The FA Cup Fifth Round
Player of the Round Nominations

Wayne Brown - Colchester United
Jamie Carragher - Liverpool
Aiyegbeni Yakubu - Middlesbrough
Micah Richards - Manchester City
Maik Taylor - Birmingham City



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19 February 2006
VIDEO: Fifth Round - Aston Villa 1-1 Manchester City

Aston Villa looked certain to book a place in the Sixth Round, until young Micah Richards made a timely intervention at the death.

Micah Richards has taken the majority of votes from the fans so far in the poll, and you can cast your on our online poll.

The young defender is currently hovering above the 40% mark in the poll that determines the best player from another entertaining weekend of FA Cup football, andyou can win tickets to the Sixth Round match of your choice when you cast your vote here.

Micah is also in the squad for next Tuesday's U19 international friendly with Slovakia and will look to take his jubilation into the England setup where he will hook up with the likes of Nathan Dyer, Theo Walcott and Adam Johnson.

Micah leads the way thanks to his dramatic last minute equaliser for Manchester City at Aston Villa on Sunday.
Just when it looked like City had let the opportunity of a quarter-final place slip away after missing a host of chances, the 17-year-old right-back popped up to power a header from a Joey Barton corner home and cancel out a Milan Baros goal.

Richards and his City team-mates will now feel their side have a great chance of progressing at home in the replay.

Richards, who was making only his second senior start, had a great game, and said: "It was just great to be out there, I just can't believe it. To score a last-minute goal - well I really couldn't ask for any more, could I?

"As soon as I put my head to Joey's corner, I could see it in the back of the net."

City deserved their reward after dominating the match, although they will be disappointed to have not converted any of their 19 chances until the very last minute.

FA Cup heartbreak was on the cards for City after Baros' 72nd minute strike, but Stuart Pearce and his men have young Richards to thank for keeping the dream alive. It is a remarkable achievement for Richards to be in the fans' voting for the award.

His next chance to impress on a big stage will be England's under-19 friendly against Slovakia. Young Richards is not the only contender for Player of the Round, however, and he faces competition from three internationals and an unlikely hero.

Northern Ireland and Birmingham goalkeeper Maik Taylor never looked like being beaten as his side sneaked a hard-fought win at Championship Stoke.

His array of saves included a spectacular effort to keep out a Michael Duberry header which seemed destined for the top corner.

England hopeful Jamie Carragher was also at the top of his game as he turned in one of his best defensive performances as Liverpool beat great rivals Manchester United 1-0 at Anfield. Middlesbrough's Nigerian Yakubu was the striker of the round as his two goals saw off Preston in what was a potential banana-skin for a revitalised Boro.

Finally, plucky Colchester from League One are also represented by defender Wayne Brown, who amazingly stood up to the test of Chelsea's millionaires at Stamford Bridge before the breaches were broken by a Joe Cole double.