Hero answered Teletext striker appeal

Wycombe manager Lawrie Sanchez admitted that substitute striker Roy Essandoh had answered an SOS Teletext advert to become their FA Cup goal hero.

Sanchez was so hard up for strikers with six currently on the injury list that he placed an advert on Teletext for any striker who was not cup-tied to step forward into the breach.

Essandoh, who has been playing abroad, was the only person to answer Sanchez's plea but 10 days later he is a national star after scoring the goal which knocked Leicester City out of the FA Cup and sent Wycombe into the last four.

The Irish-born player headed home in injury time to seal victory for the Second Division side.

Sanchez admitted: "I don't know hardly anything about him. I only met him the Tuesday before last.

"I'd never heard of him before and he was the only one to answer a Teletext message from us pleading for any striker to come forward.

"We've got no one on the books who is fit at the moment but Roy came to us, played for the reserves, was a sub against Reading on Tuesday and then scored today. It's some story.

"It was that desperate. We needed somebody to fill the breach and thank God he answered the call."

Essandoh could hardly believe his transformation in fortunes and went to the team bus after the game without giving any insight to the massed ranks of media regarding his dramatic upturn in fortunes.

But Sanchez felt that Wanderers were well worthy of a place in the last four. He said: "This was no fluke result.

"We fully deserved the victory despite certain decisions that went against us from the officials."

In an explosive second half Sanchez was banished from the dug-out by referee Steve Bennett after he had remonstrated with an assistant referee who failed to spot a clear-cut penalty when Stefan Oakes handled a cross from Steve Brown.

Sanchez was fuming with the officials and said: "I question why referees and linesmen are out there if they are not going to make big decisions.

"It was so blatant a penalty and the referee was less than 15 yards away from it and waved play on.

"That sort of decision could have cost this club a million, stopped me from building a team and ended my career as a manager.

"I made it plain to the linesman that it was penalty and then the referee sends me off."

Sanchez was also upset that Brown was dismissed for picking up a second yellow card when celebrating the winning goal.

He said: "It was another example of too many referees knowing the rules but not knowing the actual game."

Leicester manager Peter Taylor was shell-shocked after his side's exit with a performance in stark contrast to the one that had disposed of Liverpool only seven days earlier.

He said: "It was a very bad day at the office. I will take nothing away from Wycombe and full credit to them.

"When we got back to 1-1 I thought we could get a draw which I would have settled for after the way we played today.

"But it seemed after we missed the chance to go 2-1 up that Wycombe looked the better side and full credit to them.

"Our performances on the last two Saturdays against Sunderland and Liverpool have been excellent but today there were too many negative bits. We were not as positive as we should have been."