CARLING Cup semi-finalist Matt Bloomfield today owned up: “It's unbelievable and hasn't really sunk in yet.”Ex-Town midfielder Bloomfield last night helped League Two side Wycombe Wanderers to victory over Premiership strugglers Charlton to set up another potential giantkilling act in the last four.

By Mel Henderson

CARLING Cup semi-finalist Matt Bloomfield today owned up: “It's unbelievable and hasn't really sunk in yet.”

Ex-Town midfielder Bloomfield last night helped League Two side Wycombe Wanderers to victory over Premiership strugglers Charlton to set up another potential giantkilling act in the last four.

Speaking from his home in Felixstowe, he admitted: “I don't mind who we draw next as long as it's not Southend.

“With all due respect to them I think we've earned ourselves a glamour tie.”

Southend visit Tottenham and Chelsea are at Newcastle tonight, while Liverpool and Arsenal's scheduled clash at Anfield last night was postponed because of fog.

Ipswich academy graduate Bloomfield, 22, only managed one substitute appearance for the club before being released by then manager Joe Royle.

Capped by England at Under-19 level, he joined Wycombe almost exactly three years ago and has since played 116 games, scoring nine goals.

Last night's 1-0 win at The Valley came courtesy of Jermaine Easter's first-half goal and a large number of home fans stayed behind at the end to give the victors a standing ovation.

Bloomfield added: “It was thoroughly deserved. If we'd gone in at half-time two or three goals ahead it wouldn't have been an injustice.

“Our game plan was to get at them and give it our best shot. If you sit back and try to catch teams on the break you are only asking for trouble.

“Anyway, that's no way to play football and with them on a bit of a downer at the moment we went for their throats. I think we shocked them a bit.

“We just felt we had nothing to lose. If we'd been beaten, say, 4-0 nobody would have said a thing. But we believed in ourselves, even if nobody outside Wycombe probably gave us any chance of pulling it off.”

Bloomfield, who has just bought a flat in nearby Reading, added: “It was a great night for a club of our size. We'd already created a bit of history in reaching the

quarter-finals for the first time and now we're in the semis - something that might never happen again.”

The Chairboys had already KO'd one Premiership club, Fulham, as well as Swansea and Notts County, to progress to the last eight.

Charlton included two

ex-Ipswich players, strikers Marcus and Darren Bent, in their starting line-up, while former Town skipper Matt Holland came on as a second-half substitute.

Bloomfield said: “I really don't think Charlton were ready for what we threw at them right from the start. They didn't create a great deal and when they came back to put on a bit of pressure after the break we coped very well.”

Wycombe are also chasing promotion to League One and Bloomfield has blossomed under new boss Paul Lambert, the former Celtic and Scotland star, who took charge in the summer.

He said: “Paul was a European Cup winner with Borussia Dortmund and it helps me that he is a former midfield player with experience at the very highest level. He is always passing on useful tips.

“We get on very well. He's been brilliant for the club and for me. I really enjoy playing for him and he knows he can rely on me.”