Football: Bright has a night of delight

Sheffield Wednesday. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7

Leicester City . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1

MARK BRIGHT, against his old club, and the substitute, Gordon Watson, both scored twice as the Premier League side surged into the fourth round of the Coca-Cola Cup last night. Bobby Davison scored Leicester's late consolation.

Wednesday's injury problems had eased considerably, with their playmaker, John Sheridan, in the starting line-up for the first time this season, and David Hirst, injured and sent off in the Uefa Cup tie at Kaiserslautern last week, returning to renew his striking partnership with the former Leicester player, Bright.

Leicester, who narrowly failed to reach the Premier League via the play-offs and are seventh in the First Division, were lucky not to concede a penalty when Nicky Platnauer bundled Hirst over after 11 minutes, but the striker was to benefit from a second controversial decision seven minutes later. Bright crossed from the right and seemed to be well offside when John Harkes poked the ball through to Hirst and, with defenders waiting for the whistle, he darted through to score.

Leicester's threats came mainly from quick breaks, the most dangerous involving Phil Gee, who might have done better than screw the ball wide off Chris Woods's post and then shoot at the goalkeeper's legs.

Wednesday increased their lead on the half-hour from a well-rehearsed set piece. Sheridan's free- kick released Nigel Worthington on the edge of the area and, with defenders expecting a cross, his low, angled drive flew directly into the far corner of the net.

Walsh had to back-pedal sharply to turn in Ormondroyd's speculative 30-yard lob over his crossbar, and Viv Anderson and Nigel Pearson at the centre of Wednesday's defence looked vulnerable enough to the pace of David Oldfield to keep Leicester's hopes alive.

But they were quashed just 57 seconds after the interval when Chris Waddle's corner was played back to him and he back-heeled it for Bright to score from 10 yards. It was the signal for Wednesday to swarm forward, and after Palmer's 30-yard drive shaved the crossbar, Bright added a fourth after Russell Hoult had parried his first shot from Hirst's cross.

Then on came the substitutes, Watson and Chris Bart-Williams, to turn it into a rout by both scoring within a minute.

Sheffield Wednesday: Woods; Harkes, Worthington, Palmer, Pearson, Anderson, Wilson, Waddle, Hirst (Watson, 60), Bright, Sheridan (Bart-Williams, 69).

Leicester City: Hoult; Mills (Lowe, 60), Platnauer, Smith, Walsh, Hill, Oldfield, Thompson, Davison, Ormondroyd (Grayson, 60), Gee.

Referee: K Redfearn (Whitley Bay).

Leeds were given a tough test at Third Division Scunthorpe, who deserved their 2-2 draw. But it was not enough as the League champions went through 6-3 on aggregate to meet Watford in the third round. Ian Helliwell scored both Scunthorpe goals to add to the one he scored in the first-leg defeat at Elland Road. Helliwell headed home in the 29th minute but two minutes later Rod Wallace put Leeds level.

In the third round, managerless Cambridge United hung on for a

3-2 victory at Notts County despite being reduced to 10 men for the last 12 minutes when Lee Philpott was sent off for a second bookable offence. Cambridge took a 10th- minute lead with Gary Clayton and held it until the 51st minute when Mark Draper's shot took a deflection off Danny O'Shea. Mick Danzey chested home a 58th- minute goal to restore Cambridge's lead and they extended it six minutes from time with an excellent effort from Devon White. Then County rallied with an 87th-minute goal by Tony Agana.

Souness's five-game ban, page 31