Newcastle United 1-0 Chelsea
The FA Cup, Fifth Round
20 February 2005
St. James' Park



Nine-man Chelsea suffered a shattering double blow as they crashed out of The FA Cup to Newcastle and lost Wayne Bridge with a suspected broken ankle.

The Premiership leaders, who visit Barcelona in the Champions League on Wednesday, saw their dreams of an unprecedented quadruple come to an end at a snowswept St. James' Park.

Manager Jose Mourinho, already without the suspended John Terry and injured duo Didier Drogba and Arjen Robben, chose to leave out six players for this fifth-round tie.

But after trailing at the interval to Patrick Kluivert's fourth-minute header, Mourinho used all three substitutes - bringing Eidur Gudjohnsen, Frank Lampard and Damien Duff off the bench - and was promptly left with a numerical disadvantage when Bridge was carried off following an innocuous challenge by Newcastle skipper Alan Shearer.

Chelsea were forced to play virtually all of the second half a man short and ended the game with nine after goalkeeper Carlo Cudicini was sent off for hauling down Shola Ameobi on the edge of the area in injury time. The Italian is now banned for the Carling Cup final against Liverpool on Sunday.

To compound Mourinho's problems, both Duff and William Gallas picked up injuries as Newcastle exacted revenge for their Carling Cup defeat here in November.

Mourinho said: "I would be stupid if I said we are not sad because we lost or that we don't care about The FA Cup, because that's not true.

"I have to be proud of my team because we showed we are a great side even though we lost. We have a great group of players and we are not afraid of the future.

"It was a big risk using all three substitutes but I don't regret it - my life is a risk. In the second half we were the better team and we put them under pressure.

"I'm not the type of person to cry over injuries or make excuses.''

Newcastle struck when Laurent Robert curled the ball in from the left and Kluivert beat Gallas at the near post to nod into the roof of the net.

Mateja Kezman hit the underside of the bar in the 24th minute, but that was as close as Chelsea came.

Shearer said: "I don't really know what happened with Wayne - whether we clashed or what, I don't know.

"It's a shame because Jose gambled at half-time by putting on three substitutes and it didn't pay off because you always run the risk.''

Newcastle boss Graeme Souness said: "I've had a great day and I'm delighted. We felt that, in two games with Chelsea this season in the League and the Carling Cup, lady luck wasn't with us - but it was this time.''