FA Cup: Charlton 1 - 2 Leicester
Dion Dublin rolled back the years with a terrific performance that culminated in the striker-turned-defender scoring Leicester's winning goal in the dying minutes to cause yet another Cup upset for Charlton.
The much travelled Dublin has scored plenty of goals in his long career, but few could have caused such celebrations as those from the large band of Leicester supporters who saw their side run out thoroughly deserving victors.
At the end of a game that started scrappily but turned into a typically lively Cup tie, Dublin went forward for a corner, got his glistening head to Gareth William's inswinging cross and glanced the ball over the line via the head of Shaun Bartlett. It was no less than Craig Levein's side deserved and their supporters were fully entitled to celebrate long and loudly well after the final whistle had sounded.
Leicester took a lead they deserved in the 38th minute when Nikos Dabizas scored. The Greece defender crept in behind the tussling Mark de Vries and Herman Hreidarsson to head home a deep free-kick from Joey Gudjonsson. It was a shock to Charlton and their fans, who had grown increasingly restless at a sloppy and disjointed play.
The goal certainly gave Charlton a jolt and they equalised in first-half stoppage time. This time Dabizas was at fault, failing to attack a left-wing cross from Paul Konchesky and allowing Bartlett to get across him and flick the ball past Ian Walker from close range.
Charlton hardly deserved to to be level and there was some booing as they left the pitch. Their only real attempt on goal up to that point had been a marvellous effort from Bryan Hughes, who had scored in his side's two previous rounds of the Cup. Hughes controlled Luke Young's pass with his left foot and volleyed ferociously towards goal with his right, but Walker was equal to it, making an outstanding save to tip the ball over the bar.
Most of the action had been at the opposite end, with De Vries working tirelessly as Leicester's lone striker and causing problems for Charlton's defence. He burst through to force a good save from Dean Kiely, only to be given offside, and was cautioned shortly afterwards for dissent. His muscular style unsettled the home defence, allowing full-back Alan Maybury and then winger Keith Gillespie to hit half-volleys just wide of the far post.
It was no great surprise that Alan Curbishley chose to replace the frustrating Dennis Rommedahl with Jerome Thomas at half-time and the former Arsenal winger made a difference. One curling cross from the left set up a great chance for Hughes, but the midfielder side-footed wide from barely five yards.
Dabizas had a close-range shot blocked on the line by Kiely, who also tipped over a late Dublin volley. But Dublin had the last laugh with that late, late goal.