Wycombe wonders contain Chelsea

Wycombe Wanderers FC, from the fourth tier of English football, will go into the second leg of their League Cup semi-final with Chelsea FC level at 1-1 after holding the Premiership champions at Adams Park.

Shock result
Managed by Paul Lambert, who won the UEFA Champions League as a player with BV Borussia Dortmund in 1996/97, Wycombe always looked a match for a Chelsea team containing the likes of Ashley Cole, Michael Essien, Claude Makelele and Michael Ballack, and came from behind to give them a chance of reaching the final should they pull off another shock at Stamford Bridge on 23 January.

Easter equaliser
Chelsea seemed to have settled their nerves in the 36th minute when Wayne Bridge ran on to Salomon Kalou's long pass and lifted the ball over Ricardo Batista, though there were no celebrations as both scorer and goalkeeper needed treatment following a collision just after the shot. But Wycombe retained their belief and 13 minutes from the end, after an excellent move from deep inside their own half, Jermaine Easter - who has scored in every round of the competition - bamboozled the Chelsea defence and equalised. Stefan Oakes nearly won the game with a late free-kick for a team who only entered the Football League in 1993 but had already eliminated Fulham FC and Charlton Athletic FC in reaching the last four.

London derby
The other semi-final will match Tottenham Hotspur FC and Arsenal FC, with the games played on 24 and 31 January. Arsenal moved through to the last four yesterday with their sensational 6-3 triumph at Liverpool FC. The competition winners earn a place in the 2007/08 UEFA Cup, should they not earn a European berth via the Premiership - not something that could apply to Wycombe.