AP News, February 18th, 2007
Manchester City scored twice in the closing minutes to beat League Championship team Preston 3-1 Sunday and reach the FA Cup quarterfinals.
Giorgios Samaras had a goal off a deflection in the 85th minute and Stephen Ireland added another in the 90th. David Nugent had given Preston the lead in the eighth minute, but Michael Ball tied the score for City in the 35th.
Bernado Corradi flicked a throw-in to Samaras, whose shot deflected in off Preston defender Matthew Hill. Ireland then scored with a powerful volley.
Preston took the lead when a header from Michael Ricketts was pushed away by Manchester City goalkeeper Nicky Weaver and Nugent put back the rebound.
Ball answered by knocking in a rebound off the post after a volley from Corradi had hit the same post. It was Ball's first goal for City in his second game since he left PSV Eindhoven on Jan. 31. Shortly afterward, Ricketts was hurt making a play in the air and was removed from the field on a stretcher.
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MILAN, Italy (AP) _ Palermo missed a chance to close in on second-place AS Roma after being held to a 1-1 tie by relegation-threatened in the Italian league.
David Di Michele beat Chievo's offside trap to scored the first goal in the 23rd minute, but Victor Obinna tied the score just before halftime.
Palermo is in third place with 43 points but has played one game more than AS Roma, which lost to fourth-place Empoli 1-0 Saturday and has 49 points.
Inter Milan, which beat Cagliari 1-0 Saturday, leads the league with 63 points.
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AMSTERDAM, Netherlands (AP) _ Both Ajax and AZ Alkmaar fell further behind Dutch league leader PSV Eindhoven after both were held to ties.
Ajax got first-half goals from Edgar Davids and Klaas-Jan Huntelaar in its 2-2 draw with Excelsior Rotterdam. Andwele Slory and Eldridge Rojer scored for Excelsior, also in the first half.
AZ was held to a 1-1 tie by FC Groningen. Danny Koevemans gave AZ the lead in the 26th minute, but Erik Nevland answered in the 60th.
PSV, which beat Heracles Almelo 2-0 Saturday, leads the league with 60 points, followed by Ajax with 55 and AZ with 54.
