Hughton the New Recipe for Norwich

Norwich City have confirmed the appointment of Chris Hughton as their new manager, and he is looking forward to facing the challenges which lie ahead.

The Canaries found themselves without a manager following Paul Lambert's decision to take the reins at Premier League rivals Aston Villa.

They have wasted little time in bringing in a replacement for the man who took them from the foot of League One and cemented them back inside the top flight.

Hughton was quickly identified as a leading contender for the role, having impressed during spells at Newcastle and Birmingham.

He led the Magpies to the Championship title during his time at St James' Park and guided the Blues to the second-tier play-offs in 2011/12.

Norwich believe he is the ideal candidate to build on the foundations put down by Lambert, with the Norfolk-based club determined to stick with their footballing philosophy and sensible financial approach.

Hughton is delighted to have been offered the opportunity to return to top-flight management at Carrow Road, telling Sky Sports News HD: "It's a good feeling. It's something I've been very excited about and something that has materialised over the last couple of days - it's been very speedily dealt with, which I'm delighted about. I'm looking forward to the challenge in front of me.

"It's a wonderful job in the Premier League and is one that very much excited me. But I shall forever be grateful to Birmingham for the time I spent there."

Asked if he considers himself to have unfinished business in the Premier League given the manner in which he was shown to the door at Newcastle in December 2010, Hughton added: "Not really. You can only look back at what you've achieved and if you can look at yourself and feel that you have done the best job that you can, it's part and parcel of the game.

"I have got fond memories of my time at Newcastle. I think we all move on, move forward and look for another challenge. That challenge took me to Birmingham and that challenge now takes me to Norwich."

Hughton appreciates that he faces a tough task following in the footsteps of Lambert, a man who enjoyed so much success at Carrow Road.

He said: "The job that Paul has done here and the club have done here in the last few years, it's a wonderful achievement to rise from the third division, through the Championship and into the Premier League.

"For somebody in management, it's a tough task and everyone appreciates the job he has done here. It's a hard act to follow but it's about a challenge and it's about making progress as football club.

"It's about stability in this division, making progress and with every new manager and new player comes a new challenge. That's what I have got to look forward to."

Hughton has also confirmed that he will be bringing his own backroom team with him from Birmingham.

He said: "Colin Calderwood, who was with me at Newcastle, Paul Trollope, who was with me at Birmingham, and Ewan Chester, who was also with me at Birmingham.

"I think we have managed to finalise them and I am absolutely delighted because they are a good staff and they will all look to work as hard as I will to achieve what we would like to achieve here."

Blackpool Earn Hammers Date

Blackpool sealed a showdown with West Ham in the Championship play-off final after drawing 2-2 at Birmingham to win 3-2 on aggregate.

Leading 1-0 from Friday night's first leg, the Seasiders took firm control of the tie with two goals minutes either side of half-time from Stephen Dobbie and Matt Phillips.

Nikola Zigic gave Blues a glimmer of hope before skipper Curtis Davies headed the equaliser on the night - but the hosts could not find a crucial winner which would have levelled the tie on aggregate and taken the contest into extra-time, so their 62nd match of a long season proved the last.

Blackpool will now meet the Hammers at Wembley on May 19, with the most lucrative match in world football guaranteeing the winners an immediate return to the Premier League.

Both Blackpool and Birmingham, and respective managers Ian Holloway and Chris Hughton,had performed superbly in reaching the play-offs having rebuilt their ranks following relegation from the top flight 12 months ago.

But additional credit must now go to Holloway for guiding his side to the showpiece final for the second time in three seasons, although his side will have to improve upon 4-0 and 4-1 defeats to West Ham during the regular league season.

Holloway unsurprisingly kept faith with an unchanged XI from the first leg while counterpart Hughton made three changes - Zigic, Andros Townsend and Jonathan Spector coming in.

And the initial stages set the tone for a blistering encounter, with Blues having two sights of goal well blocked before Tom Ince forced Colin Doyle to save low at the other end.

Ince, man of the match at Bloomfield Road five days ago, soon found himself clean through again on the right but, with David Murphy pulling at his shoulder, the tricky winger was denied by Doyle.

Chris Burke whistled an effort narrowly wide before Marlon King, who twice hit the woodwork in the first leg, made it an unwanted hat-trick when he side-footed Murphy's excellent delivery into the ground and on to the top of the crossbar.

The game continued at a frenetic pace on a slick surface, Zigic testing Matt Gilks.

But just when it appeared as though it would remain goalless going into half-time, Blackpool doubled their aggregate advantage.

Ince's corner was only half headed out by Davies, who managed to block Alex Baptiste's subsequent overhead but the ball broke for Dobbie and his low shot agonisingly squirmed under Doyle at his near post.

Within three second-half minutes, the tie appeared all but over.

Phillips timed his burst to perfection to run off the shoulder of Murphy and bring down Stephen Crainey's long ball, with a trickling neat finish beating Doyle and crossing the line off the far post.

But Zigic gave Birmingham hope in the 64th minute with a well-taken finish having been put through by Burke.

King wasted a great chance to level things on the night having directed substitute Nathan Redmond's cross straight at Gilks.

But Davies succeeded where King failed soon after, heading home Jordon Mutch's corner.

The centre-back wasted a similar chance in the 78th minute as City pressed for a goal to level the tie.

But, despite five minutes of injury time, it failed to arrive and Blackpool were left celebrating while Blues fans chanted 'there's only one Chris Hughton', with speculation linking their manager to the vacancy at West Brom.

OSM news service

Di Matteo Starts with Cup Win

Chelsea started life after Andre Villas-Boas with a comfortable 2-0 FA Cup fifth-round replay victory against Birmingham at St Andrew's.

Caretaker manager Roberto Di Matteo took charge of the West London side for the first time and goals from Juan Mata and a stunning strike from Raul Meireles made sure of a winning start for the Italian to secure a home quarter-final tie with Leicester.

There was little to choose between the sides in the opening period when Nikola Zigic posed problems for Chelsea.

But the visitors stepped up a gear after the interval and broke the deadlock nine minutes into the second half.

Ramires raced away down the right before delivering a delicious low cross which bounced around the six-yard box before the ball was duly dispatched by the lethal Mata for his third goal in four FA Cup matches.

The Blues of London doubled their lead on the hour mark after a well worked move involving substitute Daniel Sturridge and Ramires who teed up Meireles to smash home a wonderful left-foot piledriver into the top corner from the edge of the area.

Chelsea failed to add a third 10 minutes later when Guirane N'Daw felled Torres in the box but Mata's spot-kick was well saved by Doyle.

Chelsea were the first to threaten and Mata raced clear but opted to shoot with Salomon Kalou unmarked in the centre and Doyle turned his effort around the post.

A neat flick from Zigic found Wade Elliott in space behind the Chelsea defence but his low first time ball was in front of the run of Morgaro Gomis.

City were causing problems and Nathan Redmond got clear in the box after more good play by Zigic but David Luiz got across to intercept as he prepared to shoot.

Zigic was unhappy when caught by the boot of Luiz and he was left with blood pouring from his face and required lengthy touchline treatment.

Dangerman Zigic created another opportunity for Elliott and his shot on the turn was gathered by Petr Cech.

Zigic became the first player to be yellow carded after a late tackle on Gary Cahill.

Cech produced a superb save to keep his side on level terms after 39 minutes.

Zigic's glancing header from a Jordon Mutch cross had Cech back-pedalling and he finger-tipped his effort over the bar at full stretch.

Mata was Chelsea's most potent player but he shot straight at Doyle from the edge of the box.

Fernando Torres had his first opportunity on the stroke of half-time after a quick turn but he dragged his shot across the face of goal.

Chelsea enjoyed a spell of possession at the start of the second period and Pablo Ibanez produced a superb tackle to deny Mata inside the box after he played a one-two with Kalou.

But after 53 minutes Mata broke the deadlock for Chelsea.

Ramires made good ground down the right before sending in a cross which was challenged for by Kalou.

The ball broke invitingly for Mata who poked it past Doyle into the corner of the net.

Mata missed another great chance two minutes later when he headed wide at the far post from a deep centre by Branislav Ivanovic.

A superb strike from Meireles doubled Chelsea's lead after 59 minutes.

Ramires teed up the midfielder and his 25-yard strike flew past Doyle into the top corner of the net.

Torres was yellow carded for chopping down Jonathan Spector.

The Spaniard won his side a 67th minute penalty after he was brought down by Guirane N'Daw who was yellow carded.

But Doyle repeated his penalty save from Mata of the first tie at Stamford Bridge.

Daniel Sturridge should have made it 3-0 but mis-kicked with the goal at his mercy from Torres' centre.

Mutch had a great opportunity to reduce the arrears from Chris Burke's pass but lofted his shot over the bar.

Chelsea will next be home to Leicester in the quarter-finals of the FA Cup on Sunday March 18.

Sturridge Salvages Chelsea Replay

Chelsea failed to get the better of Birmingham as the Championship outfit earned a 1-1 draw in the FA Cup fifth round at Stamford Bridge.

The home side's season was in danger of hitting a new low when their latest defensive calamity allowed David Murphy to give the visitors a shock half-time lead at Stamford Bridge.

Colin Doyle also brilliantly saved a Juan Mata penalty and, although Daniel Sturridge eventually equalised, Chelsea simply did not do enough to find a winner.

The performance showed Sunday's summit meeting in which Andre Villas-Boas' players reportedly challenged their manager did nothing to address the problems which led to their worst display of the season at Everton last weekend.

Villas-Boas insisted it did not matter if some of his squad did not back him as he had the support of Roman Abramovich, but the club's billionaire owner would not have been happy with what he saw on Saturday.

The man he spent £50million on - Fernando Torres - again failed to impress, hauled off at half-time for Didier Drogba, who was a surprise substitute following the African Nations Cup.

But others, too, let themselves down as Chelsea's winless run extended to four matches.

The travelling fans taunted Villas-Boas with chants of, "You're getting sacked in the morning", as Chelsea toiled from the start.

The hosts were almost embarrassed when David Luiz's attempted clearance deflected off a Birmingham head before Stephen Carr was forced off injured, Jonathan Spector coming on.

The defending that cost Chelsea at Goodison Park resurfaced when they fell behind in the 20th minute, Luiz and Raul Meireles failing to deal with a near-post corner, allowing Murphy to drill home.

Chelsea finally woke up and urgent attacking immediately won them a penalty when Wade Elliott tripped Ramires but Doyle produced a world-class save to tip Mata's spot-kick onto the post.

Curtis Davies produced a brilliant interception to stop Torres reaching a cross from Sturridge, who then screamed in vain for another penalty when he crumpled under Pablo Ibanez's challenge.

Luiz tried to inject some inspiration when a typical surge forward saw Jordon Mutch rightly booked for the crudest of challenges, which the defender almost punished with a superb free-kick that Doyle tipped over.

Sturridge then unleashed a blistering volley that just dipped too late and Mata directed a header too close to Doyle before Chelsea trudged off to muted jeers.

The boos turned to cheers after the interval when Torres, who had another half to forget, was hauled off for Drogba.

The Ivorian immediately showed the kind of commitment lacking from Torres by retrieving the ball for a goal-kick.

But Chelsea showed little sign of improvement and Gary Cahill was booked for a tangle with Adam Rooney before more shocking set-piece defending saw Redmond blast over a corner.

Salomon Kalou replaced the ineffective John Obi Mikel, although it was someone else the crowd wanted, judging by the chants of "Super Frankie Lampard".

However, the change paid off, Mata drilling wide after brilliantly taking down Luiz's crossfield pass before Sturridge equalised in the 62nd minute.

Branislav Ivanovic was given time to deliver a cross and Sturridge rose unmarked to power home a header via the inside of the post.

Elliott threw himself in front of Ivanovic's attempted follow-up before Rooney was withdrawn for Jake Jervis.

Meireles' low drive through a crowd of players was deflected just over the bar while Mutch tested Petr Cech with a low free-kick.

Lampard finally joined the fray when he replaced Mata for the last seven minutes in another unpopular substitution, with Elliott also withdrawn for Chris Burke.

Ivanovic appealed half-heartedly for a penalty after a coming together with Murphy before Birmingham wasted a glorious chance to snatch it when Redman shot tamely at Cech after racing clear.

Lampard drilled a free-kick straight at the wall in stoppage-time, Luiz was cautioned for clattering into Spector, and Davies headed too close to Cech as the visitors held on for a deserved replay.

Ridgewell Moves Across Town

West Bromwich Albion have completed the signing of defender Liam Ridgewell from Birmingham City for an undisclosed fee.

The 27-year-old has penned a two-and-a-half-year deal at the Hawthorns, with the option of an extra year.

Ridgewell is not eligible to play in West Brom's Premier League trip to Fulham on Wednesday.

"Liam is a very experienced defender and has the added benefit of being left-sided," said Baggies manager Roy Hodgson.

"We do not have many of those defenders at the club. He can also play in two positions [left-back and centre-back] and he is used to playing in teams under pressure to get results to stay in the league.

"We hope we won't be one of those teams under pressure," Hodgson added. "But if we are, it is good to have someone of that experience."

Ridgewell made 152 league appearances for Birmingham after joining from neighbours Aston Villa for £2m in August 2007.

But he made it clear last summer he wanted to leave the Blues after handing in a transfer request.

He helped Birmingham to Carling Cup success last season, but was keen to return to the Premier League following the Blues' relegation last May.