Round-up: Inamoto returns to haunt Fulham with late stunner
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Your support makes all the difference.The dwindling corps of Japanese reporters who have remained faithful to Junichi Inamoto since Hidetoshi Nakata's arrival at Bolton were rewarded last night when he scored a stunning 30-yard goal to win the all-Premiership Carling Cup third-round tie at Craven Cottage. Making a very rare appearance for West Bromwich Albion, Inamoto struck in extra time to knock out Fulham, his previous club.
Wigan also required extra time to beat Watford's 41-year-old goalkeeper Alec Chamberlain, but Reading, Millwall and Doncaster Rovers managed to secure places in the fourth round in normal time.
Albion had twice led Fulham, their second goal following a howler by Tony Warner. The Fulham keeper, a hero on Saturday when he came on as a substitute and defied Liverpool, conceded what looked to be a winner when he failed to control a back-pass and Kanu stole in to score. But Warner's blushes were eased when Heidar Helguson rose to level a minute into stoppage time. Robbie Earnshaw had put Albion ahead in the third minute, Luis Boa Morte equalising shortly after the hour.
At the JJB Stadium, the Premiership surprise package Wigan needed a Ryan Taylor penalty to break Chamberlain's resistance seven minutes into the extra period. Andreas Johansson scored twice in the closing minutes to give the result a flattering gloss.
Championship leaders Sheffield United lost at second-placed Reading in a match that lacked the passion of the pair's recent League meeting. With both sides resting players, much of the game lacked shape before Dave Kitson headed in after 54 minutes to put the Royals ahead. Kitson added a second late on as Reading completed a 17-game unbeaten run to equal a 32-year-old club record.
In the clash of the League One giant-killers Doncaster, who put out Manchester City in the second round, defeated Gillingham, who had beaten Portsmouth. The scores were goalless until the 84th minute when substitute Paul Heffernan scored with a glancing header. Gills youngster Matt Jarvis then went close to scoring an equaliser before Heffernan struck again to secure Rovers' passage to the fourth round.
At the New Den, Millwall, bottom of the Championship, looked to be cruising when Ben May, from Carl Asaba's cross, and Paul Robinson, from Don Hutchinson's corner, put them two up after an hour. But Mansfield hit back with two goals in as many minutes to level by the 68th minute. Simon Brown followed up to score after Gus Uhlenbeek had hit the post from long range. Then Richie Barker sent Field Mill into raptures. But Millwall finally killed off the League Two club in the last minute through Dave Livermore's 25-yard drive.
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