Clint Dempsey posts hat trick in rout

Posted Monday, January 09, 2012 by ESPN

LONDON -- Clint Dempsey scored the first hat trick of his career, Brad Guzan saved a penalty and Landon Donovan had an assist on a successful day for Americans in the third round of the FA Cup on Saturday.

Dempsey made it 12 goals for the season by scoring in the eighth and 61st minutes, then converting a penalty kick in the 81st of Fulham's 4-0 win over Charlton, which is top of the third tier in English soccer.

"This game is a roller coaster. Stay strapped in for them ups and downs," Dempsey wrote on Twitter. "But I did put that biscuit in the basket a few times today."

It is believed to be just the third hat trick by an American in a competitive league or FA Cup match for an English club, following John Kerr Jr. for Millwall against Derby in a second-tier league match in August 1994 and Chris Cleary for Worksop against Droylsden in the third qualifying round of the FA Cup in October 2004. There have been additional ones in lesser competitions such as Conference play, the FA Trophy and the League Trophy.

Brad Guzan, still Aston Villa's fill-in at goalkeeper in the absence of the injured Shay Given, saved a stoppage-time penalty from Scott McGleish to help the Premier League team beat Bristol Rovers 3-1 away.

Donovan assisted Johnny Heitinga's fifth-minute goal with a corner and hit the post in the 85th for Everton in its 2-0 win over Tamworth, one of three nonleague teams to be eliminated on Saturday. Donovan was playing his second game in his loan spell at the Liverpool club.

Elsewhere, Blackburn and Wigan -- the Premier League's bottom two clubs -- were the big casualties as world soccer's oldest knockout competition threw up a typically mixed bag of results in the third round.

Argentine midfielder Jonas Gutierrez scored the winner in the fifth minute of stoppage time as Newcastle snatched a 2-1 victory over Blackburn in one of the round's two all-Premier League matches.

In the day's biggest upset, fourth-tier Swindon -- managed by former West Ham forward Paolo Di Canio -- rallied to beat Wigan 2-1 at the County Ground.

"My lads deserve something from the club -- maybe just a small plaque with all their names because they did something special," Di Canio said.

It wasn't all smooth sailing for the rest of the Premier League teams either.

Queens Park Rangers required a last-minute equalizer by Heidar Helguson to secure a 1-1 draw and a replay against third-tier MK Dons while David Wheater's 77th-minute header earned Bolton a 2-2 draw at Macclesfield, which plays in England's fourth division.

Tottenham, which is third in the Premier League, avoided what would have been the mightiest upset by easing past fourth-tier Cheltenham 3-0 thanks to goals by attacking trio Jermain Defoe, Roman Pavlyuchenko and Giovani dos Santos.

Premier League teams Aston Villa, Stoke, West Brom and Norwich also progressed, Liverpool beat Oldham 5-1 on Friday, while the match of the round coming on Sunday when Manchester City and Manchester United -- the Premier League's top two teams -- meeting in a derby at Etihad Stadium.

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