Mears heads Marseille into quarter-finals

Tyrone Mears' extra-time header sent Marseille into the UEFA Cup quarter-finals at the expense of Ajax at the Amsterdam ArenA as they won 4-3 on aggregate following a 2-2 draw.

Defending a 2-1 lead from the first leg, OM went behind in the Dutch capital when Eyong Enoh scored just after the half-hour mark - but Mamadou Niang put the visitors back in front in the tie two minutes later.

Miralem Sulejmani, with a close-range second-half header, took the last-16 game into extra-time. But English right-back Mears was the match-winner in the 108th minute.

Ajax coach Marco van Basten, who saw right-back Bruno Silva red-carded in the dying seconds, claimed his side were underdogs heading into the second leg.

But Luis Suarez's goal from the penalty spot in last Thursday's first leg gave the Amsterdammers something to cling to - and they stormed out of the blocks tonight.

Captain Suarez was at the heart of all of Ajax's best moves. He wasted a great chance in the fourth minute when, completely free eight yards out, he headed straight at OM goalkeeper Steve Mandanda.

The Uruguayan nodded wide soon afterwards and then squandered his third opportunity of the match when he screwed a volley off target after running on to Silva's cross.

The striker did, though, set up Enoh's opener - slipping a short ball through the heart of Marseille's defence for the young Cameroonian, who beat the offside trap and shot low past Mandanda.

Ajax's lead lasted barely two minutes, Niang - who earlier had a goal scrubbed out for offside - latching onto Kone's pass and sliding a finish between the legs of Ajax goalkeeper Kenneth Vermeer.

Suarez continued to be dangerous after the break and was foiled by Mandanda in the 53rd minute as he tried to round the France goalkeeper.

Although OM were failing to hold on to the ball in midfield, they were defending like lions - centre-back Vitorino Hilton especially impressive.

It took an excellent goal in the 74th minute to end their defiance. A free-flowing move ended with Suarez swivelling around Hilton and crossing for Sulejmani, who headed home into an empty net from four yards out.

The game went to extra-time, and Mears emerged the hero - nodding home from six yards out to send OM through.

To add insult to injury for Ajax, Silva was sent off in injury time of extra-time for elbowing Hatem Ben Arfa.