7 hours ago
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Leeds United advanced to the fifth roundof the FA Cup, with sights set on a possible first quarter-final place since 2002-03. But after scoring a last-gasp equaliser to take the tie to a penalty shootout, Birmingham City could draw some consolation from pushing their top-flight opponents.
Sean Longstaff scored the clinching penalty, after Patrick Roberts, who had scored in the 89th minute to earn Birmingham parity, blasted his over the crossbar. Lucas Perri also saved from Tommy Doyle, who was probably man of the match.
Leeds’s first season back in the Premier League has gone increasingly well and this made it one defeat in seven matches – and that against leaders Arsenal – and here they showed the depth of character to come back from an appalling start to the game.
While Leeds’s first-half performance suggested they thought they were turning up for a Sunday league match, Chris Davies’s team were well up for the cup, as they used to say in the times when Birminghamused to play in these penguin-style shirts.
Jay Stansfield was influential as the Championship side took control. Birmingham’s top scorer appeared to have reduced his angle when he took one touch to his left, in the 11th minute, but then produced a superb left-footed half volley that would have nestled in the top corner if Perri, Leeds’s deputy goalkeeper, had not tipped the ball on to the inside of the post.
Both teams had made six changes to their starting lineups from Tuesday night league action but while this stage may have represented a comedown for the Premier League side after their valiant comeback at Chelsea, the Championship playoff contenders, after being held by West Bromwich Albion, were clearly intent on upping their game.
They had a bespoke kit for the day, replicating the blue with a wide white central stripe first worn by the likes of Bob Latchford back in 1971-72, and the vociferous crowd offered a standing ovation in the 13th minute in respect for their chairTom Wagner, recovering from a recent stroke.
Leeds had weathered a rainy day in the third-round win at Derby when the EFL side had gone ahead but this was more of a storm: Birmingham, bolstered by six January signings, have greater strength in depth and, in St Andrew’s (@ Knighthead Park, to give the venue its full title these days), the archetypal fortress. They have only lost one league game here in 40.
There was a sense they needed to score while Leeds were so poor. Facundo Buonanotte, on his full debut after joining on loan from Brighton, typified their ineffectiveness and was withdrawn at half-time.
For Birmingham, Carlos Vicente, signed from Alaves for £7m last month, was a livewire but, after he shaped himself the opportunity to shoot, he went down in anticipation of Longstaff’s tackle, hoping for a penalty, and was booked for diving.
After Demarai Gray, less than fully fit, failed to make the most of two opportunities, he was also withdrawn at half-time. It was the Leeds substitute, Ethan Ampadu, who helped change the momentum of the game, however, as the Premier League side came out with a different mentality as well as a more solid shape.
Within four minutes they were ahead. There was a question mark over offside when Noah Okafor played the ball on for Lukas Nmecha but, in the absence of a video assistant referee until the next round of this competition, the striker was able to capitalise on Christoph Klarer’s slip, cut back inside and strike his seventh goal of the season inside the near post.
Birmingham did not lose belief though Leeds were a different proposition now. Bright Osayi-Samuel dug himself out of a tight spot and sprayed the ball wide for Vicente to cross superbly across the face of goal. But no one could make up the ground to finish.
With Leeds now up to speed, and with Dominic Calvert-Lewin and, especially Brenden Aaronson, adding to their counterattacking threat, the chances of a cup upset were receding, especially with substitute Ibrahim Osman spurning five presentable chances from the left.
Then with a minute of regulation time remaining, a corner was recycled to Roberts who realised this was no time to stand on ceremony and let fly, left-footed, from 25 yards. The ball snipped off James Justin and past Perri to take the tie towards extra-time, although either Calvert-Lewin, with a shot blocked at point-blank range at one end, or Osman, passing a shot against the inside of a post with the penultimate kick of regulation time at the other, could have won the game before then.
It was Calvert-Lewin, again, who came closest to deciding the tie before the shootout but his shot in the 120th minute was well saved by Ryan Allsop, before Ampadu slammed over from the ensuing corner. And so to penalties.
