Everton and Arsenal advance in FA Cup

Everton reached the FA Cup semi-finals for the first time since winning the competition in 1995 when they came from behind to beat Middlesbrough 2-1 in an exciting quarter-final yesterday.

Earlier, Arsenal set up a quarter-final against Hull City when they cruised past Championship side Burnley 3-0 in a delayed fifth-round match at the Emirates Stadium.

Arsenal and Hull will meet on March 17 or 18 as they bid to join Chelsea, Manchester United and Everton in the last four.

Chelsea won 2-0 at Coventry City on Saturday and Manchester United crushed Fulham 4-0 at Craven Cottage.

Everton battled back to beat Middlesbrough at Goodison Park with two goals early in the second half after David Wheater had headed Middlesbrough in front just before half-time.

Wheater rose unchallenged to head in a cross from Matthew Bates and although Everton keeper Tim Howard got one hand to the ball and scooped it out of the net with the other, it had clearly crossed the line.

Everton's goals also came from headers with Marouanne Fellaini outjumping Robert Huth to loop the ball over stranded keeper Brad Jones after 50 minutes.

Substitute Louis Saha took advantage of slack Boro defending to add a second from Steven Pienaar's cross seven minutes later.

Boro, bidding to reach the semis for the second time in four years, will now have to concentrate on avoiding relegation from the Premier League.

Arsenal avenged their League Cup defeat by Burnley in December with superb goals from Carlos Vela and Eduardo da Silva, captain for the day in only his second match of an injury-ravaged season.

Emmanuel Eboue, maligned by the home fans for some poor performances, wrapped up victory seven minutes from time, smashing in an unstoppable shot.

Burnley, who reached the League Cup semi-finals with wins over London clubs Fulham, Chelsea, Queens Park Rangers and Arsenal before losing to Tottenham Hotspur, never looked like causing another upset.

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger told Setanta Sports: "When you score goals it always lifts the confidence and the belief and it is important for us to go to Roma (in the Champions League on Wednesday) with a feeling that we have done the job well."

Vela opened the scoring after 25 minutes when he raced away from the Burnley defence after being played in by Andrei Arshavin and chipped the ball over keeper Brian Jensen.

Eduardo's goal was even better, volleying in a perfect cross from Alex Song with the outside of his left foot.

United revenge

Manchester United will meet Everton and Arsenal or Hull City will face Chelsea in the FA Cup semi-finals following the draw yesterday evening.

The games will take place at Wembley Stadium on April 18 and 19 with the final at Wembley on May 30, the latest date for the final in 137 years of the competition.

Manchester United, still in the hunt for five trophies this season, will seek to avenge their 1995 FA Cup final defeat by Everton.

The champions have only lost once to the Merseyside club in 29 matches since, however, beating them 1-0 at Old Trafford in the Premier League this season and drawing 1-1 at Goodison Park.

Hull, who surprisingly beat Arsenal 2-1 at the Emirates in September, last reached the FA Cup semi-finals in 1930.

Chelsea have reached the last four without meeting another Premier League side.

Scottish Cup QF

Rangers vs Hamilton 5-1

Semi-final draw: Falkirk vs Dunfermline Athletic or Aberdeen; Rangers vs St Mirren.

Matches: April 25.