstone's Paint Trophy the following week.

He has also represented Wales at Under-17, Under-19 and Under-21 level - coming on as a substitute in the latter's match against Hungary last month.

The on-loan Colchester United man will remain in Blackburn Hospital overnight after taking a full blow in the face from Ian Dunbavin as the goalkeeper came out to clear a ball into the box in the 38th minute.

The 18-year-old was knocked out and needed half-an-hour of treatment on the pitch, including oxygen and a drip, before the ambulance took him to hospital for a scan on his head.

"Tom is now fully conscious," Stanley chief executive Rob Heys said after visiting the player in hospital. "He has been for a scan which has come back as normal.

"He is severely concussed and is being kept in overnight for medical staff to keep an eye on him, but he's stable and that's great news."

Accrington manager John Coleman said: "Their striker was trying to get the ball. He was eager and it led to Tom's momentum going on to a full-blooded punch from 'Bavs'.

"It was like double the force and the fact Tom didn't move when he hit the floor is a concern. The lads immediately knew something was wrong and waved the physio over straight away.

"The physio admitted it was scary. They didn't want to move Tom and we just had to wait for the ambulance to arrive, which obviously took some time.

"His dad was here watching and he has gone to hospital with Tom so he is close at hand.

"He is now in the safest hands and we've just got to hope and pray everything is okay."

Coleman admitted nothing like this had happened to him in his 14 years of football management.

He said: "I feel sick and am obviously concerned for the lad and his family but his vital signs, we are led to believe, are okay.

"Hopefully he will make a recovery. He hadn't come round but his breathing was stable."

Bender joined Accrington last month on a season-long loan deal and made his debut as a substitute against Barnet, on 3 September. His first career start came in a 3-2 defeat of Carlisle United in the Johnstone's Paint Trophy.

He has also represented Wales at Under-17, Under-19 and Under-21 level - coming on as a substitute in the latter's match against Hungary last month.

Both managers agreed referee Rob Lewis was right to call the contest off, with Tranmere leading 2-1 at the time of the incident.

Coleman added: "I am glad the game is off as I think a few of the players, including the goalkeeper, wouldn't have been in the right frame of mind to go on."

Tranmere boss Les Parry added: "It's a game of football and when someone's health is involved that's got to take precedence."

Stanley had taken the lead in the ninth minute when Kevin McIntyre's cross was turned into his own goal by Zoumana Bakayogo but Tranmere hit back to lead with goals from Ash Taylor (20) and Mustafa Tirkyaka (35), before play was halted.

Bellamy linked up with strike partner Luis Suarez to put Liverpool ahead in the seventh minute when his low strike fired past the goalkeeper and in off the far post.

Dirk Kuyt doubled the lead in the 81st minute before Brighton pulled one back when Ashley Barnes scored from the spot after Jamie Carragher fouled Vicente Rodriguez.

Steven Gerrard came on as a substitute for the last 15 minutes after spending six months on the sidelines with a recurring groin injury.

Owen Hargreaves scored on his Manchester City debut to help dump holder Birmingham City out of the Carling Cup in a convincing 2-0 win.

Hargreaves' impressive strike put City ahead in the 17th minute before Mario Balotelli doubled the lead before half-time with a precise low strike.

Birmingham had no answers to the multi-million pound strike-force and saw its quest to retain the silverware end at the Etihad Stadium.

Championship leader Southampton beat League One side Preston North End 2-1 thanks to goals by Jos Hooiveld and Adam Lallana.

Hooiveld put the Saints in front with a header from close range before Adam Barton equalised for Preston in the 52nd minute.

Substitute Lallana sealed the win in the 66th minute with a stooped header.

Jason Roberts' penalty close to the interval was all Blackburn had to show for its domination and just past the hour it was made to pay by David Mooney's equaliser.

However, the home side responded with goals in quick succession from Ruben Rochina and northern summer signing Simon Vukcevic and even a late consolation from Dean Cox could not prevent Blackburn registering back-to-back wins for the first time since 8 January.

"I thought we made hard going of it and I wasn't too pleased with how we played the first half," said Kean.

"We were a bit slow with our passing, there were too many backwards and square and when Orient had it we didn't show enough intensity to get it back so I thought we were poor.

"But reflecting on the whole game, when they came back into it we should have been four or five goals in front.

"But for poor finishing and a good goalkeeping performance I think the game would have been out of sight.

"I felt we had the possession but we didn't get it out wide."

Kean made eight changes from the team which beat Arsenal at the weekend, with the likes of Nick Blackman and Vukcevic making their first starts for the club and Vince Grella playing his first game since February.

But even so, the Rovers boss did not think they provided any excuse.

"A lot of those players needed a game - certainly Radosav Petrovic, Vince Grella and Vukcevic - but they are training and can compete at a very high level," he added.

"I think they should have been taking more responsibility and I said that to them at half-time and they did much better after that."

Orient boss Russell Slade felt had his side managed to keep things level for longer it would have stood a chance but he was far from disappointed by the result.

"We came here under difficult circumstances for a League One club striving to get their first win in the league and we had eight players injured, three of them goalkeepers," he said.

"The important thing was to stay in the game and I think we did for long periods.

"We know they were capable of going forward and hurting us but even at 1-1 we knew it was going to be a difficult task.

"It made contest of it and there were moments when maybe it could have been our night but fair credit to Blackburn.

"The performance of Lee Butcher (Orient's goalkeeper) kept us in it."

Just when Wenger must have thought things could not get any worse in a nightmare start to the Gunners' new campaign, Collins pounced to head home a superb 16th-minute cross from Marvin Morgan.

But the youthful Gunners hit back through Kieran Gibbs' 33rd-minute equaliser and second-half goals from Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain - on his full debut - and Yossi Benayoun wrapped up a 3-1 win.

Michael Owen marked his first start of the season with a first-half double as Manchester United made light of a traditionally hostile environment at Elland Road to ease past Simon Grayson's Leeds United 3-0.

Owen scuffed home a 15th-minute opener before adding a stunning second just past the half-hour mark. Ryan Giggs ended the contest on the stroke of half-time when he blazed into the box to fire home.

Alex McLeish will not win the Carling Cup for a second successive year as his Aston Villa was knocked out 2-0 at home to Bolton Wanderers.

McLeish led Villa's rival Birmingham City to the trophy last season but second-half goals from Chris Eagles and on-loan Gael Kakuta earned the Trotters some respite from their recent Premier League struggles.

League One struggler Leyton Orient put up a brave fight against Steve Kean's Blackburn Rovers at Ewood Park but was undone by a brace of late goals from Ruben Rochina and Simon Vukcevic.

The visitor, without a win so far this season, had grabbed a 64th-minute equaliser through David Mooney after Rovers had gone ahead one minute before the break through a Jason Roberts penalty.

But Rovers pressed on in the second half with the promising Rochina side-footing his side back in the lead in the 71st minute and Vukcevic making it 3-1 four minutes later. Dean Cox added a late consolation for the visitor.

Mick McCarthy's Wolverhampton Wanderers scored twice in the first 10 minutes en route to hammering Championship Millwall 5-0 with goals from David Edwards, Adam Hammill, George Elokobi, James Spray and Adlene Guedioura.

Championship table-topper Middlesbrough was undone by goals from Wilfried Zaha and Calvin Andrew as Crystal Palace won 2-1 at Selhurst Park. Merouane Zemmama replied for Boro.

Burnley nudged past League One promotional hopeful Milton Keynes Dons at Turf Moor. Daniel Powell put the visitor ahead after six minutes before Kieran Trippier equalised and Andre Amougou grabbed the winner one minute from time.

League Two Aldershot Town caused a minor upset with a 2-1 home win over League One Rochdale. Ashley Grimes put Rochdale ahead but second-half strikes from Michael Rankine and Danny Hylton won it for the Shots.

Fabio Coloccini's header in the dying seconds of extra-time earned Newcastle United a thrilling 4-3 victory over Steve McClaren's struggling Nottingham Forest at the City Ground.

Forest had twice battled back from behind with first Robbie Findley then Matt Derbyshire cancelling out two Peter Lovenkrands strikes, the second a penalty just past the hour mark.

Newcastle regained the lead when a cross from Danny Simpson sailed into the net three minutes into the extra period, but Marcus Tudgay appeared to have forced penalties until Coloccini's intervention.

Goalkeeper Thomas Sorensen was Stoke City's hero as his diving save to deny Massimo Luongo gave his side a thrilling 7-6 penalty shoot-out win over Tottenham Hotspur after a goalless draw at the Britannia Stadium.

Peter Crouch started on the bench against his old club but played his part in the Potters' triumph by scoring his side's fifth penalty, after Stoke's Jermaine Pennant and Spurs' Roman Pavlyuchenko had missed earlier.

Luca Toni scored the first goal in the new stadium early in the second half on the rebound after Fabio Quagliarella's penalty had been saved by County keeper Rob Burch.

But Martin Allen's League One side ensured its evening became even more memorable when Lee Hughes equalised with a close-range effort three minutes from full-time.

County had travelled to Turin for the once-in-a-lifetime clash at the invitation of the Italian giant, which included the likes of Alessandro Del Piero and Gianluigi Buffon in its starting line-up.

County has made a patchy start to its League One campaign and faces a swift return to the reality of lower division life as it prepares to face Walsall at Meadow Lane this weekend.

The new Juventus Arena is inspired by Premier League stadiums with no running track and the stands designed to be close to the pitch. It was built on the site of the Stadio delle Alpi, the club's previous home.

Juventus switched from its original pink shirts to black and white stripes in 1903 after one of its players, Englishman John Savage, convinced it of County's example.

Since Paul Ince left Notts County in April, only two of the 92 English league teams have black managers, Chris Powell at Charlton Athletic and Birmingham City's Chris Hughton.

Discussions with the men who brought about the implementation of the 'Rooney Rule' in the United States, credited with getting the NFL to a position where two black coaches faced each other in last season's Super Bowl, are at an early stage, with further talks are planned.

And PFA chief executive Gordon Taylor feels it is an avenue that has to be explored.

"In football terms, we are the most cosmopolitan country in the world," observed Taylor.

"There is no distinction between colour, creed, nationality or background.

"However, the PFA spends a lot of money training players for the future and understandably, one of the most obvious areas of interest is coaching and management. For some reason the number of black people who actually get a chance in this area is very small."

The same situation used to exist in the NFL until the Rooney Rule was drafted by civil rights lawyer Cyrus Mehri.

Implemented in 2003, the Rooney Rule was forced to overcome some initial teething problems.

However, once the NFL showed it was prepared to take tough action against clubs who did not follow the law - fining the Detroit Lions US$200,000 ($188,799) for not interviewing an African-American for its vacant head coach's job in 2003 - teams fell into line.

And Taylor feels a similar situation in England would be a win-win outcome given the increasing clamour for success.

"All we are asking for is an interview," he said.

"But the more times people attend interviews, the greater the likelihood of them eventually getting a job.

"This has to be a good thing because it broadens panel of potential managers and coaches clubs are selecting from and opens up the possibility of greater experience.

"That should be what every club is looking for anyway."

Invited by Taylor, Mehri met members of the PFA, League Managers' Association, the Football Association, Football League and Premier League at Wembley, ahead of England's victory over Wales.

"We are committed to this issue and Cyrus' experiences can offer us an insight and some solutions that can begin to address a concern that will not go away on its own," said Taylor.

"Twenty years ago, Cyrille Regis and Luther Blissett did not try to carve out a career in management because they did not feel they would get a proper chance.

"In 2011, it is in no-one's interests for potential managers to be put off for similar reasons. We will not be taking this off our agenda."

The 25-year-old has signed a five-year deal and will provide the back-up to number one Tim Krul and deputy Steve Harper.

Elliot said: "I am looking forward to the challenge of joining a club like Newcastle United.

"This is a huge club and a huge opportunity for me to learn from two of the best keepers in the division."

Elliot became Alan Pardew's seventh northern summer signing, and the former Addicks boss was delighted to have got him.

He said: "The goalkeeping position is one we felt we needed to strengthen. Rob is an excellent keeper who I have worked with before, and I know he will be a good signing for the club."

Newcastle and Charlton had earlier found themselves at odds over the move with the League One side unhappy at the Premier League outfit's pursuit of the player.

Teenager Ameobi, the younger brother of Magpies stalwart Shola, picked the perfect moment to score his first goal for the club as he fired in an 113th-minute winner in front of the travelling fans.

Newcastle had looked set to suffer a shock exit after it trailed to Chris Dagnall's 14th-minute opener late into normal time.

But Ryan Taylor's free-kick 10 minutes from the end - his second in as many games after deciding the weekend's derby win at Sunderland - equalised before Ameobi's heroics.

And on a day that fan favourite Joey Barton was considering a contract offer from Queens Park Rangers, Pardew believes a new Tyneside star might have been born.

"He's a player that we are excited about as a staff," he said.

"He has a lackadaisical sort of style. You think sometimes: 'Do it quick Sammy'.

"He looks like he's slow, then he draws two or three players in and wriggles out of it and then he's gone. He's that quick.

"The goal summed him up what he does in training. It was no surprise for us.

"He's going to be a big player for us.

"He's got a good brother and great parents. I'm excited about him."

Pardew made six changes for the trip to Scunthorpe, which is without a win in League One, and the new-look team was lucky to only go into the break 1-0 behind.

The former West Ham United boss admitted he feared for his side at that point, although it responded with a dominant display after the interval that was only undermined by some glaring misses.

Leon Best and Peter Lovenkrands were the chief culprits, and while goalkeeper Tim Krul also had to come to its rescue, Pardew was happy to only reflect on the positives of a lucky escape.

"At half-time I was thinking this could be a very negative night for me here," he said.

"The players have come in and having not done well and we've lost the game - but it turned out very, very positive.

"Some of them played very well. (Yohan) Cabaye was terrific as were the centre-halves. The subs made an impact.

"It turned out we've won and we're in the hat."

Pardew was unable to provide any update on the status of Barton after the outspoken midfielder completed a medical at QPR.

Barton Tweeted that he now needed 'some thinking time and space' to ponder a contract offer - a request Pardew said he would grant him.

"I think that's where Joey is if I'm honest. I don't think I can add to that," he added.

"I think he trusts me as a manager. He trusts the staff here and has a bond with the players.

"He knows he can come back here and we'll take care of him. At the same time he's got an offer that is making him think to go elsewhere."

Scunthorpe boss Allan Knill found reason for cheer despite his side's defeat.

"We've been playing like that all season, we just haven't got the points on the board that merit the performances," said Knill, whose side sits near the foot of the League One table without a win in five games.

"I'm delighted that on TV the players showed what they could do.

"I think we've got some really good players.

"As long as we're positive and exciting it will change.

"It's not a disastrous start. We've lost one in five. I'm sure it will change."

Ameobi, the younger brother of Magpies stalwart Shola, spared his side's blushes with a 113th-minute winner in a contest the Premier League side had been second best in for long periods.

Scunthorpe, without a win in League One, looked like pulling off a shock when it led deep into normal time thanks to Chris Dagnall's 14th-minute opener.

But after Newcastle had spurned chance after chance in the second half, most notably Leon Best, Ryan Taylor fired in his second free-kick in as many games on 80 minutes to force extra-time.

Substitute Ameobi then proved the match winner with a stunning 20-yard goal to the delight of the Magpies fans behind the goal.

Newcastle manager Alan Pardew had targeted cup success during the week and while he made six changes from the 1-0 derby win over Sunderland at the weekend, only one of those was in a defence that had not been breached going into the game.

Mike Williamson came in for Steven Taylor while elsewhere outspoken midfielder Joey Barton's absence was the most notable as he instead considered a contract offer from Queens Park Rangers.

After completing a medical in London, Barton, placed on the transfer list after publicly criticising the club on Twitter, used the social networking website to say he needed 'some thinking time and space' before deciding his future.

Without Barton, Newcastle failed to get to grips with its unfancied host in a first half when it could have been more than a goal behind.

Dagnall had already given a warning of his threat before his opener when he arrowed a drive just past the left-hand post.

He proved more deadly from close range after 14 minutes.

After the Newcastle defence failed to clear the initial danger the diminutive striker was perfectly placed in the six-yard box to receive a knock down and turn in from close range.

While it was the first time Newcastle's defence has been beaten, it was striker Demba Ba who looked most at fault after he played Dagnall onside.

Newcastle's first shot did not arrive until the 22nd minute, when Ryan Taylor fizzed a free-kick wide, and it preceded a good spell for the visitor.

Peter Lovenkrands and Yohan Cabaye tried their luck from distance, but the pressure subsided too easily and the visitor was lucky not to go 2-0 down on 40 minutes.

Goalkeeper Tim Krul made a fine reflex save above his head to deny Jimmy Ryan after he had been found unmarked by Dagnall's cut back.

The Magpies were dealt another blow just before the break when Williamson limped off with a leg injury and was replaced by Steven Taylor.

It was arguably the worst half the Magpies have played under Pardew and, while the manager might have had a few choice words at the break, it was their finishing rather than their application that he was left lamenting after the resumption.

Newcastle completely dominated the second half but spurned chance after chance, with Best and Lovenkrands the main culprits.

Lovenkrands had a glorious chance when he ran onto an ungamely header back that sent him through, but his shot was blocked by Josh Lillis who was off his line in a flash.

Best then had a goal ruled out for offside and Lovenkrands shot over after racing into the area.

With the tempo rising Scunthorpe reminded of its threat and Dagnall forced Krul into a hurried stop.

Newcastle remained the more likely scorer, but when Best then lashed recklessly over when well placed the travelling fans behind the goal may have sensed it was not their night.

Krul was his side's best player and his save to deny Dagnall on 70 minutes underlined his growing stature on Tyneside.

Dagnall's header looked destined for the net when it deflected off Fabricio Coloccini at close quarters but the Dutchman somehow clawed it away.

The save was made all the more vital when Ryan Taylor equalised 10 minutes from the end with his second memorable free-kick in as many games.

The fullback crashed in the winner against derby rival Sunderland at the weekend and it was another unerring set-piece from 20 yards that levelled matters.

Newcastle went for a winner in normal time and while it was denied a penalty when Steven Taylor went crashing down in the area it had to be content with extra-time.

Newcastle initially failed to take the momentum into extra-time as Scunthorpe re-established its threat.

Steven Taylor had to get back on his line to head away a 35-yard Mark Duffy shot, while Krul made another spectacular save to keep out Ryan's long-range effort.

The match looked destined for penalties when Best somehow failed to get the final touch before Ameobi opened his Newcastle scoring account in fine style.

Rochina scored twice in the first four minutes and David Goodwillie added a third four minutes later as Rovers eased into the Carling Cup third round with a 3-1 win.

Kean said: "I see Ruben every day and I know the quality he's got. Tonight we had a glimpse of what we've got for the future. His play tonight was exceptional."

Kean confirmed there have been plenty of developments in the transfer market with Brett Emerton in talks to go back to Australia and Simon Vukcevic and George John both arriving.

Kean said: "With Brett there has been interest from his hometown club and we have had a bit of dialogue. If Brett does move it will be a family decision, not a football decision.

"If Brett decides it's something he'd like to explore you've got to give respect for the service he's given the club. If we do lose him it will be very, very sad."

Kean confirmed Vukcevic had picked up his work visa and would now join the squad, while John had his Greek passport and was due to have his medical on Thursday.

Kean said he was also due to continue talks over a third player. He added: "I met a player last night with permission from his club. But there is some medical and contractual stuff to do."

Wednesday boss Gary Megson slammed his side's 'shocking' start to the game and insisted its second-half revival, which saw Clinton Morrison pull one back five minutes after the restart, provided scant consolation.

Megson said: "I think we kicked off at about ten past eight. Our defending was shocking for the first goal and we were shell-shocked and didn't show a great deal of common sense.

"We spoke at half-time about forgetting the actual score and making sure we showed a bit of pride and played something like we can, which I thought we did.

"The players from that point onwards did all right. But it's not a case of redemption because that wouldn't be acceptable. There were individual positives but not as a team."

The Portuguese midfielder left the field clutching his shoulder after coming off second best in a challenge with Grecians defender Danny Coles after just 19 minutes.

Dalglish does not know exactly how long Meireles will be out for but said: "Raul has hurt his collarbone. I don't know what the technical term is but he fell heavily.

"He will come back with us and we will see how long it is before he is back.

"We don't know how serious it is but it'll be a few weeks."

The win, Dalglish's 200th as Reds boss, was inspired by a masterful performance from Luis Suarez. The Uruguayan, left on the bench for the weekend win at Arsenal, opened the scoring with a controlled volley after 23 minutes before setting up second-half goals for Maxi Rodriguez and substitute Andy Carroll.

There was other good news in the form of Martin Skrtel getting through 90 minutes in his first action since returning from a calf problem, while Danny Wilson was an assured presence alongside him in defence.

And Dalglish was delighted to see his side show such application against its League One opponent.

He said: "Martin Skrtel got through the game no problem, Danny Wilson got 90 minutes, Andy Carroll gets his first goal of the season and Maxi got a goal. We are quite happy we have gone through.

"The most pleasing thing was the attitude we had when we went on the pitch. If we didn't have that, we weren't going to win."

Dalglish's strong selection saw the likes of Charlie Adam, Jordan Henderson, Pepe Reina and Suarez all start, and suggested that the Scot sees the competition as a chance to secure silverware as opposed to simply give game time to his second-choice players.

He said: "We will treat the Carling Cup like any other game. The next one is a league match against Bolton, but we will be totally committed and focussed to try and win that."

Paul Tisdale's side pulled a late goal back through striker Daniel Nardiello, who found the net from the spot after being brought down by a clumsy Skrtel challenge.

And the Grecians boss was happy with the effort put in by the League One club, but acknowledged the class of the opponent.

"I am proud of the way we played, the boys can be pleased with what they showed and it was nice to get on the scoresheet," he said.

"I am more than happy with how we came back after a slow start and tried to play.

"We were expecting a strongish side and they had an extremely strong bench, so we knew we didn't want to score too early in case they brought that bench on!

"The chance we had just before half-time was a really good chance and we had a couple of other chances but it is always difficult when you come up against players of that quality."

Junior Stanislas superbly curled the Hammers in front from 25 yards in the 16th minute, but debutant Callum McNaughton's dismissal two minutes after half-time for a professional foul on Danny Hylton proved the turning point.

Luke Guttridge grabbed the Shots' equaliser 13 minutes from time, following up after Alex Rodman's effort was kept out by the legs of goalkeeper Ruud Boffin, and Hylton drove home substitute Jermaine McGlashan's cross with only a minute remaining.

Swindon Town stunned its south-west rival Bristol City with a 1-0 win at Ashton Gate, Italian striker Raffaele De Vita heading home 19 minutes from time with the aid of poor marking.

Paolo Di Canio's men were well worth their victory in a tie finally taking place after being postponed after the riots across the country earlier this month and dominated against a City side which was lacklustre throughout.

Everton came from behind to beat League One Sheffield United 3-1 at Goodison in the second round, with all the goals coming in the first half.

Richard Cresswell put the Blades in front but diverted the ball into his own net moments later after keeper Steve Simonsen had got a palm to a strike by Jack Rodwell.

The Toffees then took control of the game, with finishes from Victor Anichebe (37) and Mikel Arteta (42) seeing them into round three.

Bolton Wanderers also survived an early setback to beat Macclesfield 2-1.

Emile Sinclair, who grabbed both goals in the Silkmen's first-round win over Championship Hull City, put his side ahead again but Tuncay Sanli and Martin Petrov scored in the second half to earn Bolton victory.

Luis Suarez inspired Liverpool to a routine 3-1 win over Exeter City. The Uruguay striker scored his side's first goal and then teed up Maxi Rodriguez and Andy Carroll to put the result beyond doubt.

Daniel Nardiello pulled a goal back for the Devon side with an 80th-minute penalty after being fouled by Martin Skrtel.

Blackburn Rovers enjoyed a routine 3-1 win over League One Sheffield Wednesday after a flying start at Ewood Park.

Ruben Rochina scored twice in the first four minutes, turning home from close range after being picked out by first Brett Emerton and then David Goodwillie, before the Scot made it 3-0 in the seventh minute.

Clinton Morrison pulled one back early in the second half but Rovers were rarely troubled and Rochina twice went close to his hat-trick.

Middlesbrough was equally comfortable in beating fellow Championship high-flyer Peterborough United 2-0.

Barry Robson's drive and Seb Hines' header put Middlesbrough two up before half-time and that was how it stayed.

Jean-Louis Akpa Akpro and Gary Jones fired a goal in each half to book the League One club a place in the third round.

Warnock showed his regard for the competition by making eight changes to the side that won at Everton and was frustrated to see one of survivors, Bradley Orr, limp off with a groin injury.

QPR supporters seemed to share their manager's low opinion of the Carling Cup as only 4,775 turned up.

"I don't think people do care about the competition and you've got to look at why," said Warnock.

"We've lost an influential player who played really well on Saturday in Bradley Orr. For what? We're not going to win the cup."

When asked if he was pleased to be out, Warnock replied: "Yes. I know it's sad, but they should revamp the competition.

"The FA Cup's a different ball game and I want to try to win it this year. I like the FA Cup so we'll field a strong team in it."

Rochdale manager Steve Eyre refuted Warnock's suggestion that QPR had written off the Carling Cup.

"Neil didn't say before the game that he doesn't take it seriously," he said.

"To field a front line that has Adel Taarabt and Jay Bothroyd tells me it was taken quite seriously.

"It's still a fantastic competition. Wembley is an amazing place to play football.

"We're not going to start saying we're going to the Carling Cup final, but I can't believe a player wouldn't want to play at Wembley.

"I spoke to Neil after the game and we shook hands. I think he's a fantastic man. I know he's someone I can call on and respect.

"What he say goes because he's done plenty more than I have.

"I'm very proud of my players and we're delighted to be in the next round."

Warnock distanced himself from reports he hopes to sign Joe Cole and Peter Crouch and revealed he has not made a second bid for Scott Parker.

"I'd love Joe Cole and Peter Crouch but I don't think they'll be at QPR," he said.

"It's nice to be linked with people like that. When Crouch was first mentioned I didn't think we could afford one of his shoe laces.

"I've only made one enquiry for Scott Parker and haven't been in since. We have a number of options and I'm optimistic about them."

Paul Lambert's decision to change all 11 of his Norwich starting line-up backfired in spectacular fashion at Carrow Road.

Luke Chadwick and Sam Baldock had put the visitor in a commanding position at half-time.

Chadwick's second, on the hour mark, was the pick of the goals, capping a fine passing move, and Daniel Powell added to Norwich's woes seven minutes later with the fourth.

The Dons finished with 10 men as Angelo Balanta, a second-half substitute, limped off inside the last 10 minutes with all three changes already made.

Swansea City and Queens Park Rangers also tasted defeat with the Swans losing 3-1 at Shrewsbury Town while the R's lost 2-0 at home to Rochdale.

Swansea had led 10 minutes in through an unfortunate own goal from Shane Cansdell-Sherriff, but Marvin Morgan, hero of the Shrews' victory over Derby County in the first round, levelled midway through the first half as he turned home Lionel Ainsworth's cross-shot.

Mark Wright struck in the 67th minute, finishing after great work from Terry Gornell, and Nicky Wroe capped it at the death.

Rochdale's Jean-Louis Akpa Akpro slipped home a rebound after five minutes against Queens Park Rangers at Loftus Road and Gary Jones made it 2-0 with nine minutes to go with a superb shot into the top left-hand corner.

Aston Villa struggled for 80 minutes against Hereford but Eric Lichaj eventually turned in a scrappy goal and Nathan Delfouneso added a second two minutes from time to make sure.

West Bromwich Albion had an easier time in dispatching Bournemouth 4-1 at Dean Court.

Jerome Thomas scored an early goal for the Baggies and Marc-Antoine Fortune had doubled the advantage by half-time.

Steve Lovell turned in Scott Malone's cross to get Bournemouth back in it early in the second half, but Simon Cox soon replied for West Brom and Fortune's 78th-minute strike settled it.

Wolverhampton Wanderers cruised to a 4-0 win over Northampton Town with Nenad Milijas and Sam Vokes adding to a brace from Sylvan Ebanks-Blake.

Sven-Goran Eriksson's Leicester City had to come from behind to see off Bury 4-2 at Gigg Lane.

Jeffery Schlupp's superb opener put the Foxes in front, but Bury stunned the visitor as Andrai Jones and Ryan Lowe scored either side of half-time to turn it around.

But Paul Gallagher levelled it with a free-kick before Lloyd Dyer put Leicester in front and Neil Danns made sure late on.

Ramon Nunez scored a brace - the second a fine strike to break a 1-1 tie with seven minutes to go - as Leeds United beat Yorkshire rival Doncaster Rovers 2-1 at the Keepmoat Stadium.

Nunez's first came after half an hour to cancel out James Hayter's early opener.

Nottingham Forest cruised to a 4-1 win at Wycombe on the back of goals in the first six minutes from Ishmael Miller and Lewis McGugan.

Robbie Findley and Radoslaw Majewski also scored either side of an Elliott Benyon penalty for the host.

Millwall topped Morecambe 2-0 with goals from Hamer Bouazza and Tamika Mkandawire.

In rearranged first-round fixtures, Wilfried Zaha's brace took Crystal Palace past Crawley Town 2-0 while Charlton Athletic saw off Reading 2-1 with goals from Paul Benson and Jason Euell.

Sunderland became the fourth Premier League side to crash out as it lost 1-0 to Brighton & Hove Albion in extra-time on the south coast, with Craig Mackail-Smith heading in the winner in the 96th minute.

Cardiff City saw off Huddersfield Town in a 5-3 thriller in south Wales, eventually settled by extra-time goals from Craig Conway and Don Cowie.

Huddersfield had fought back from 2-0 down and looked like winning it when Jordan Rhodes scored two minutes from the end of normal time, only for Cowie to level in the 90th minute.

Burnley eventually saw off Barnet 3-2 thanks to Chris McCann's 105th-minute goal.

Barnet had forced extra-time when Ricky Holmes' 90th-minute goal made it 2-2.

Mustapha Carayol scored the winning kick after Carl Dickinson and John Eustace missed for the visitor.

The match had finished 1-1 after extra-time, with both goals coming in the opening five minutes as Marvin Sordell scored for Watford two minutes in before Matt Harrold's quick reply for the host.

The 41,000-seater stadium is due to be officially launched at a ceremony on Thursday, September 8 and the Magpies have been invited to play in an exhibition match that evening.

The match follows an historic link between the clubs dating back to 1903, when a Juventus player, Englishman John Savage, helped to arrange for the Italian club to wear the famous black and white kit that the Magpies were sporting at the time.

Juve has worn black and white stripes ever since, and Magpies chairman Ray Trew said: "I have to admit that when the offer first came in I was slightly taken aback and when we sat down to look at the fixture list, we've obviously got a home game against Walsall just two days later and then a trip to Exeter the following Tuesday.

"However, given the historical relationship between our two clubs and the sheer prestige of the occasion, we were prepared to move heaven and earth to make this happen.

"I have spoken to Martin Allen and while it's not ideal obviously, given the schedule of fixtures around that time, he was in agreement that we simply couldn't pass up this opportunity.

"It will be a fantastic night for everyone associated with this great football club, the players, the staff and of course the fans."

The Terriers were rampant for much of last term, and headed into the crucial final fixture of last season on the back of a club-record 27-game unbeaten run in the league.

They fell at the last hurdle, though, losing 3-0 to Peterborough at Old Trafford.

That loss has not stopped the Yorkshire club being installed as the bookmakers' promotion favourites for the coming campaign, with many believing this could be the year for Lee Clark's side.

The loss of key players Anthony Pilkington and Lee Peltier have been offset by smart acquisitions, such as Tommy Miller and Danny Ward.

Terriers fans will be hoping a few more new faces can join them at the Galpharm Stadium before the summer transfer window closes but, regardless, they can expect a fruitful campaign.

Sheffield Wednesday were one of the stories or, indeed, non-stories last time out as they finished a disappointing 15th.

Off the pitch, uncertainty over takeovers and management did not help matters, while on it there were problems aplenty despite the Owls signing a host of big-name players last summer.

But the stability brought about by Milan Mandaric's ownership should help, as will the impressive signings made thus far.

For Wednesday and, in particular, boss Gary Megson, much could depend on its start given Mandaric's reputation for losing patience with managers quickly.

Bitter rivals Sheffield United will be desperate for an instant return to the Championship following the surprise appointment of Danny Wilson.

The 51-year-old's arrival prompted some Blades fans to stage a protest because of his affiliation with the Owls, whom he managed for two years and also played for earlier in his career.

But Wilson is an experienced campaigner and, having kept player departures down to a minimum, will be confident of leading a promotion charge.

Also relegated from the second tier last time out were Scunthorpe and Preston, who will be guided by Alan Knill and Phil Brown respectively.

Both will be keen to ensure their stay in League One is brief, although they may find it more difficult than expected.

Plenty more new arrivals can be expected at Deepdale over the summer following just one signing - of Clarke Carlisle - thus far and, provided those players are of sufficient quality, North End should challenge.

But it could be a different story for the Iron who, in the eyes of many, have overachieved in recent years.

In Knill, though, they made a shrewd appointment towards the end of last season and his influence could prove the difference between mid-table mediocrity and promotion contention.

Much interest will also centre on how Bournemouth shape up this term after they reached the play-off semi-finals last year.

A rampant start ensured the Cherries still secured a place in the top six despite struggling somewhat when key players and manager Eddie Howe moved on.

Lee Bradbury did an impressive job following Howe's exit and it is easy to forget the south coast club were just a penalty shoot-out away from the play-off final.

However, it could be a season of struggle this time around after more significant departures, such as Danny Hollands, Jason Pearce and Rhoys Wiggins.

Interesting times look to be ahead at Griffin Park after Brentford appointed German Uwe Rosler as its manager.

Given the campaign that preceded it, last season was something of a disappointment for the Bees despite reaching the Johnstone's Paint Trophy final, where they were beaten 1-0 by Carlisle.

Their 11th-placed finish seems impressive yet, much like the forthcoming term, many were tipping them for a promotion tilt.

That could go either way again, with much depending on new boss Rosler's impact.

Despite being tipped for relegation, there is plenty of optimism at Hartlepool ahead of the season.

There has been something of a clear-out at Victoria Park, with coach Mick Wadsworth seemingly opting for quality over quantity.

A promising campaign, in which Pools were in the play-off places around Christmas, faltered last time out as they finished 16th.

But Nolberto Solano's high-profile signing has combined with an imaginative offer which has seen over 5,500 fans purchase season tickets to create a buzz.

Colin Nish also looks an impressive acquisition from Hibernian to join youngsters James Poole and Nathan Luscombe, who have signed from Manchester City and Sunderland respectively.

Hartlepool should certainly enjoy mid-table security, while also proving a good outside bet for a top-six finish.

Of the promoted sides, Stevenage's combative style should ensure they have the best chance of success in the third tier, while Bury and Chesterfield may struggle to emulate last year's success.

The England striker turned in a pass from Emile Heskey for Villa's first and netted a second from close range after Richard Dunne headed on a corner, before Heskey made it 3-0 when Bent hit the post and the rebound fell his way.

Villa was cruising at half-time but could not add any further goals at the Banks's Stadium, and the final scorer was the home side's George Bowerman.

McLeish, who made the controversial switch from Birmingham City last month, gave a debut to goalkeeper Shay Given after his arrival from Manchester City.

The League had followed the Premier League in naming seven substitutes for matches last campaign, but clubs frequently struggled to muster 18 players for a matchday squad when injuries hit.

With clubs struggling to fund large squads, it was expected this would be an issue again this season.

"This was felt to be a sensible and prudent step given the financial challenges facing many football clubs and the commitment made earlier this summer to adopt UEFA's Financial Fair Play framework," a league spokesman said.

Teams will still be permitted seven named substitutes in the Carling Cup and FA Cup, but the number will be five in the Johnstone's Paint Trophy.

The Premier League side took the lead in the 16th minute when Rafael van der Vaart scored a fantastic free-kick which he powered past Senzo Meyiwa in the Pirates' goal.

Wales international Gareth Bale almost replicated Van der Vaart's effort later into the half but Meyiwa managed to tip his set-piece over the bar.

Defender Happy Jele then equalised for the Pirates when his shot from a narrow angle was too strong for Brad Friedel who flapped at it with one hand.

Daine Klate thought he had put the host ahead on half-time but his effort was ruled out for offside.

The second half was a much more disjointed affair with both sides making several substitutions and the game eventually petered out into a 1-1 draw.

Wolverhampton Wanderers picked up a hard-fought 3-2 win away at League One side Walsall.

Michael Kightly opened the scoring for Wolves before Jon Macken equalised and Leigh Griffiths' 40th-minute strike was soon cancelled out by Walsall's Will Grigg before Christophe Berra scored the decider for Mick McCarthy's side.

A young West Bromwich Albion XI won 3-2 at Kidderminster Harriers with Kemar Roofe scoring a hat-trick for the Baggies. Jamille Matt had put the host ahead and veteran Steve Guinan pulled one back late on.

Ephraim scored the opening goal, provided the pinpoint throughball which created the second for Tommy Smith and then made it 3-0 after exchanging passes with Patrick Agyemang.

Agyemang made it 4-0 just before the interval and a Tavistock own goal followed before Ephraim completed his hat-trick.

That sparked a similarly one-sided second half as the Cornish amateur crumbled, defenders Danny Shittu and Matt Connolly joining Petter Vaagan Moen among a hail of goalscorers.

Scottish Premier League side Kilmarnock drew 1-1 with Preston North End at Rugby Park.

Winger James Dayton superbly gave Killie the lead in the first minute, surging past two defenders in a run from the halfway line before finishing emphatically.

But Manuel Pascali's error allowed striker Neil Mellor to equalise for Preston early in the second half. Pascali later had an effort cleared off the line by trialist Alex Cooper as the game finished all square.

Clarke's admission is contained as part of a Dispatches programme which airs on Channel 4 in the UK.

An undercover team working for the programme posed as a consortium of Indian businessmen interested in buying an English club.

Dispatches say they were offered the chance to invest in one Football League club by a group of intermediaries, and the programme makers claim that when the consortium expressed an interest in buying a second club - in breach of Football Association regulations - the intermediaries offered to set up a front organisation to circumvent those rules.

Clarke was interviewed as part of the programme and said: "We are a simple alliance of 72 football clubs who largely lose money. We don't have hundreds of thousands, let alone millions, to get to the bottom of these complicated organisation structures."

Asked if he is confident that he knows who the true owners are of every club in the Football League, he added: "No I'm not. There's a process of validation that lets the Football League know who the owners are. Who the owners of the owners are gets more difficult. And who the owners of the owners of the owners are gets even more difficult."

League rules state that 'except with the written consent of the Board a person, or any associate of that person, who is interested in a club cannot at the same time be interested in another club'.

A person is deemed to be 'interested' in a club if they hold or deal in shares of a club; is a member of a club; is involved in any capacity whatsoever in the management or administration of a club; has any power whatsoever to influence the financial, commercial or business affairs or the management or administration of a club or has lent or gifted money to or guaranteed the debts or obligations of a club.

The 18-year-old made his first-team debut for Rovers last season as a youth scholar and went on to score six goals in 32 appearances.

He was the subject of a bid from West Ham in January and was named League One Apprentice of the Year at the Football League awards in April.

Tranmere boss Les Parry said: "This is an amazing opportunity for Dale and one which any young player would jump at.

"Bayern Munich made us a very good offer for Dale and we're happy for him to progress his career with them in Germany.

"He has had an incredible 12 months with us now and hopefully he'll go on to do great things with Bayern."

New manager Andre Villas-Boas used 23 players in his first game in charge, a behind-closed-doors clash at the Blues' Cobham training ground.

Benayoun opened the scoring after four minutes, controlling an awkward dropping pass before clipping it over goalkeeper Nikki Bull.

Bull made good saves to deny first the Israel playmaker and then striker Didier Drogba before defenders John Terry and Jose Bosingwa both went close.

It remained 1-0 at the interval but a new-look Chelsea line-up quickly doubled its lead, Nicolas Anelka setting up Torres to sweep the ball past Bull, who moments earlier had denied the Spaniard after a similar link-up with his strike partner.

Defender Slobodan Rajkovic, back from a season on loan at Vitesse Arnhem, volleyed home a fine third goal from Yury Zhirkov's corner.

Anelka went close on three occasions before Salomon Kalou curled a shot against the upright, and a late Torres effort was then blocked.

The 23-year-old will sign a three-year deal after successfully completing a medical and subject to the relevant paperwork being completed.

The former Stockport County player told the club's official website the transfer had been on the cards for some time and he was looking forward to testing himself in the Premier League.

"I think it's been in the pipeline for about a week or so now and I'm absolutely delighted to make the move having passed my medical," he said.

"It's great to get down here, I met all the lads today and met the gaffer so yes I'm absolutely delighted.

"The Premier League is the best league in the world. When you're a boy you dream of playing in it one day."

Norwich manager Paul Lambert has been busy in the transfer market as he looks to build a squad capable of staying in the top flight.

Combative midfielder Bradley Johnson arrived last week from Leeds United on a free transfer adding to the purchases of striker James Vaughan from Everton, winger Elliott Bennett from Brighton & Hove Albion and young Belgian defender Ritchie de Laet on loan from Manchester United.

The Norwich boss has no doubts Pilkington can make the step up from League One.

"I am sure Anthony will be a big player for us there is no doubt and I am delighted to be able to welcome him to the club," Lambert said.

"He was great for Huddersfield in his time there and he will add to the team for the season ahead. He is a player that can play on either wing which is great.

"He is a top lad and he has a real enthusiasm for the game."

The Canaries will kick off their warm-up campaign at local Ridgeons Football League side Gorleston Town on 16 July, and by the time the squad heads out to Germany for a short training camp, Lambert is expected to have added more new faces, probably in defence.

After missing out on England Under-21 international Steven Caulker after he joined fellow Premier League newcomer Swansea City on loan from Tottenham Hotspur, Norwich has been linked with a move for Congo defender Herita Ilunga, who is keen to play in the top flight again after West Ham United's relegation.

The 18-year-old striker, who only made his debut for Rovers at the start of last season, has been granted permission to discuss personal terms with the German giant.

"Bayern have made us a very good offer for Dale and we don't want to stand in his way of making this incredible move," said Tranmere manager Les Parry.

"When a club with the size and history of Bayern come in for you it's the opportunity of a lifetime and I wish Dale all the best should the transfer happen.

"It also says a lot about the club's youth system that one of the giants of European football is interested in signing one of our players."

Jennings made 32 appearances for Rovers last season, scoring six goals.

Winger Bennett has been unveiled by the club after his move from Brighton & Hove Albion, which he helped win promotion into the Championship.

The 22-year-old, who has agreed a three-year deal for an undisclosed fee, is Norwich's third new signing of the northern summer.

"It's unbelievable. This is an opportunity the gaffer has given me and it is one I have got to try and take," he said.

"There are a lot of very good players here - you don't get back-to-back promotions if you haven't got good players - so the first task is to try and get into the team.

"I will think about the international stars that will be coming to Carrow Road only if I get the opportunity to do that.

"But I can't tell you how happy I am to be here and I really appreciate everyone who has given me the opportunity to do it.

"I'm not setting myself any targets. The gaffer has brought me in here to add to a great squad and hopefully I can play my part this season."

The 22-year-old will join on a three-year deal 'subject to the relevant paperwork being completed' according to the club's official website, www.canaries.co.uk

Norwich boss Paul Lambert said: "He's a young and exciting player with plenty of pace.

"He can play in a wide position or in behind the forwards - he's a quick lad and he's got a winning mentality.

"He played his full part in what Brighton achieved last season and that desire to succeed will stand him in good stead here."

Bennett made 100 appearance for Brighton in two years having joined the club from Wolverhampton Wanderers in 2009.

He said: "It's an unbelievable opportunity for me to fight for a place in the team which will be playing in the Premier League.

"I like the mentality at Norwich City that has seen them get back-to-back promotions and I'm grateful to Paul Lambert for giving me the chance to be part of what's happening at the club."

Bennett was poised to become Lambert's third signing in the wake of its promotion from the Championship after the captures of James Vaughan from Everton and Steve Morison from Millwall.

UEFA president Platini believes the implementation of the new measures will see clubs operate within sensible restrictions.

Championship clubs will only be allowed to spend what they earn from the 2012-2013 season, while sides in League One and Two will not be permitted to spend more than 55 percent of their turnover on player wages.

Clubs who breach the rules are likely to be handed a transfer ban as a first sanction with possible points deductions for major offenders.

Platini said: "We are very happy to see that Football League clubs, under the umbrella of the FA, are again taking the initiative on good governance issues by introducing Financial Fair Play.

"We are delighted that enlightened football bodies across the continent are trying to restore financial sanity to football on a national level, just as we are trying to do on a European level."

In total, debts at Football League clubs amount to £700 million ($1.08 billion) and a report by analysts Deloitte found that more than one third of clubs pay out more in wages than they receive in revenue.

Increasing levels of debt and a drop in television income has seen the 72 clubs agree to the system "in principle" at the league's annual meeting in Cyprus.

Football League chairman Greg Clarke said: "This is a very important step forward for professional football as it will help our clubs exert greater control over their finances.

"Much more work needs to be done, but I am hugely encouraged and impressed by the energy and focus of our clubs on this issue.

"They have been the catalyst for change and have shown a real desire to self-regulate in this area. I congratulate them on taking this bold step."

The 24-year-old had talks with the Baggies on Thursday and is expected to sign subject to completing a medical.

Footage of Jones in an Albion shirt at the club's training ground was accidentally released on the club's iPhone service on Thursday night before being removed.

Jones was Preston's player of the year last season and often played at left-back because of injury problems at Deepdale.

The former England Under-20 international began his career with Crewe Alexandra before joining Preston on a four-year deal in 2007.

Jones is set to become West Brom head coach Roy Hodgson's second signing of the summer after Ipswich Town defender Gareth McAuley.

Hodgson is also still pursuing Blackpool midfielder David Vaughan who is out of contract with the Tangerines.

He has already held preliminary talks with Albion and is keen to remain close to his North Wales home.

Sunderland and Rangers have also been linked with Vaughan, who has been offered a new contract by Blackpool but is keen to continue playing in the Premier League.

The 31-year-old, a free agent after his release from Bloomfield Road, met with County boss Martin Allen yesterday and was offered a two-year contract.

"I can confirm, after the non-stop rumours, that I met Marlon Harewood with the chairman at Meadow Lane for a couple of hours yesterday," Allen told www.nottscounty.co.uk.

"We've offered a two-year deal. I know he has a lot of options and several at Championship level, but if you don't ask, you don't get."

Harewood hit 14 Premier League goals for West Ham in 2006 and also picked up an FA Cup runners-up medal, but his career nosedived after a £4million move to Aston Villa.

He would feel at home at Meadow Lane, though, having begun his career just across the River Trent at Nottingham Forest.

Hill initially ruled himself out of the running for the job last week, but reopened talks and is now poised to take over from Mark Robins.

The 42-year-old guided Dale to promotion from League Two in 2010 and then to its joint highest position of ninth in League One last season.

Leyton Orient's Russell Slade was also a target for the Tykes but an approach for him was turned down last week.

The new manager will officially be unveiled at a noon press conference at Oakwell.

Robins quit at the end of the season amid reports of a fall-out with the club's board over the budget for next term.

Hill was given permission to hold talks with Tykes officials last week, but the 42-year-old is staying with the League One side.

A statement from Spotland read: "Keith Hill has confirmed he will not be moving to Barnsley and it is business as usual at Rochdale."

Barnsley is looking for a manager to replace Mark Robins, who left Oakwell last week. A spokesman said: "Barnsley can confirm that Keith Hill is no longer on its shortlist of applicants for the first-team manager's position.

"The club continues to interview candidates and does not expect to arrive at a decision on the new manager until next week at the earliest."

Brian Laws, Kevin Blackwell, Danny Wilson, Phil Parkinson and Alan Irvine have also been linked with the role.

The GMB said the Italian former player, who was named manager on Friday, had previously voiced right wing views of which it strongly disapproved.

The union's local branch is believed to have paid up to £4,000 ($6,092) to the club this season as part of its sponsorship deal.

A GMB spokesman said: "Our local branch has decided to end its association with Swindon following the appointment of Paolo Di Canio.

"He has openly voiced support for Mussolini so it beggars belief that Swindon could have appointed him, especially given the multi-ethnic nature of the team and the town."

Di Canio is due to fly to the UK on Monday to complete the paperwork and be formally introduced as the new manager.

The club has been relegated after finishing bottom of League One.

A statement from Swindon said the club is confident he would build a team with the 'passion, pride and professionalism' to ensure it could return to League One 'at the earliest opportunity'.

Interim chairman Jeremy Wray said in a statement: "I can't wait for Paolo to get here and get started."

Di Canio has spoken freely about being a fascist and an admirer of Mussolini.

He has faced bans and fines for making the fascist straight-arm salute while playing for Italian club Lazio.

In his autobiography he praised Mussolini as 'basically a very principled, ethical individual'.

The 42-year-old Italian, whose brilliance during his playing days walked hand in hand with controversy, takes the reins from Paul Bodin, who was only briefly placed in caretaker charge after the club parted ways with Paul Hart three weeks ago.

Di Canio will make his managerial bow in League Two after Hart, who only took over himself from Danny Wilson in early March, failed to save the Wiltshire club from relegation this season.

The appointment marks a sensational return to England for Di Canio in what is the bottom tier of the Football League, having also been linked with the vacancy at former club West Ham United on more than one occasion.

His official unveiling will take place on Monday after the paperwork is completed, at which point the length of contract will be announced.

A statement on the club's official website read: "The board of STFC is committed to returning to League One at the earliest opportunity and is confident that Paolo will build a team with a new level of passion, pride and professionalism to ensure this goal is achieved."

Di Canio, who holds a coaching licence, was one of eight prospective managers shortlisted and subsequently interviewed last week by interim chairman Jeremy Wray for the Town vacancy, with others believed to include George Burley and Dietmar Hamann.

But the lure of the passionate Rome-born former striker has proved too strong and it is understood he accepted the position on Thursday.

Di Canio, who will wrap up his work as a pundit in his native Italy this weekend, has been keen to move into the dugout for some time although many anticipated his managerial bow to possibly be made higher up the football pyramid.

He started his career in his homeland with Lazio, Juventus, Napoli and AC Milan - during which time he won the Serie A title and European Super Cup and claimed runners-up medals in both the UEFA Cup and European Cup among other achivements.

Di Canio completed a move to Celtic in 1996, where he spent a single season before a two-year spell at Sheffield Wednesday followed.

It was at Hillsborough where he famously pushed referee Paul Alcock to the ground after being sent off and was banned for 11 matches.

He switched to West Ham in 1999 where he enjoyed huge success and lit up the Premier League with his flair and skill, remaining idolised by the Upton Park faithful to this day.

He swapped the Hammers for a brief spell with Charlton Athletic in 2003 before returning to Rome and spells with Lazio - where off-field troubles continued to follow him, most notably after his fascist salutes to a section of the club's fans - and Cisco Roma.

His retirement from professional football finally came in 2008.

Di Canio will now take the reins at Swindon and attempt to guide the club back into England's third tier at the first attempt.

The 42-year-old Italian is set to replace Paul Hart, who left three weeks ago, at the County Ground as the Robins prepare for life in the bottom tier of the Football League after relegation from League One this season.

Di Canio, having been linked with the vacancy at former club West Ham United, will now begin his managerial career with the Wiltshire outfit, which was in the Premier League 18 years ago.

Di Canio was one of eight prospective managers shortlisted and subsequently interviewed last week by interim chairman Jeremy Wray for the Town vacancy, with others believed to include George Burley and Dietmar Hamann.

But the lure of the passionate Rome-born former striker has proved too strong and it is understood he accepted the position on Thursday.

A formal announcement is expected around midday on Friday (local time) and, with the finer details of the agreement to be ironed out, he will be unveiled early next week.

Di Canio, who was working as a pundit in his native Italy, has been keen to move into the dugout for some time although many anticipated his managerial bow to possibly be made higher up the football pyramid.

Having played for Lazio, Juventus, Napoli and AC Milan, with whom he won the Serie A title, he moved to Celtic in 1996.

A two-year spell at Sheffield Wednesday followed before a switch to West Ham in 1999 where he enjoyed huge success and lit up the Premier League, remaining idolised by the Upton Park faithful to this day.

He swapped the Hammers for a brief spell with Charlton in 2003 before returning to Rome and spells with Lazio and Cisco Roma.

And he will now take the reins at Swindon, attempting to guide the club back into England's third tier at the first attempt.

McInnes earlier confirmed he had spoken to Brentford about the vacancy created when Andy Scott departed in February.

But the 39-year-old former Rangers and Dundee United midfielder has now rejected the opportunity to take permanent charge at Griffin Park.

A statement on the club's official website, www.perthstjohnstonefc.co.uk, read: "Derek McInnes has this afternoon spoken to chairman Geoff Brown and advised him that he has formally turned down the opportunity to move to Brentford FC.

"Everyone at the club is delighted with this news and hopes that it now allows the speculation over the manager to cease and for preparations for next season to press ahead."

The League One outfit, which lies bottom of the table and has already been docked 10 points, has gone into administration.

Administrator Brendan Guilfoyle of the P&A Partnership, who revealed three parties had expressed an interest in acquiring the club, wants a buyer to be found by 17 March at the latest.

For the time being, however, Guilfoyle will be relying on the goodwill of the club's employees to keep it running.

"I have practical difficulties at the moment. I'm not currently funded so I'm prevailing upon the goodwill of staff and players to continue to work without pay," he told the club's website.

"I am hoping to rectify that situation shortly in conjunction with a potential buyer."

Guilfoyle, who will be assisted by insolvency lawyer David Hinchcliffe, has taken control of Plymouth with immediate effect after an application by Her Majesty's Revenue & Customs to present the club with a winding-up petition was turned down at a High Court hearing.

Guilfoyle admits there are plenty of obstacles to overcome before a buyer can be found.

He said: "I am optimistic that we'll find a buyer. In previous clubs I've worked with, most recently Leeds United, Luton Town and Crystal Palace, we've always succeeded in finding a buyer and I'm encouraged by the fact that we have three parties that are expressing a definite interest in acquiring Plymouth Argyle.

"Unfortunately for the club, none of those parties are interested in buying the club shares, they want to buy the club from an administrator, thereby reducing the amount of money they have to make available to buy the club.

"So, in relatively short time, I hope to have given exclusivity to the most promising purchaser who in return will give me funding."

Guilfoyle revealed he would talk to Peter Ridsdale, who has been acting as an independent advisor to the Plymouth board, about a possible role.

Asked if Ridsdale would be offered a role, he said: "I don't know, I'm going to give favourable consideration to that.

"Peter is well known in football and I'm going to have a chat with him to see if we can sketch out some role for him. He's had a fairly torrid time in recent time, so I'm just giving him a bit of time to adjust to the current circumstances before I make any commitment to him."

Plymouth boss Peter Reid added: "Hand on heart I want someone to come in and take over the club, take over the debts, pay people, get the club on a sound financial footing and hopefully get their investment back by running it like a business over a number of years. That's the logical way."

The League One outfit, which lies bottom of the table and has already been docked 10 points, has appointed Brendan Guilfoyle of the P&A Partnership as its administrator.

An application by Her Majesty's Revenue & Customs to present the club with a winding-up petition was turned down at a High Court hearing on Friday.

Guilfoyle, who has has taken control of the club with immediate effect and will be assisted by insolvency lawyer David Hinchcliffe, is hoping to find a buyer for the club by 17 March.

Guilfoyle revealed three parties had expressed an interest in acquiring the club but said there were plenty of obstacles to overcome.

He said: "I am optimistic that we'll find a buyer. In previous clubs I've worked with, most recently Leeds United, Luton Town and Crystal Palace, we've always succeeded in finding a buyer and I'm encouraged by the fact that we have three parties that are expressing a definite interest in acquiring Plymouth Argyle.

"Unfortunately for the club, none of those parties are interested in buying the club shares, they want to buy the club from an administrator, thereby reducing the amount of money they have to make available to buy the club.

"So, in relatively short time, I hope to have given exclusivity to the most promising purchaser who in return will give me funding."

Hart takes the reins at the County Ground with the Robins languishing 21st in npower League One, three points adrift of safety, having claimed just three points from its last 11 games.

It is a far cry from last season when the Wiltshire club, under Wilson's stewardship, was narrowly beaten in the play-off final by Millwall.

Chairman Andrew Fitton highlighted the former QPR and Crystal Palace manager's experience of relegation battles as the key reason for his appointment.

"Paul has been in the situation of having to rescue a club from the throes of relegation - the first time at Portsmouth in 2008/09 and also at Crystal Palace in 2009/10 when he was charged with keeping the club up with 14 matches to go, having had 10 points deducted in mid-season," Fitton said.

"Paul has been selected because of his experience in guiding teams away from the relegation zone, something that Swindon is determined to do."

He added: "There are 13 games left to achieve this objective and so time is not on our side for any experimentation. We had to go for experience.

"Paul will begin immediately and will be deciding on his support team in due course."

The Gunners came into the fifth-round replay smarting after last weekend's Carling Cup final defeat to Birmingham City but left celebrating a comfortable victory.

Chamakh's first goal since November got the ball rolling in just the seventh minute, before Bendtner netted his hat-trick.

The Denmark international followed up a fine header and 18-yard drive with a 62nd-minute penalty to complete his treble, with substitute Gael Clichy wrapping up the result as he struck his first goal since November 2008.

The imposing result sets up a quarter-final clash at Old Trafford against Manchester United, which also stands in the Gunners' way of success in the Premier League.

However, Wenger believes his side has a strong chance of usurping Sir Alex Ferguson's side in both competitions even in the absence of in-form striker Robin van Persie.

The Dutch international faces up to four weeks out with a tear in a ligament at the back of his knee, but Wenger has backed Bendtner and Chamakh to fill the void.

"We have lost Van Persie, of course, so for Bendtner and Chamakh to score is very important," said the Frenchman after the game.

"It is very important that they have a level of confidence to be successful in the big games.

"You need your strikers to take any chances and Bendtner tonight did that well.

"We need Chamakh with the games in front of us," he added.

"He had a great start to the season until the end of the November, early December when he looked a little bit burned out.

"Now he looks back [to himself] because even in training he looked a little bit tired. It's good for him that he scored."

Wenger, though, warned Bendtner that his hat-trick against the Os does not guarantee him a starting berth at the Nou Camp against Barcelona next week, saying: "You know what, it puts him contention to play against Sunderland. And, frankly, for us that is a vital game."

The Frenchman also quashed speculation that Cesc Fabregas would be fit to face the Black Cats this weekend after the Arsenal captain said in his programme notes that he hoped to play.

"I personally hope he will be fit next Tuesday," said Wenger. "He has a chance to play against Barcelona.

"I don't think he will be involved on Saturday. There is no chance but we will try with him on Sunday and Monday, and give him a final test Monday morning."

Leyton Orient manager Russell Slade was quick to praise his side after a 'difficult night' and believes a push for the League One play-offs is not beyond it.

"It was obviously a hard night," he said. "We found a side in good form, with a real strong focus and a spot on attitude.

"Mr Wenger got a performance from his players and with their first three goals I thought they were quite ruthless really. Three attacks, three opportunities, three goals.

"But, still, I am proud of the way we tried to keep the ball and keep passing; that's our and we are not going to throw away the rules that we have and the way we want to play.

"It was a difficult night but we need to go away and learn from that, and try and re-establish momentum in our respective league and try and see if we can push on and attain a top-six spot with the 16 remaining games we have got."

The Gunners showed no sign of a hangover from the shock of losing to Birmingham City at Wembley as the League One side was brushed aside in clinical fashion.

Marouane Chamakh set Arsene Wenger's men on their way in the seventh minute with his first goal since the end of November, before Bendtner's well-taken double put the result beyond doubt ahead of the interval.

The Denmark striker completed his treble to boost his hopes of playing against Barcelona in the Nou Camp this time next week from the penalty spot, with fullback Gael Clichy netting a rare effort with 15 minutes left.

Only Tomas Rosicky, who would later become another untimely Arsenal injury casualty as he limped off, remained from the starting XI left crestfallen at Wembley. Teenage defender Ignasi Miquel made his first home appearance and 19-year-old winger Connor Henderson a senior debut.

Centre-back Laurent Koscielny was, officially at least, rested because of a minor hamstring problem, while keeper Wojciech Szczesny - the other guilty party in last weekend's dramatic and costly mix-up which gifted the Blues a last-gasp winner - warmed the bench to give him a break from the spotlight.

Samir Nasri, Jack Wilshere and Andrey Arshavin were also among the substitutes should they be needed to help get the job done at the second time of asking.

The replay - earned after Orient forced a last-minute equaliser at Brisbane Road 10 days ago - was expected to bring in around £700,000 ($1.12 million) for the League One side, which is set for a trip to Las Vegas on chairman Barry Hearn at the end of a season which could yet finish with promotion via the play-offs.

The Os were cheered on by some 9,000 fans, most having travelled more in hope than genuine expectation of a cup shock which would be off the scale compared to last weekend's result at Wembley.

Chamakh was deployed in Robin van Persie's role at the spearhead of the attack, with the Dutchman set to be out for around a month with a knee injury picked up in scoring the equaliser against Birmingham.

The Moroccan settled any early nerves when he put Arsenal ahead from close range.

Rosicky darted into the right side of the Orient box before cutting the ball back to the penalty spot, where Chamakh guided a shot into the bottom left corner to take his tally to 12.

Orient almost produced a response when Ben Chorley, a former Arsenal trainee, sent an angled volley goalwards from a corner which was deflected over.

The away fans behind the far Clock End thought Alex Revell had steered in an equaliser from Charlie Daniels' cross, but the ball only rippled the side-netting.

Arsenal was soon back on the offensive and doubled its lead on the half-hour when Bendtner sent Kieran Gibbs' cross back into the top-left corner with a looping header from 12 yards.

It was 3-0 in the 43rd minute when Bendtner cut in from the left and curled a low strike into the far corner, for his sixth goal of the season.

Abou Diaby should have made it four at the start of the second half when he waltzed through the Orient defence, but dragged his low shot wide.

Orient refused to lay down and caused more than one moment of panic in the host's six-yard box.

However, Arsenal was then awarded a penalty on 61 minutes when Gibbs was tripped by Revell.

During the break in play, Rosicky, who had picked up an injury, was replaced by Nasri. Bendtner smashed the spot-kick into the bottom-left corner to complete his hat-trick, a second for Arsenal.

Wilshere and Clichy were given run-outs for the final 24 minutes, replacing Bendtner and Diaby.

The French fullback drilled number five into the bottom corner for his first goal since November 2008 as Arsene Wenger's men booked a mouth-watering clash against their Premier League title rival at Old Trafford on 12 March.

Cash-strapped Argyle has been hit with a 10-point deduction after issuing a 'notice of intention' to appoint an administrator earlier this week, and administration would potentially give new owners the chance to rebuild with a clean slate rather than clear debts.

Plymouth's financial advisor Ridsdale, who also revealed staff and players had not been paid on Friday, told BBC Spotlight: "We've always hoped Plymouth wouldn't go into administration but I think at the moment, having given the notice of intention, there is a strong possibility that prior to a final conclusion we may have to.

"What I'm hoping is that will be for a matter of days rather than a longer period because we have got potential buyers and hopefully it will be merely part and parcel of the buying process.

"I will only feel I have failed if we haven't found a buyer who can take this club forward, the most important thing is to have the right financial structure for the club for the future and it may well be that the only way of achieving that is a brief period of administration."

He added: "We have three buyers who we think are very interested, two of whom are slightly further ahead than the third.

"We've also got expressions of interest from two or three other people. I think given the timeframe, we're concentrating on the first three at this stage."

The confirmation comes via a statement on the Football League's official website after the Pilgrims issued a 'Notice of Intention' to appoint an administrator.

The statement read: "The Football League can confirm that Plymouth Argyle Football Club have been deducted 10 points with immediate effect.

"This sporting sanction has been implemented following receipt of formal confirmation that the club had filed a notice of intention to appoint an administrator with the High Court."

The League One club has faced winding-up orders this season and it was revealed last week that players and staff have still not been paid their wages for January.

Manager Peter Reid said: "We are going to have to produce Championship form to stay up. It's going to be a battle, I don't mind a battle. There are people worse off than us, we have to get on with it."

The Gunners found out before their game with Leyton Orient that an Old Trafford date awaited the winner - still to be determined after substitute Jonathan Tehoue's late goal earned Orient a replay.

Wenger said: "Somebody told me the draw as we came out before the game started.

"It is television now which basically dictates these kind of rules but that would not be an excuse for us to draw today.

"Leyton Orient played a great game, but we could not finish them off.

"It is an interesting and an exciting draw.

"We will do what it takes to go through, but I had a good warning today that the home game against Leyton Orient will be difficult."

Orient chairman Barry Hearn was simply relieved that the late equaliser left no time for Wenger to turn to substitutes Cesc Fabregas, Samir Nasri and Jack Wilshere.

"The best thing for us was that it was 1-0," Hearn told ESPN. "Arsene was not going to put any of his main line on the bench on because he is trying to nick it.

"He was trying to get away with these blokes having a little rest. If we equalise after 70 minutes, the floodgates open ... he brings on Fabregas and the rest and we are all in trouble.

"He has got a little bit complacent, the old Frenchman, and the other Frenchman (Tehoue) put the boot in."

Carling Cup finalist Birmingham City next meets Bolton Wanderers, which beat Fulham thanks to Ivan Klasnic's goal at Craven Cottage.

Wanderers boss Owen Coyle said: "We are delighted to be in the quarter-finals. Alex (McLeish, the Blues manager) is a friend of mine and somebody I have a lot of time for.

"He was my manager at Motherwell and he'll be loving the cup this year because every draw seems to result in a home game for him!

"They are not in the other (Carling Cup) final by accident. Alex will look to do that in the FA Cup.

"We will be positive. We will look to win the game at the first time of asking. It has all the makings of a great quarter-final tie."

Stoke City has a home tie against either West Ham United or Burnley and Manchester City or Aston Villa will face Everton, which knocked out holder Chelsea, or Reading.

Manchester City came through its fourth-round replay against Notts County 5-0 to take its place in the draw, and manager Roberto Mancini said: "It was an important win. I think for us it (the FA Cup) is important."

FA Cup quarter-final draw:

Stoke v West Ham or Burnley

Man City or Aston Villa v Everton or Reading

Birmingham v Bolton

Manchester United v Leyton Orient or Arsenal

The Gunners made 10 changes from the side which had beaten Barcelona in midweek, but lacked a cutting edge in attack before they eventually made the breakthrough when Tomas Rosicky headed in at the start of the second half.

However, Orient produced a late rally and substitute Jonathan Tehoue drilled home with a minute left to earn a money-spinning replay which keeps alive the dream of a quarter-final at Manchester United.

With an already congested fixture list - which includes the Carling Cup final against Birmingham City at Wembley - the last thing Wenger will have wanted was a replay, which is set for 2 March, just a week before it heads out to Spain for the second leg of its UEFA Champions League last-16 clash.

"We have played the game with the right attitude and could not fault our fighting spirit, but you also have to give credit to Leyton Orient because they never gave up and fought very hard," Wenger said.

"As long as you do not score the second goal, that can happen.

"Overall it is a disappointment, but we are still in the competition and will now play at home.

"The most important thing is to go through.

"You had a match against a team which is technically superior, but fighting spirit has a chance."

Wenger, though, continued: "The most negative side of our result today is one more fixture and in fairness that is not what we needed.

"We have had problems in the cups against teams from the lower divisions to finish them off, but also we have given a lot.

"Sometimes, mentally, a breather would not be bad.

"What people forget is that since the beginning of December, we have played every three days, so sometimes to have a week where we could give the players a little breather would not be bad."

Yet Wenger did not begrudge Orient its big night at the Emirates.

He said: "It will make their budget for the season, if not more, and to scrap that off would be a blow to all the smaller clubs in England.

"They suffer already, so you would not have a lot of supporters to do that (scrap replays)."

Wenger admitted he had not heard of Tehoue, but is unlikely to forget the French striker now.

Orient boss Russell Slade hailed his very own 'super sub', who has made a habit of netting crucial late strikes when introduced from the bench.

"To get that goal was great timing because Arsene Wenger could not get [Cesc] Fabregas or anyone else who could undo us on in the last 10 minutes," he said.

"When I have started with Jonathan, sometimes he has not made the impact he has coming off the bench.

"He has scored something like eight goals from 85 minutes onwards.

"In terms of super sub, forget about the [David] Faircloughs of this world - Tehoue, he is the boy, our secret weapon. Brilliant."

Slade continued: "Jonathan has had a really bad hamstring tear and missed a lot of pre-season, so that has also played his part in that he has not started that many.

"He is getting fitter and stronger, but while he keeps making an impact like that, I might just keep him on the bench.

"But he could turn out to be a very important player for us with 17 league games to go."

Flamboyant Orient chairman Barry Hearn had pledged to take the squad out to Las Vegas should it earn itself a replay.

Slade quipped: "The lads had Elvis Presley on when the chairman walked into the changing room and were singing 'Viva Las Vegas'!

"The end of May or in June would be nice to get three or four days away, I am sure that would be fun."

The Orient boss - whose side is in the hunt to make the play-offs after losing just once in 14 league games - continued: "The quarter-final against United was a big carrot, but we have still to go back to the Emirates.

"We are humble, but proud that we have got this far and have another opportunity of playing against Arsenal in a fantastic stadium.

"I told the lads 'you will only enjoy it if you get some kind of performance' - and today we got that in the end."

The League One visitor took the game to its opponent from kick-off and could have gone ahead but was denied after Karl Hawley's shot rebounded back off a post.

Midway through the first half City took control and in the 37th minute Patrick Vieira nodded in the opener.

His second header 12 minutes after the interval put the host in the comfort zone and the scoreline was given something of a distorted look with goals from Carlos Tevez, Edin Dzeko and Micah Richards in the last six minutes.

"In the first half an hour Notts County played very well," admitted Mancini, who felt the club's UEFA Europa League trip to Greece in midweek affected its performance.

"It was an important win. I think for us it (the FA Cup) is important.

"We started the game so slowly because when you play every three days it is difficult to play 100 percent in every game.

"But after we scored it changed the game. We had more chances in the second half and it was important we scored those goals."

The majority of Vieira's appearances have been in cup competitions but his two headers doubled his tally of goals for the season.

Mancini was pleased to see the 34-year-old making important contributions, while he was also happy with the progress of January signing Dzeko - who should have scored a second in second-half injury-time but hit his shot too close to goalkeeper Stuart Nelson.

So far the former Wolfsburg striker has only scored against Notts County - he got the equaliser in the first meeting at Meadow Lane - but Mancini is happy to give the Bosnian time.

"Patrick played well, he scored two goals and I am happy for him as I am for Dzeko, because it is important for strikers to score," he added.

"Dzeko had three or four chances to score but I think Edin needs time as all players who play for the first time in England need time."

Mancini also dismissed speculation that northern summer signing David Silva was homesick and looking to move back to Spain.

""I didn't read these stories but someone told me this," added the Italian.

"Today he played very well but he has never spoken to me about this."

Notts County boss Paul Ince felt his side was unlucky not to be ahead before City scored but admitted it needed to take its opportunities to have a chance of beating its Premier League opponent.

"I thought we did ever so well and with a bit of luck we could have been 1-0 in front," said the former Manchester United midfielder.

"That is what you need when you come to places like this. We started well and at times it felt like a home game.

"We were ready for it but when you get your chances you need to take advantage and but for the width of a post it didn't happen because that would have set us off nicely.

"I'm disappointed for the players. We worked very hard over the last few days on stopping City and I thought we dealt with that very well but to lose two goals from set-pieces was disappointing, especially the timing of them.

"This is the wealthiest team in the world and we have matched them for an hour.

"In the last game we were 10 minutes from knocking them out so we have to take positives from that.

"A score of 5-0 doesn't justify how well we played as a team.

"You know you are going to get tired and we needed that goal while at 2-0 to keep us in the game."

Arsene Wenger's side had enjoyed a famous 2-1 win over Spanish champion Barcelona in the UEFA Champions League last-16, first leg in midweek, but it was brought back down to earth in east London as Orient substitute Jonathan Tehoue cancelled out Tomas Rosicky's opener.

Wenger made 10 changes from the line-up that beat Barca, with 18-year-old Spanish centre-half Ignasi Miquel making his debut, and Orient was never overawed against the understudies.

Russell Slade's team had lost just one of its previous 20 matches in all competitions and it went close through Charlie Daniels' fierce first-half strike.

Arsenal midfielder Rosicky broke the deadlock with a header from Nicklas Bendtner's cross in the 53rd minute.

But Orient earned a money-spinning replay at the Emirates Stadium when French striker Tehoue skipped past two defenders and smashed a powerful shot past Manuel Almunia's weak attempted save in the 89th minute.

Whatever happens in the replay the players are due a fortnight in Las Vegas at the invitation of Orient's flamboyant snooker promoter Barry Hearn as he had promised them the trip should they either win or get a draw.

The winner of the replay will face Premier League leader Manchester United at Old Trafford in the quarter-finals.

Elsewhere, Patrick Vieira fired Manchester City into the fifth round as the French midfielder's double inspired a 5-0 rout of Notts County in a fourth-round replay.

Vieira, a four-time FA Cup winner with Arsenal, was on target in each half at Eastlands and Carlos Tevez, Edin Dzeko and Micah Richards also scored late on as Roberto Mancini's side booked a home clash with Aston Villa in the last 16.

Although Tevez, Gareth Barry and Vincent Kompany started on the bench, Mancini still fielded a strong side as he looked to finish off Paul Ince's League One team.

City had needed a late equaliser to avoid an embarrassing exit in the 1-1 draw at Meadow Lane and the host survived an early scare when Karl Hawley hit a post.

Mancini's men took the lead in the 37th minute as Vieira's header from David Silva's corner deflected in off Krystian Pearce.

Vieira struck again in the 58th minute with another header, this time from Alexandar Kolarov's corner.

Tevez came on to score in the 84th minute, while Dzeko netted in the 89th minute and Richards completed the rout in the final moments.

Bolton Wanderers beat Fulham 1-0 at Craven Cottage in the fifth round to secure a quarter-final clash at Birmingham City.

Fulham was unbeaten in its last six games, but it fell behind in the 19th minute when Croatian striker Ivan Klasnic pounced on a poor clearance to drill a fine volley past Mark Schwarzer.

It was a good day for Klasnic, who had scored the winner against Wigan Athletic in this week's fourth-round replay, as the Bolton star also learned he would not face charges after he was arrested on suspicion of rape in October.

The 51-year-old has been handed a three-and-a-half-year contract at Hillsborough and replaces Alan Irvine, who was sacked following a poor run of results in League One.

Megson has been out of work following his departure from Bolton Wanderers in December 2009, but has only recently become available after an extended spell on gardening leave due to a failure to agree a compensation package with the Premier League club.

And after he followed in the footsteps of his father Don by pulling on the blue and white shirt during two spells in the 1980s, Megson is delighted to get the chance to manage the Owls.

"It is a club that I know very well and I had two spells here as a player and I thoroughly enjoyed it," he said.

"Before that I used to come here as a kid to watch games here with my old man so it something that I have always wanted to do and I am delighted.

"I have followed this football club since I have been knee-high. And although I have been away at other clubs this is the first result I look for.

"It's a job where I don't have to come up and see the area and it's not a job where I had to listen and take 24 hours to make a decision. This is something I knew I wanted to do 25 years ago."

Megson, who previously worked under Owls owner Milan Mandaric at Leicester City in 2007, was a hugely unpopular figure during his two-year stint at Bolton and failed to win over a sceptical set of supporters.

However, he is expecting the full backing of the Wednesday faithful and could not help but have a dig at Wanderers fans, referencing his achievements at the Reebok Stadium.

"I have played a lot of games for Sheffield Wednesday and know what the supporters are like," he said.

"When you get it right, it's the best support you're ever going to get. One of the problems I had at Bolton was when it was going right, it never seemed to be.

"If I ever get to a position where I can take Sheffield Wednesday to get a point at Bayern Munich, beat Atletico Madrid over two legs, beat Manchester United for the first time in years and keep them up from a position which was the worst ever start in Premier League history, I am sure the supporters will get behind that and realise what is going on."

Irvine joined a lengthy list of managers to be sacked by Mandaric and the former Leicester and Portsmouth owner was pleased to get his man in such a short space of time.

"I am delighted and very pleased in Gary agreeing to join us," he said.

"I couldn't find a more experienced man in football. Gary's knowledge of the game is exceptional and so his desire to win.

"We needed to make changes and I am excited in convincing Gary to join us. It didn't take much, this is his club, and he knows this is his home. I am delighted he is part of this club."

Former Preston boss Irvine, 52, has been axed by the npower League One club following a six-game winless run which culminated in Tuesday's 5-3 defeat at Peterborough.

Mandaric told Press Association Sport: "It is unfortunate, but this had to take place. The decision has been made on what is in the best interests of the club.

"We will be making further announcements in due course."

The Owls' defeat at Peterborough left them 12th in the table, eight points adrift of the play-offs and only five above the relegation zone.

Irvine, who held crisis talks with Mandaric on Wednesday after the heavy loss at London Road, had been backed by his chairman during the January transfer window.

Reda Johnson, Michael Morrison, Mark Reynolds, Gary Madine and Isaiah Osbourne have all arrived at Hillsborough in recent weeks.

Former Wednesday player Gary Megson and ex-Crystal Palace, Coventry and Hull boss Iain Dowie have emerged as early candidates to succeed Irvine, who signed a three-and-a-half year contract when he replaced Brian Laws as manager in January.

Assistant manager Rob Kelly and coach Billy Barr will take charge until a successor for Irvine is found.

The Gunners made sweeping changes from the side which had booked a place at Wembley with a midweek Carling Cup semi-final, second-leg win over Ipswich Town.

However, because of concerns over the fitness of Tomas Rosicky, who has been troubled by a virus, Wenger elected to put Nasri in the starting XI.

It had all been going to plan when Nicklas Bendtner's angled shot deflected in off Terriers skipper Peter Clarke to put the Gunners ahead on 22 minutes.

However, French playmaker Nasri then limped off with a hamstring problem as he chased a long kick up field from Manuel Almunia.

Wenger said: "Nasri looks to have a serious hamstring injury. Usually it is three weeks.

"We have to see if it is a grade 1, it will be two weeks, so we will see.

"I have now regrets because the plan was to play Rosicky, but he was still too weak because he was sick, so I took the gamble on Nasri.

"It backfired, but he could have come on and that happened as well.

"It is very difficult to predict.

"We are at the stage of the season where we play so many games that to lose bodies is very difficult for us.

"But Samir is a big blow."

Sebastien Squillaci was shown a red card by referee Mark Clattenburg for blocking Jack Hunt's surging run just before half-time.

Alan Lee headed a deserved equaliser for the Terriers, but captain Cesc Fabregas came off the bench and won it from the spot after Jamie McCombe was adjudged to have pushed Bendtner over.

Arsenal had also struggled to get past Leeds United in the third round, when Fabregas also netted a late penalty to earn a replay which the Gunners went on to win comfortably.

Wenger accepted Huddersfield had given his battle-weary players a great test of character.

"It was tough, tough, tough and had all the ingredients of a typical cup tie," Wenger said.

"I think we played a bit below par, and Huddersfield are a good team - they were efficient, dangerous on set-pieces and crosses.

"We were also down to 10 men and so it became of course very difficult.

"In the end, though, we had the quality to make a difference, but we play so many games at the moment that of course sometimes we are not as sharp as you want to be."

Wenger felt the red card for Squillaci, just back from a hamstring injury, was 'harsh'.

The Arsenal manager said: "You can give it and not give it. It was a foul, but it didn't look to me that it was an obvious goalscoring opportunity.

"Is he the last man? That I am not sure as well. I feared the red card and unfortunately he gave what I feared."

Fabregas, who was sent on in the second half, appeared to gesture to the referee for a red card as further punishment at the penalty.

Wenger, though, maintained: "Cesc thought it was a red card. It is for the referee to make the decision. He made the right decision in my opinion.

"In the box, personally I am more lenient than outside."

Arsenal appears unlikely to sign anybody ahead of the transfer deadline.

Wenger said: "I will leave the headlines to other clubs.

"But I cannot tell you definitely no because if somebody knocks at my door in the morning and says 'I would like to play for you' and he is a good player, I will sign him."

Arsenal has little time for any tired legs to recover as it hosts Everton in the Premier League on Tuesday night.

"We looked a little bit tired today. Hopefully we can recover," Wenger said.

"When you win you recover more quickly.

"I have some players who did not play who will be fresh, but we have only 48 hours."

Terriers boss Lee Clark revealed pride at his team's efforts and challenged it to now go on and secure promotion to the Championship.

"It was an excellent performance - we passed the ball well and created chances," he said.

"We limited Arsenal, which is not easy coming here, and the lads have worked extremely well so that in context we are disappointed we did not get anything more from the game.

"But we have now go to look at our league programme, which is all-important for us.

"Our goal will now be to go and get promoted and take this performance into the league."

Clark refused to be drawn on the penalty incident.

"I have not seen it since but from where I was standing in the dug-out, it looked a penalty," the former Newcastle United midfielder said.

"Other people have said it wasn't, but from my position it looked a penalty.

"But it is given so you can't do anything about it."

Johnson suffered ligament damage in a freak incident during training on Thursday and scans have confirmed Mancini's worst fears.

"We have lost Adam Johnson for three months," said Mancini.

"This will be a very big problem because he is an important player.

"The injury is like the one Aleksandar Kolarov had earlier this season. We do not have another player like Adam."

The injury will rule Johnson out for the bulk of the rest of the season, with Mancini joking that the winger will return 'for the final'.

It will also cause Fabio Capello a headache because the former Middlesbrough player will be absent from England's friendly with Denmark in Copenhagen next month and more importantly, the Euro 2012 qualifier with Wales in Cardiff on 26 March.

And, for Shaun Wright-Phillips, it might mean that he has to remain at Eastlands rather than get the move he wants, having handed in a transfer request ahead of the deadline.

"I can understand his position," said Mancini.

"We haven't had any offers for Wright-Phillips at this moment but it is difficult for Shaun to join another team now.

"We still have another 24 hours, so anything can happen but it probably affects it."

Tevez should be back for the midweek trip to Birmingham City, part of a glut of fixtures that mean City will not play its FA Cup replay until the weekend of the fifth round in three weeks' time after snatching a late equaliser at Notts County.

Neal Bishop nodded the host in front after an hour and for a while it looked as though the world's oldest Football League club would claim the scalp of the country's most expensive team.

But Edin Dzeko popped up 10 minutes from time, turning home Micah Richards' cross to keep City alive in a competition where it will now meet Aston Villa in the fifth round if it gets through.

"We didn't deserve to lose but this is the FA Cup," said Mancini.

"We didn't want a replay before the game but I am happy to have one now."

"I know how these games work," said the former England skipper.

"You are playing a lesser team and you think you can cruise through. I did it with Manchester United.

"It is not the case. Belief can overcome complacency.

"On days like this, the club from the lower echelons should be given the credit they deserve not have people say City did not play well. We stopped them playing.

"It just felt like the clock stopped after we scored."

It means another money-spinning trip to Premier League opposition for County, which defeated Sunderland at the Stadium of Light in the last round.

"We earned a few quid at Sunderland. Now we will get a few more at Manchester City," said Ince.

And Mancini might need to watch out after ordering special red wine from his old adversary, then not turning up to drink it.

"Brian Kidd and David Platt came in and I have known them both for a long time, so that was nice, but I didn't see Roberto," laughed Ince.

"He told me to make sure I got some nice red wine too. I will pour it over his head when I see him."

The League One side bossed the first half and deservedly broke the deadlock on the stroke of half-time, with Richard Chaplow smashing Saints ahead.

However, Ferguson's introduction of Nani and Ryan Giggs 13 minutes into the second half gave United the impetus and width that had been severely lacking.

First Michael Owen levelled with his first goal since September, before Javier Hernandez ghosted in to wrap up the tie with a quarter-of-an-hour remaining.

While the history books will show a United victory, Ferguson admits his decisions left the side on the back foot from the offset.

"Sometimes we make it difficult for ourselves but, in fairness, I maybe meddled with the system somewhat this afternoon," he told MUTV.

"We tried a diamond in the middle of the pitch and, of course, Manchester United are used to playing with width all the time and I think that was a problem for us.

"It wasn't working at all," he added.

"We had some possession of the ball but we never really threatened. We had two or three shots from the edge of the box.

"It was a nothing first half, really, and the goal, if anything, made us play.

"(Southampton) scoring the goal right on half-time motivated us a bit to do better."

Ferguson admitted the timing of Owen's goal was important to ensure the game did not get away from it, while he praised Hernandez for his clinical finishing, saying: "He only had one chance today: one chance, one goal."

The United boss also revealed that United should have its first-choice back four for the clash with Aston Villa on Tuesday evening (Wednesday morning AEDT), with Rafael, Nemanja Vidic and Rio Ferdinand likely to return.

Southampton manager Nigel Adkins, meanwhile, expects precocious winger Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain to remain at St Mary's for the rest of the season.

Speculation over the 17-year-old's future has been rife throughout January, with Arsenal and Liverpool mooted as a potential destination.

However, Adkins insists that Southampton has no intention of selling him despite interest from some of the Premier League elite.

"We are not envisaging selling him, we're not looking to sell him," he said after the match. "We don't want to sell him.

"I think it is beneficial for him to be playing regularly for Southampton in the Football League, giving him a chance to develop.

"Yes, he is well courted and you can see today that he has ability about him. Southampton Football Club are not looking to sell Alex Chamberlain."

Adkins admitted he would not be surprised if Ferguson enquired about Oxlade-Chamberlain when they spoke later on, but the Saints boss insists the clash with Exeter City remains his primary focus.

"There is always going to be mass speculation; there has been throughout the transfer window," he said.

"It shuts at 11 o'clock on Monday evening and there will be mass speculation all the way up until then.

"All we can do is control the controllables, which is getting Alex ready with the group in preparation for a very big game for this football club on Tuesday night at Exeter."

The Cote d'Ivoire international struck 15 minutes from time to deny the home side a famous win and preserve the Blues' hopes of winning the trophy for the third time in as many years.

Louis Saha had given Everton a 62nd-minute lead, and there was late drama when Ramires hit the post at one end and Petr Cech pulled off a fine save to deny Jermaine Beckford at the other, but a replay will be required to split the sides.

Michael Owen and Javier Hernandez teamed up to spare Manchester United's blushes as League One Southampton threatened to pull off a major giant-killing act.

The Saints took the lead in stunning fashion on the stroke of half-time when Richard Chaplow surged into the penalty area from the right and smashed an unstoppable shot past debutant keeper Anders Lindegaard to rekindle memories of their famous 1976 final victory over United.

However, the Premier League leader got itself back on level terms 20 minutes into the second half when Michael Owen met Gabriel Obertan's right-wing cross to head home, and Hernandez dispensed with the need for a replay with the winner 10 minutes later.

Aston Villa ensure its place in the fifth-round draw with a comfortable 3-1 victory over Blackburn Rovers despite having defender Nathan Baker sent off.

First-half goals from Ciaran Clark, Robert Pires and Nathan Delfouneso made substitute Niko Kalinic's 18th-minute equaliser irrelevant.

However, neighbour Birmingham City did it the hard way after manager Alex McLeish made wholesale changes after its Carling Cup exertions in midweek.

The Premier League side trailed 2-0 to local rival Coventry City of the Championship with 26 minutes gone as Marlon King and Richard Wood got the visitor off to a dream start.

But, David Bentley launched a remarkable comeback 10 minutes before the break and after Stuart Parnaby's first goal in almost five years levelled things up, veteran Kevin Phillips snatched victory with a 73rd-minute winner.

Championship Swansea City, however, was not so fortunate as it was dumped out of the competition by League One Orient.

Orient ensured its place in the hat for the fifth round draw with a 2-1 victory at the Liberty Stadium with Swans defender Alan Tate's 88th-minute own goal seeing it through after Cedric van der Gun had dragged the home side back into the game following Jimmy Smith's 35th-minute opener.

There was something of a shock at Vicarage Road too, where Watford of the Championship went down to Brighton of League One after keeper Rene Gilmartin made a mess of dealing with Ashley Barnes' 16th-minute shot.

League Two Stevenage, conqueror of Premier League Newcastle United in the third round, was unable to extend its run further despite coming from behind at home to Reading.

Mikele Leigertwood put the visitor ahead with 23 minutes gone, but Darius Charles equalised with 18 minutes left, only for Shane Long to snatch victory for the Championship club at the death.

Burton's adventure also drew to a close at Burnley as a Chris Eagles double proved enough for the Clarets despite loan signing Calvin Zola's 80th-minute strike.

The all Premier League clash between Bolton Wanderers and Wigan Athletic at the Reebok Stadium ended goalless, but there was plenty of action at Hillsborough.

League Two Hereford took a ninth-minute lead through Stuart Fleetwood, but Darren Potter's equaliser six minutes later set the scene for Clinton Morrison to score twice from the penalty spot, either side of Jermaine Johnson's 77th-minute strike as Sheffield Wednesday ran out a 4-1 winner.

The Championship playoff final will still be at Wembley on May 30, the traditional Bank Holiday Monday slot, two days after the Champions League final is played in the evening at the same venue.

The League Two final will be on May 28 with the League One final on May 29 at Manchester United's ground, and all three playoff matches are scheduled to kick-off at 3pm.

Football League chairman Greg Clarke said: "We are thrilled to have the opportunity to play these exciting winner-takes-all occasions at one of the great stadiums in world football.

"We are equally pleased that we are able to take the Football League playoffs to the north west, an area that has been at the heart of professional football since its very origins."

Manchester United chief executive David Gill added: "We are delighted Old Trafford has been chosen to stage these two finals."

The 33-year-old leaves League One side AFC Bournemouth to replace Brian Laws at Turf Moor and has been joined by his assistant Jason Tindall.

Howe watched the Clarets draw with Championship leader Queens Park Rangers at Turf Moor and will now take charge on Monday morning.

Howe took over at Bournemouth in January 2009 with the Cherries staring at relegation out of the Football League after a 17-point deduction.

But the rookie guided his side to safety and then - despite a transfer embargo as the financial difficulties continued - took it into League One last May.

Howe was forced to sell top scorer Brett Pitman to Bristol City in August and then saw another striker, Josh McQuoid, join Millwall, but still leaves his side in fourth place.

He was linked with the vacancies at Crystal Palace and Charlton Athletic but has decided that the Clarets are the right club for him to make the step up with.

He said: "This is a fantastic club and you only had to see the fans at the game here on Saturday to see how passionate they are.

"It is just a fantastic opportunity for Jason and myself to join such a big, ambitious and progressive club and we are delighted.

"We had such a great time at Bournemouth and it was always going to take a special club for us to leave because of the fantastic success we have had there in the past two years."

Howe is recruiting a side placed 10th in the table - just six points shy of the play-offs.

His first game in charge will be at Scunthorpe United and Howe believes he is ready for the challenge.

He said: "We just felt Burnley was that club and we are ready to take on a huge challenge.

"However it is one we are excited by. The team is in a decent league position but there is still a long way to go."

Powell leaves his role as first-team coach at Leicester City to sign a three-and-a-half-year contract at The Valley, much to the delight of Addicks chairman Michael Slater.

"We spoke to a number of strong candidates as part of the recruitment process. As soon as we met Chris, it was clear he was our stand-out candidate and the one we wanted to be our new manager," he told the club's official website.

"He has natural leadership ability and his passion for the club, together with his football knowledge and ideas for the future, are hugely impressive.

"We firmly believe Chris is the right man to take the club forward on the pitch and we're thrilled to have got him. We think the fans will be, too.

"I'd like to thank Leicester for their co-operation in releasing Chris from his coaching role to take on his position with us. With new owners and a fresh and dynamic manager in place, our goal now is promotion to the Championship."

As well as coaching at the Walkers Stadium, Powell has been involved in many off-field campaigns both during and after his playing days.

Prior to retiring last season, the former England international was chairman of the Professional Footballers' Association.

Furthermore, his involvement in the Kick It Out campaign, which aims to promote racial awareness in the sport, has been well documented.

And Powell's tireless work as an ambassador for that group has earned him a glowing tribute off its chair, Lord Herman Ouseley.

"This is great news," he said. "His knowledge and enthusiasm is first rate, not to mention his awareness and understanding of key social issues.

"Chris has worked tirelessly as an ambassador for Kick It Out since his playing days and his successful tenure as PFA chairman served to extend this knowledge of diversity and inclusion initiatives.

"He has 20 years of experience as a professional which has given him excellent grass roots connections.

"It sends a positive message to young aspiring coaches from all communities that opportunities do exist at the highest level."

Ferguson, the son of Manchester United manager Sir Alex, guided the club from the fourth tier to the second division of English football in successive years.

But the 38-year-old left to take charge of Championship club Preston North End - from where he was sacked last month with the north-west side facing relegation - in November 2009.

Peterborough has gone through several managers during Ferguson's time away from London Road but Mark Cooper, Jim Gannon and Gary Johnson have all failed to replicate his success.

Johnson exited on Monday but a 2-1 win over Brentford the following day lifted Peterborough up into fifth place in League One and Ferguson was confident the club could make an immediate return to the Championship.

"You'd have to say automatic promotion is still possible this season," he told reporters.

"Anyone who can go on a run has got a right chance.

"I know the saying is 'never go back' but I don't believe in that.

"I've missed the place. I've had a hard 12 months at Preston but it's good to be back.

"We want to get into the Championship and stabilise in the Championship. That has always been the aim."

When Ferguson left Peterborough the club's director of football, Barry Fry, said he believed the Scot had been 'tapped up' by another club.

But Ferguson insisted there were never any hard feelings between him and Peterborough officials.

"There was no falling-out ... I've cleared the air with Barry and I don't want to go over old ground," he said.

A loan move for Beckham had been described by Redknapp as a 'no-goer' earlier in the day, but his tone changed after Tottenham's FA Cup third-round win over Charlton Athletic.

After a week of negotiations between Tottenham and Beckham's parent club, Los Angeles Galaxy, Redknapp initially said that an eight-week loan for the star had fallen through because of 'insurance issues'.

Redknapp's assertion was followed by a statement on Spurs' website, announcing that the 35-year-old would join the club - but only to train for a month as he aims to keep fit during the MLS close season.

But following Spurs' 3-0 win against Charlton, Redknapp appeared to backtrack on his previous statement.

And he insisted the midfielder, who will meet with Tottenham's medical staff before joining in with training on Tuesday, could still join on a playing basis.

When asked if a deal could still happen, the Spurs boss replied: "I don't honestly know. That's being done above my head. Hopefully it could still happen. The situation is ongoing."

It was thought that Galaxy was demanding an insurance fee for the former Manchester United man after he picked up an Achilles injury during last year's loan spell at AC Milan.

But it is understood Galaxy is not demanding such a fee for Beckham's release, and the reason behind the impasse in the deal is because Tottenham is unwilling to pay the percentage of his wages that the American side is demanding.

"I was led to believe that insurance was a problem, but apparently that's not the case," said Redknapp, who saw his team beat Charlton thanks to a goal from Andros Townsend and a Jermain Defoe double.

Galaxy is adamant it wants its man back in time for the start of the MLS season on 15 March.

Tottenham assistant manager Kevin Bond admits he is looking forward to Beckham's arrival.

"I think everyone will be looking forward to how he conducts himself, how he trains and I'm sure a lot of people will take a lot from him being here and seeing how he goes about his work," Bond said.

Should Beckham's loan deal fail to go through, Tottenham will be short of experienced right-sided midfielders if David Bentley's move to Birmingham City is completed, as expected, this week.

Townsend, 19, who recently had his season-long loan cut short by Ipswich Town, impressed on the right though, marking his debut with a 20-yard opening goal.

Bond was impressed and admits the youngster, who is naturally left-footed, looks to have a bright future at the club.

"I thought it was a terrific performance from someone making his debut," Bond said.

"If Harry feels he can bring someone in to improve the squad then he said he would look at it.

"(But) looking at Andros, it looks like we might benefit from having him around."

Spurs went in goalless at half-time after a disappointing first half but the home side soon sparked into life thanks to the introduction of midfielder Luka Modric.

Bond admits the Croatian gave Spurs a creative outlet it badly missed in the first period.

Bond said: "Maybe we were predictable in the first half and you need someone with that something different to unlock the door. He certainly has that."

Defoe returned to the starting line-up after a three-match ban for a red card for an elbow on James Collins during Spurs' 2-1 win at Aston Villa on Boxing Day.

Bond believes the England striker was determined to prove a point by contributing to the win, which earned Tottenham an away tie against Fulham in the fourth round.

"I'm sure Jermain was frustrated because it was a harsh red card," Bond said.

"He was frustrated because he wasn't long being back from injury and to sit out another three games meant he was keen to get out on the pitch.

"Strikers live off goals and it's important for them, they become a different animal completely when they find the net."

Charlton caretaker boss Keith Peacock was happy with his team's efforts and admitted second-half substitute Modric made a big difference on the outcome of the game.

"I'm proud of the way the players performed," Peacock said.

"As soon as I saw who was coming on the pitch at half-time, I thought we would have a problem.

"You love watching him on the ball, but not when you are playing against him.

"The little pieces I've seen of him, and what I saw in this game, he is right up there with the best."

However, the Scot can take heart from the way his side battled back following Ryan Giggs' controversial second-minute penalty and the dismissal of captain Steven Gerrard for a nasty first-half challenge on Michael Carrick.

Holder Chelsea went some way to lifting the gloom at Stamford Bridge as it began its defence of the competition with a 7-0 third-round win over Ipswich Town.

The managerless visitor proved ideal cannon fodder for Carlo Ancelotti's faltering double winner, which went into the game on its worst Premier League run for almost 15 years.

Daniel Sturridge and Frank Lampard scored twice and Salomon Kalou, Nicolas Anelka and a Carlos Edwards own goal made up the tally.

Joe Hart's glaring error enabled skipper Andy King to earn Leicester City a deserved replay with a 2-2 draw against Manchester City at the Walkers Stadium.

Hart failed to hold on to an innocuous cross from Paul Gallagher - and King converted the rebound midway through the second half.

Sol Bamba gave Sven-Goran Eriksson's Championship side a first-minute lead but James Milner and Carlos Tevez put the visitor in the ascendancy before half-time.

Tottenham Hotspur booked its place in the fourth round with a 3-0 defeat of Charlton Athletic. Former Addicks striker Jermain Defoe scored twice in the second half after youngster Andros Townsend had marked his debut with the opening goal.

The decision, announced on the club's official website, comes after a 4-2 defeat at home to Swindon Town and the League One club will announce the appointment of a caretaker manager 'in due course'.

Following the takeover of the club last week, new chairman Michael Slater had stated he would back Parkinson in the January transfer window and give him every support.

Slater has now backtracked on his comments, confirming the departure of Parkinson, assistant manager Tim Breacker and first-team coach Mark Kinsella.

"Clearly improvement is needed on the field. The team has not won in the league since November and recent performances have simply not been good enough," he said.

"Last night's defeat convinced us as a board that change is required now while we are still in the hunt for promotion, and that we must appoint a new manager to give us every chance of going up."

Parkinson was appointed at The Valley in 2008 and leaves the Addicks in fifth place of League One, just three points off the automatic promotion places.

In a statement released through the League Manager's Association, Parkinson said: "Naturally I am very disappointed to be leaving Charlton Athletic. This campaign has proved to be extremely competitive, with only a few points separating several clubs.

"I firmly believed in the players' abilities to improve on last season's finish and again compete for promotion back to the npower Championship.

"I would like to take this opportunity to wish the club, the management, the players and the supporters all the very best for the future. I now look forward to a new challenge in the game."

Richard Bevan, the LMA chief executive who has seen several of his members sacked over the past few weeks, expressed disappointment at the trend, as well as surprise that Parkinson should have been dismissed despite Charlton's league position.

"It is extremely disappointing that Phil has become the next manager to get the sack in this new year period," he said.

"It is even more remarkable given Charlton currently sit fifth in npower League One, only three points from the automatic promotion places.

"Phil was awarded the npower manager of the month award as recently as November, testament to the outstanding work he has done with his squad so far this season, following a summer that saw the turnover of over 30 players in his playing staff.

"Charlton are losing a young, talented manager, whom at the age of 43 has already managed over 300 games.

"Without a doubt Phil will take his knowledge and skills to another club where I am certain he will be a success. Phil's departure will be a big loss to Charlton Athletic Football club, its players and its fans."

The Saddlers are currently rock bottom of npower League One, eight points from safety following the 4-1 defeat at Peterborough on Monday.

Head of youth Dean Smith has taken temporary charge while the Saddlers find a replacement for Hutchings, who took the helm at the Banks's Stadium in January 2009.

Chairman Jeff Bonser told the club's official website: "Chris and Martin have both worked extremely hard during their time at the club.

"They have been professional throughout and have conducted themselves with great dignity in what have been difficult times.

"Their preparation and professionalism has been second-to-none but we are in a results business and unfortunately results have not gone their way.

"We wish Chris and Martin all the very best for the future and hope they find future employment in the game and enjoy the success that their hard work and professionalism deserves."

The Reds' director of football strategy Damien Comolli was in the stands at St Mary's to watch the son of former England international Mark Chamberlain find the net in a 4-1 win over Huddersfield Town in League One.

But Saints boss Nigel Adkins insists he will not welcome any bids for the highly-rated 17-year-old when the January transfer window opens.

"I didn't know he (Comolli) was here," said Adkins.

"But we will not start talking about all our players having a price, or putting a price on players' heads, we want to keep this squad together.

"We are not looking to let Alex go."

O'Driscoll, 53, is among the favourites to become the Blades' third manager this season following Gary Speed's decision to take charge of the Wales national team and Rovers chairman John Ryan has given the rival club the go ahead to start negotiations.

But Morris told Press Association Sport: "I think, right at this moment, there's a good chance Sean will remain at Doncaster Rovers.

"I'm sure Sheffield United fans and management would call that wishful thinking, but Sean is a big part of what we're trying to build here, he's proud of what we have achieved and we're hopeful he'll want to carry it on.

"There's still a lot more to achieve here and I agree with the comments of our chairman that Blades fans would not necessarily be prepared to give Sean the time he has been given here."

Rovers would demand a big compensation fee should O'Driscoll decide his future lies at Bramall Lane halfway through the season and Morris added: "I should imagine the figure would be substantial. How much is a manager worth if a key player is worth £1million?"

Leicester City chairman Mandaric, 72, has struck deals with all Wednesday's creditors, including the Co-operative Bank and former Owls chairman Dave Allen, to wipe out the club's £30 million ($48.53 million) debts.

Wilkinson said: "I believe this to be one of the most important days in the recent history of our great club.

"Our trials and tribulations have been well documented, but I can now see a brighter future for Sheffield Wednesday.

"Our club has been on the brink of administration and if this were to happen then so many people around our club would have suffered.

"We do have one final hurdle to cross, and that is for shareholders to approve the sale at the upcoming emergency general meeting."

The deal has yet to be rubber-stamped by shareholders at an EGM on 14 December, but the club has confirmed it has already received 'irrevocable undertakings from 43.6 percent of the company's shareholders to vote in favour of the deal'.

Wilkinson added: "I will always be grateful to Milan Mandaric for showing the determination to save Sheffield Wednesday.

"We've been able to spend some time in recent days speaking about football and what needs to be done here. I look forward to working with Milan in building a strong club in which we can all be proud.

"I would also like to put on record my thanks and appreciation to the whole staff and supporters of Sheffield Wednesday, who have stuck with us through thick and thin.

"In particular, I would like to thank our chief executive Nick Parker, who has worked night and day to save Sheffield Wednesday from administration."

Mandaric agreed a £7 million ($11.32 million) settlement with the Co-op Bank, which was owed £23 million ($37.2 million) by the club, and five directors last week, but former chairman Allen, owed £2.4 million ($3.88 million), had refused to accept an initial offer of £250,000 ($404,405).

Three directors and two former directors agreed to accept 50 percent of the money they were owed, but will be paid in full if Wednesday is promoted to the Premier League.

Mandaric, buoyed by the support he had received from Owls fans since making his intentions public, instructed his lawyers to make an improved offer of £1.5 million ($2.43 million) to Allen last week and an agreement was reached in the early hours of Saturday morning.

Mandaric said: "Sheffield Wednesday is one of the most famous names in football.

"I've been able to speak to a lot of people in and around the club in recent weeks and their passion for Sheffield Wednesday has helped inspire me to get to this point.

"I give the supporters and everybody who cares for this club an assurance that if shareholders vote in favour of this deal, then I will do everything in my power, working with Howard, Nick and Alan Irvine to again make Sheffield Wednesday a real force in English football."

WTID, which has already raised pledges of more than £2million ($3.4 million) from 12 individuals, has secured the backing of all Wednesday supporters' groups and joined together with local business people in a bid to take over the ownership and running of the club.

Owner of Gilders Group and lifelong Owls fan Garry Scotting, who has promised to invest £500,000 in the 'One Wednesday' Fund, said: "For years now the fans have stood by patiently as rescue plans have been drawn up and torn up. Hopes have been raised and shattered week after week after week.

"Now we're on the brink - and we the fans must stand together and take the future of the club into our own hands. From today the people that really matter - the supporters - must work together in a bid to rescue the club from the ashes and to secure its future."

WTID is in the final stages of establishing a properly regulated scheme to take money investments from all those making pledges and the group is confident other wealthy fans will come on board.

Scotting added: "We only have days left to save the club. So in the immediate term we do need these large sums of money from wealthy individuals.

"But longer term it's vital that all fans play their part in building a brighter tomorrow for Sheffield Wednesday. And I promise the fans they will have a real voice in the running of the club."

The club was granted an extra 28 days to get its affairs in order last week by the High Court, where it avoided a winding-up order relating to an unpaid PAYE bill.

Mandaric, who sold Leicester to a Thai-based consortium in August, has been reported to have joined the race to take control at Hillsborough, while the club has confirmed it is already in 'advanced talks' with three other separate parties.

The club faces a winding-up order next Wednesday over an unpaid PAYE tax bill of £600,000 ($981,500).

It has been served with another over VAT arrears of £300,000 ($490,750) and was issued with a winding-up order in July over an outstanding PAYE bill, which rose to £1.1 million ($1.8 million).

The Owls' main creditor, the Co-operative Bank, agreed to pay the £1.1 million and will now effectively decide who to sell the club to before next week's hearing in order to stave off administration and an automatic 10-point deduction.

A club source told Press Association Sport: "There are three parties all vying to conclude a deal and the bank have a decision to make, probably on Tuesday, with regards to their preferred bidder.

"It seems likely that a deal will be struck at the 11th hour. It is not in the interests of any potential investor to see the club go into administration."

The 43-year-old, who has been out of work since ending his second stint in charge of the MK Dons in May, has been recruited by the npower League One club as a replacement for Craig Short who left the club on Sunday.

The Magpies become Ince's fourth club as a manager, with his career taking in Macclesfield, MK and Blackburn, with him having previously led MK to promotion from League Two and the Johnstone's Paint Trophy title.

Brentford looked set to follow up the scalp of Everton in the previous round with another giant-killing when Sam Wood broke the deadlock mid-way through the second half.

But veteran striker Kevin Phillips levelled in the 92nd minute and, after extra-time had failed to resolve the tie, City came out on top 4-3 on penalties.

McLeish said: "Brentford were superb, well organised and battled. I thought we were out the cup.

"But, when you have the hunger and desire to keep going right to the end, I have to salute the players.

"We put together three or four passes together for the first time for the goal. We lacked creativity and imagination before that.

"That made it look like we wouldn't score but Kevin did what he does best, we're in the hat and that's what counts.

"We're in the quarter-finals and it's all part of the development of the club."

Brentford boss Andy Scott was proud of the performance of his players in coming so close to another major scalp.

He said: "I think we have won a lot of friends. I'm very proud of my players.

"They are exhausted now. I don't think anybody can say that we didn't deserve to win in the 90 minutes.

"We gave them some real problems but we can be proud."

Scott does not believe Brentford has received the credit it deserves for its achievements in recent years.

He said: "I think Brentford as a club hasn't had the recognition it deserved over the last few years.

"We have a strong club, I am a young manager, we have players we have brought out of non league.

"We've proved we have a strong club with a good fan base, good enough to bring 3,000 supporters here tonight.

"We didn't get anybody in the team of the year when we won League Two by six points and I didn't get manager of the year.

"That doesn't matter. What matters is we have a good club."