Birmingham 2 Bolton 3: Chung-Yong Lee scores late winner in FA Cup classic

In Kevin Davies, the spirit of the late Nat Lofthouse burns deep within Bolton Wanderers. Less than two months ago, he was a pallbearer at the funeral of Lofthouse, a man enshrined in the club's history as the centreforward who struck twice to win the FA Cup 53 years ago. Now through Davies, whose 90th-minute header invited Chung-Yong Lee to claim a dramatic winner, Bolton can celebrate the life of Lofthouse by going back to Wembley. Initially, it will be to play a semi-final, of course.But the 4,000 supporters singing themselves hoarse at St Andrew's yesterday left believing there is a symmetry in the passing of their most famous player and the rise of the club as aforce again in the FA Cup. Head boy: Chung-Yong Lee scores past Birmingham goalkeeper Ben Foster in the 90th minute 'We're all conscious of that and it would be fitting if we did it,' said Bolton manager Owen Coyle.Davies, who played in a semi-final 14 years ago when his Chesterfield side were beaten in a replay by Middlesbrough, said: 'This is the stuff of dreams, an absolutely amazing day. Although it's only a semi-final for the moment, it's great to be going to Wembley.'Lofthouse, with 255 goals for Bolton in 14 years' service between 1946-60, never scored a more contentious one than his second in the 1958 FA Cup final against Manchester United, a club still mourning the loss of the heart of the team in the Munich air crash.Lofthouse bundled United goalkeeper Harry Gregg and the ball over the line, an image that willbe shown to a younger audience in the weeks ahead. Davies is not such a prolific scorer, but he possesses a tenacity and strength of mind of which Lofthouse approved. Man of the moment: Lee booked Bolton's place in the semi-finals of the FA Cup with a dramatic winner After a quiet first half, Davies transformed himself into an inspirational leader yesterday. He won a 66th-minute penalty by harrying Curtis Davies in pursuit of a long, hopeful clearance.Birmingham's Davies, playing only his second game for the club, allowed himself to be turned and dispossessed; and when he tried to retrieve the situation, he clumsily brought down his namesake.The Bolton striker scored the penalty without fuss in front of his own supporters to give them a 2-1 lead and, with Birmingham being reduced into playing a weakened team through injuries and fatigue, there was a sense that the afternoon was done and dusted.How wrong we were. While Birmingham mayhave been unable to play Stephen Carr, Roger Johnson, Lee Bowyer,Nikola Zigic and Craig Gardner, five of the men who won the Carling Cupat the expense of Arsenal at Wembley just a fortnight ago, manager AlexMcLeish could be proud of the response of his makeshift team. We're on our way to Wembley: Stuart Holden and Gretar Steinsson celebrate at the final whistle Birmingham had already forced themselves back into this tie having fallen behind in the 21st minute to a gem of a goal. Fabrice Muamba won an aerial duel on the edge of the area and Ivan Klasnic moved the ball into the path of Johan Elmander with a subtle flick that cleared a pathway to Ben Foster's goal. The Swede then hit a leftfooted shot with the intent of a man who never wanted to see the ball again.Yet a poor clearance from David Wheater offered Birmingham a route to equalise six minutes before the interval.He squared the ball across his own area and Cameron Jerome took a touch before firing a shot that beat Jussi Jaaskelainen at his near post. It was the first goal Bolton had conceded in the FA Cup this season.If Jaaskelainen was disappointed to be beaten in that manner, he made amends in the 58th minute.The Finn, the only survivor from the last Bolton team to play in a semi-final, when he was on thewrong end of a penalty shoot-out against Aston Villa 11 years ago, raced from his goal as an emergency sweeper as Jerome entered his area. Oh, so close: Phillips looked to have earnt a replay for Birmingham with a superb leveller with just ten minutes remaining The two men made contact, Jeromefell and Birmingham fans screamed in unison for a penalty. But thereality was that Jaaskelainen had timed his arrival to perfection andsneaked the ball from Jerome's feet.Coylemade a masterful substitution when he summoned Lee from the bench inthe 61st minute. The Korean proved to be an admirable extension toBolton's increasingly ambitious determination to spare themselves therigour of a replay.MATCH FACTSBIRMINGHAM (4-4-1-1): Foster; Parnaby, Jiranek (Ridgewell 28min), Davies, Murphy (Derbyshire 83); Larsson, Ferguson (Redmond 29), Mutch, Beausejour; Phillips; Jerome. Subs (not used): Doyle, Gardner, Ozturk.BOLTON (4-4-2): Jaaskelainen; Steinsson, Cahill, Wheater, Robinson; Elmander, Holden, Muamba (M Davies 61), Petrov (Taylor 90); Klasnic (Lee 61), Davies. Subs (not used): Bogdan, Moreno, Blake, Alonso. Booked: Steinsson, Kevin Davies.Referee: P Dowd (Staffordshire).Davies's penalty appeared to have achieved the desired result, but Birmingham's Kevin Phillips made an intervention 10 minutes from the end that proved a man never loses his predatory instinct, even at 37.On the edge of the area, Phillips swivelled and shot in one movement to propel an exquisite shot over the head of Jaaskelainen, whom he had seen straying from his line. It was a sweet moment of deliverance for Birmingham. Or might have been. But the game and the day fell to Bolton, with Davies evoking memories of Lofthouse's aerial strength in the dying moments at St Andrew's.His header into the danger area was met with relish by Lee, scoring late, just as he had done to defeat Birmingham in a Premier League match on this ground last season.For Birmingham, the remainder of the season is now a fight for survival, with six of their final 10 games away from home.For Bolton, Wembley beckons and the journey will be all the more emotional, all the more symbolic, as a fitting memory to the legend of Nat Lofthouse.  FA CUP LIVE: Birmingham 2 Bolton 3 - the action from St Andrews as it happenedDo if for Lofthouse! Coyle eyes FA Cup glory as perfect tribute to Bolton heroJuventus line up move for Bolton striker Elmander after spying missionBolton Wanderers FC news from across the web Birmingham City FC news from across the web  Explore more:People: Kevin Phillips, Kevin Davies, Johan Elmander, Fabrice Muamba, David Wheater, Ben Foster, Ivan Klasnic, Lee Bowyer, Roger Johnson, Harry Gregg, Craig Gardner, Owen Coyle Places: Birmingham, Munich

Source: Daily_Mail