DECEMBER 2000 SPORT HEADLINES

Monday, January 29, 2001 - Web posted at 7:31:09 AM GMT

Hammer blow for United

MANCHESTER - West Ham's Paolo Di Canio put Manchester United out of the FA Cup yesterday with a brilliant 76th-minute goal and a 1-0 victory at Old Trafford.

The flashy Italian took a pass just on-side and broke into the box to the left of Manchester United goalkeeper Fabian Barthez, beating him with a low shot from a sharp angle to shock a sellout of 67 000.

It was West Ham's first victory at Old Trafford since 1986 and put the Hammers into the fifth round - the final 16 - of England's most important club competiton.

Man United had scored 20 goals in its last five games against West Ham.

It was Manchester United's first loss in an FA Cup match at Old Trafford since 1989.

The victory ended a bid my Manchester United to repeat its triple triumph in 1999 - league, FA Cup and European Champions Cup titles.

In another fourth-round game yesterday, first-division Bolton hammered third-division Scunthorpe 5-1 with a hat-trick from Dean Holdsworth and two from Kevin Nolan.

On Saturday, Liverpool reached the fifth round with a 2-0 victory at Leeds with goals from Nicky Barmby and Emile Heskey.

Premier League rival Arsenal also got through, dumping first-division Queens Park Rangers 6-0.

The major casualty in Saturday's fourth round was Premier League Everton, which went down 3-0 at home against first-division Tranmere.

Non-conference Kingstonian sprang a surprise, drawing at second-division Bristol City 1-1 to force a replay.

Leicester also continued Aston Villa's woes.

Villa, winless in five straight league games, lost 2-1 to the Foxes.

In all other fourth-round FA Cup games on Saturday: Blackburn 0, Derby 0; Crewe 0, Stockport 1; Manchester City 1, Coventry 0; Southampton 3, Sheffield Wednesday 1; Sunderland 1, Ipswich 0; Wycombe 2, Wolverhampton 1.

Much of the suspense on Saturday took place in two third-round replays.

Premier League Charlton needed 30 minutes of extra time to beat a stubborn non-league Dagenham & Redbridge 1-0.

In the other third-round replay, first-division Wimbledon - playing with 10 men at the end - also scored in 30 minutes of overtime to oust second-division Notts County 1-0.

- Nampa-Sapa-AP

•  Boxing titles at stake
•   Pirates host Arrows
•  Boks overcoming poor displays
•  Kangaroos favourites
•  Sports Notices Cheetahs hold race
•  India takes one-dayer
•  Suzuki Night of Jumps postponed
•  Omusati, AN up in arms
•  White to work with Saracens
•  Boks keen to start Lion-taming
•  Kangueehi confident of retaining post
•  Player management
•  SA in solid start
•  Gibbs for Glamorgan