Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/248536
50 Sport maltatoday, SUNDAY, 26 JANUARY 2014 SPORTTODAY FOOTBALL Aguero inspires Manchester City come back as Wigan defeat Crystal Palace A hat-trick from striker Sergio Aguero spared Manchester City an embarrassing FA Cup exit as they came from 2-0 down at home to Watford to win 4-2 in the fourth round. The Sky Bet Championship visitors, who had won just twice in their last 16 matches, sensed an upset after Fernando Forestieri and Troy Deeney gave them a half-time lead. City manager Manuel Pellegrini's substitutions at the break saw defenders Vincent Kompany and Pablo Zabaleta sent on with forward Stefan Jovetic added in the 57th minute. Within two minutes City pulled one back when Aguero converted Aleksandar Kolarov's cross and after the Argentina international doubled his tally Kolarov added a third three minutes from the end. That still left enough time for Aguero to complete his hat-trick. Goals in either half from Victor Moses and Daniel Sturridge were enough to see Liverpool overcome Bournemouth 2-0. The visitors named a strong side for the game at the Goldsands Stadium and it was Luis Suarez who created both goals to see the Reds into the last 16. Cup holders Wigan beat top-flight opposition Crystal Palace 2-1 in a minor upset at the DW Stadium. The Latics were relegated from the Premier League after their historic cup win in May and only 14 places separated them from the visitors, who were a Championship side last season. Sergio Aguero celebrates his goal Cup final hero Ben Watson put Wigan ahead in the 36th minute and although Aaron Wilbraham equalised midway through the second half, James McClean quickly struck the winner. Fellow Championship side Birmingham threatened a surprise when Lee Novak gave them a 15thminute lead at home to Premier League Swansea but two goals from Wilfried Bony in three second-half minutes turned things around and secured a 2-1 win. Non-league Kidderminster put up a brave fight at Capital One Cup final- ists Sunderland but went down 1-0 to a fifth-minute goal from 19-year-old Charis Mavrias, his first for the club since joining in the summer.Premier League sides Hull, Southampton and Cardiff all made it safely through. Matty Fryatt scored both goals as the Tigers beat League 2 Southend 2-0, Guly Do Prado and Sam Gallagher scored in the Saints' 2-0 win at home to Yeovil while Frazier Campbell's solitary strike was enough for the Bluebirds to defeat Championship side Bolton 1-0 at the Reebok Stadium. In the all-Championship clash, Simon Church scored early in the second half as Charlton won 1-0 at Huddersfield. Brighton won 3-1 at Port Vale as Rohan Ince and Solly March scored either side of Chris Robertson's equaliser before Jonathan Obika wrapped up victory. League 2 Rochdale lost 2-1 at home to Sheffield Wednesday, who had opening goalscorer Joe Mattocks sent off, as they could not force an equaliser after Michael Rose had pulled one back. Oguchi Onyewu had scored the Owls' second. Everton cruised into the fifth round of the FA Cup, but their victory against Stevenage was overshadowed by a horrific injury to Bryan Oviedo, who was taken to hospital with a suspected broken leg. Everton, who were 1-0 up at the time thanks to Steven Naismith's goal, did not let the incident affect them as they strolled to a comfortable 4-0 win. Napoli held at home by Chievo THE ambitious southerners have a particularly poor recent record against Chievo, who find themselves struggling to avoid relegation once again, and the bizarre trend looked set to continue when Gennaro Sardo scored early on. An abysmal miss from Gonzalo Higuain set the tone for Napoli's frustrating evening, with Dries Mertens particularly profligate at the Stadio San Paolo, yet Spanish defender Albiol finally nicked a late goal to stop Chievo claiming a fifth win from eight recent encounters between the clubs. Napoli could have closed to within a point of second-placed Roma but sit only four points clear of Fiorentina while Chievo are 16th, one point clear of the drop zone and winless in six games. Mertens was first to threaten, the Belgian nodding the ball just over Rafael Cabral's goal from a Christian Maggio cross, but it was Chievo who opened the scoring in the 18th minute. Hush descended among the home fans at the San Paolo as Sardo latched onto Cyril Thereau's pass to rifle a scorching shot under the crossbar from distance, and from an awkward angle. It took Napoli's players a while to compose themselves and there were clearly some nerves jangling among the forwards when Jose Callejon screwed wide from a good position when put through by Marek Hamsik. Moments later, the Spaniard tried to make amends by picking out Higuain, who was sprinting unchecked to the far post. Inexplicably, the former Real Madrid hitman slammed the ball across the goalmouth and back into play. Mertens was the next man to fluff his lines as he rattled a post with a left-footed screamer and, five minutes before the break, the winger wasted Gokhan Inler's through ball by guiding it well wide of the mark. Callejon did much better as the interval approached, only for Christian Puggioni to palm his low drive around a post, and Chievo finally threatened once more with Rafael repelling Boukary Drame's left-footed sighter. When play resumed there was much more frustration to come for Rafael Benitez's men, who continued to dominate while failing to put any of their chances away. Albiol, Higuain and Inler all missed the target before the hour Raul Albiol celebrates his late equaliser mark and, as the pressure on retreating Chievo reached breaking point, Mertens again clattered a post, this time with a rising drive from an improbable position. Attacking midfielder Jorginho, signed this week from Hellas Verona, made his Napoli debut from the bench and was soon on the attack, driving Hamsik's assist just past a post. There were three minutes remaining when yet another Mertens effort ended up with the fans, and it seemed Napoli were fated to suffer another defeat to their bogey team. It took an unspectacular goal from Albiol to partly spare their blushes, and rescue a point, as the centre-back's close-range finish found its way into the bottom corner two minutes before the final whistle.