Next 20 Round-Up: Cup success for Ben and Nathaniel
Kick It Out’s ‘Next 20’ initiative involves players from across the Premier League, English Football League (EFL) and Women’s Super League, who represent the organisation as ambassadors and help to spread the key messages of equality and inclusion.
Ross Hobart provides the latest update from the 2016-17 season, as our ambassadors make their impression in the FA Cup.
Five Kick It Out ambassadors were in action in league and cup fixtures this weekend, as the Emirates FA Cup reached the fifth round stage.
Ben Davies featured for Tottenham Hotspur in their comfortable 3-0 victory against London neighbours Fulham at Craven Cottage. England forward Harry Kane netted a classy hat-trick for Spurs to seal their passage into the last-eight where they will host League One side Millwall at White Hart Lane.
Nathaniel Chalobah completed 90 minutes for Chelsea as they saw off Championship side Wolves with a 2-0 win at Molineux. Pedro headed Antonio Conte’s side ahead after good work from Willian, before Diego Costa doubled their advantage with a classy finish into the bottom corner.
The Blues will meet Manchester United in the Quarter Finals after Jose Mourinho’s side came from behind to beat Jason Lowe’s Blackburn Rovers 2-1 at Ewood Park.
Danny Graham opened the scoring for the Championship side with a superb strike from the angle, before Marcus Rashford levelled 10 minutes later when he rounded Jason Steele to roll the ball into the empty net. Substitute Zlatan Ibrahimović then slotted home the winner 15 minutes from time following a wonderful pass from Paul Pogba to seal the tie.
In League One, Gael Bigirimana and Daniel Powell were both unused substitutes for Coventry City and MK Dons in their respective games against Gillingham and Fleetwood Town. The Sky Blues sealed a crucial 2-1 over the Gills, while Robbie Neilson’s MK side fell to 1-0 defeat to high-flying Fleetwood.
Michael Harriman played the full game for Wycombe Wanderers as they were defeated 2-1 at home against Carlisle United, as the League Two promotion race took another twist. Adebayo Akinfenwa put Gareth Ainsworth’s side ahead with his 13th goal of the season after two minutes, before Jamie Proctor levelled seven minutes later. Reggie Lambe netted the winner for the Cumbrian’s after 34 minutes to consolidate their automatic promotion hopes, while Wycombe fell to ninth after their third consecutive defeat.
In the Scottish Premiership, Wes Foderingham was on the losing side as Rangers suffered a 2-1 defeat to Dundee to leave them six points short of the second placed Aberdeen. Mark O’Hara and Kevin Holt saw the hosts race into a two-goal lead, before Joe Garner pulled one back for the Ibrox club, who hadn’t lost at Dens Park since 1992.