FA Cup 3rd Round Review - Part 1/2

The FA Cup never fails to produce an upset at this stage and this year was no different, Although we had to watch some dull encounters on TV, there was still some cracking games around the country, which will all be highlighted in this full review of the FA Cup Third Round.

West Ham United vs Manchester City
The Third Round kicked off with Pep Guardiola's first taste of the FA Cup as Manchester City travelled to the capital to face West Ham. City dominated throughout this game and got their deserved breakthrough after a controversial penalty was given and was well converted by Yaya Toure. Things got worse for the hosts in the final 5 minutes of the first half as Nordtveit turned a teasing cross from Sagna and 2 minutes later, Silva got in on the act to put City 3-0 up at the break. West Ham needed a strong start to the second half, but couldn't get going and on the 50th minute, found themselves 4-0 down as Aguero flicked Toure's well struck effort past Adrian. City got their 5th with 6 minutes left on the clock as John Stones scored his first goal for the visitors and rounded off a superb night for Pep's side. West Ham's horrid season continues whereas City fans have a trip to the winner of Bolton or Crystal Palace to look forward to.

Manchester United vs Reading

Saturday's early kick off saw the return of former centre-back Jaap Stam to Manchester United as manager of Championship side Reading. There would be no fairytale for Jaap Stam here though as the day would belong to Wayne Rooney. The Englishman gave United the lead with a historic goal, as it saw him equal Sir Bobby Charlton's 44 year record of 249 goals for the club. United's day got even better after a great move was capped off by a great finish by Martial. Reading struggled to get into the game and were punished for squandering the few chances that they had with 15 minutes to go, as Rashford trebled the advantage. Just 4 minutes later, a comical error by Al-Habsi allowed Rashford to double his tally and send United into the 4th Round. Jaap Stam's main aim now will be trying to guide his side back into the Premier League whereas Jose Mourinho will demand another quality performance by his side in the next round, as the holders host Championship strugglers Wigan who love a cup run as we all will remember them lifting the trophy in 2013.

Accrington Stanley vs Luton Town

The only tie in the Third Round which pitted League Two sides against each other was played on a misty afternoon in Accrington. This may not have been an illustrious tie but it produced arguably the goal of the round as Sean McConville curled in a wonderful strike from 25 yards out in first half stoppage time, which put the hosts ahead at the break. Playoff chasing Luton started the second half in the right manner and 9 minutes after the break, Jake Gray capitalised on the Accrington keeper being out of position to bring the visitors back into the tie. The hosts are finding this season much more of a struggle after their fine showing last year but got the winner on the 57th minute, as centre-back Omar Beckles' header found it's way into the far corner. Luton now have a playoff fight to focus on whilst their League Two compatriots have a trip to Middlesbrough in the next round.

Barrow vs Rochdale

Both Barrow and Rochdale are high-flying in their respective leagues and this game had all the makings of being an FA Cup classic. The National League side can take pride from their performance but unfortunately for them, their League One opponents had too much class for them to deal with. Barrow were aiming to reach the 4th Round for the first time in their history, but poor defending from a corner in the 17th minute allowed Ian Henderson to head home the opener. The hosts almost drew level through Richie Bennett who saw his effort well saved by Logan and big Frenchman Moussa Diarra header was narrowly wide. They were punished by a quality finish by that man Henderson just after the hour mark which was enough to see his side through. Barrow will have to get back to winning ways in the league to keep their playoff push alive, whilst Rochdale play the underdog role as they host Huddersfield Town next.

Birmingham City vs Newcastle United

St Andrew hosted one of the four all Championship ties of the weekend as Birmingham hosted a weakened Newcastle side. Chaos in the box in the 6th minute ended up with the ball being poked in by Daryl Murphy, whose strike was his first for the club and gave the visitors a well needed lead. Mitrovic was then stretchered off with an injury before Jutkiewicz levelled the tie just after the half hour mark. The Birmingham striker then missed two great opportunities in the second half but other than that, it was an even game and a draw was a fair result at the end. At St James' Park, I expect Newcastle to put out a fully strengthed side as the winner of the replay will be confident that they have enough quality to beat Oxford in the next round.

Blackpool vs Barnsley

League Two Blackpool had a tough task as they hosted in-form Championship side Barnsley. However, it was the hosts who were the better side for the majority of the game with striker Kyle Vassell being denied three times by the Barnsley keeper, who put in a man of the match performance making save after save. The visitors grew into the game however and would have won the game, if not for a great reaction save by Blackpool keeper Sam Slocombe. It was a proper cup tie in which both teams gave everything for the win and I expect the replay to be no different with a trip to Blackburn on the line.

Bolton Wanderers vs Crystal Palace

Sam Allardyce is still looking for his first win in charge of last year's runners-up, and found himself receive no sympathy from his former club. League One Bolton had the better start with James Henry being denied at the near post by Speroni. Remy was a constant threat for the hosts in the first half, and was denied by the post after a great strike from 30 yards. Palace kept pushing for the winner but were lucky to avoid defeat, as Josh Vela saw his header crash against the far post. The replay will be another tight affair and I wouldn't be surprised if the League One side come out on top in order to welcome Man City in the next round.

Brentford vs Eastleigh

Griffin Park played host to what could have been a great upset as Conference side Eastleigh made the trip to Brentford. Dean Smith put out a fully strength side with the intention for the Championship side to progress in the competition and he was delighted with how his side performed. A penalty from Yoann Barbet, diving header from Tom Field and a brilliant outside of the foot strike by Lasse Vibe put the hosts 3-0 up within 23 minutes. Credit to Eastleigh, they pulled a goal back through Obileye and then hit the post before Field got his second of the game with a clinical finish in the 38th minute. Romaine Sawyers then hit my pick for goal of the round with a stunning strike from 30 yards, which sent Brentford into the break 5-1 up. The hosts dominated the second half and saw out the second half with a very disciplined performance. It was a great run for Eastleigh, but Dean Smith summed it up best when he said 'I expected us to be quicker, fitter and stronger. We knew we had to apply ourselves and that's exactly what we did.' Brentford are a dark horse in this competition and when they travel to Stamford Bridge in the next round, this young side are going to give Conte's men a real run for their money. Quick mention to a class act by the Brentford fans, who gave their non-league opponents a standing ovation at the end of the game as well as their own team, that's a moment those players will never forget.

Brighton & Hove Albion vs Milton Keynes Dons

Brighton went into this game unbeaten in their last 18 games, and with promotion to the Premier League a priority, they were one of two sides to name a completely changed side for this fixture. The second string 11 showed all the quality Hughton would have expected of them as his side dominated throughout. Beram Kayal drilled the ball in off the far post to give the hosts the lead in the 9th minute, which was followed by chance after chance for the Championship side. Sidwell flicked a header just wide, but in the 72nd minute Hemed sealed the victory and a place in the 4th Round. MK Dons never really turned up and will need to put this performance behind them, whereas, Brighton face a trip to either Ipswich or Lincoln.

Bristol City vs Fleetwood

Fleetwood travelled to their Championship opposition with high hopes, as Bristol City were on a run of six consecutive defeats. The hosts gave debut to a trio of new signings, including the big Bosnian, Milan Djuric. However, it was their lower league opponents who started the game better as Frank Fielding produced a brilliant reaction save to deny David Ball from scoring the opener. City grew into the game though and if not for two great saves from Alex Cairns, the tie could have been all but over by half time. The hosts dominated the second half, without really threatening the keeper and it was new man Djuric who had the best opportunity to seal the win. He found himself free in the box, yet couldn't direct his header on target and both sides will want to have a better showing in the replay. Especially as the winner faces a guaranteed trip to a Premier League side in the form of Sunderland or Burnley.

Everton vs Leicester

It had been 29 years since Everton had beaten a top-flight team in the Third Round, and their fans would have felt confident in their side as they hosted the reigning Premier League champions, who have failed to recapture the form they showed last season. There was no chances of note in the first half, making this tie seem like it would be another boring 0-0, however, on 63 minutes, Deuloufeu squared the ball to Lukaku who tapped home to give Everton the lead. Sometimes a game just needs the first goal to open the tie up and this was no exception. Just 3 minutes after taking the lead, poor defending from the hosts allowed Gray to find the substitute Musa in the box, who was denied by the post at first, before scrambling home the rebound. It only took another 5 minutes for Leicester to get the winner, as Musa played in Drinkwater on the edge of the box, who played it straight into the path of the substitutes run leaving him with an easy finish. Musa's brace means Leicester get a trip to Derby whereas Koeman's men will have to improve as they face Manchester City this weekend.

Huddersfield Town vs Port Vale

David Wagner had never won a competitive cup match since joining the club in November 2015, so Port Vale would have wanted to keep this run going for their Championship opposition. However, it was Wagner's men who struck first just before the half hour mark, as the ball was played into Jack Payne, whose powerful strike found the bottom left corner. It took until the 73rd minute for the hosts to grab their deserved second as Palmer's deflected strike nestled in the far right corner of the net. That wasn't the end of it as Bunn found space on the right hand side before curling his strike home, before a lovely passing move allowed Payne to grab his second. Four goals for the side in 4th place in the Championship and finally Wagner gets his first win in a cup match. Vale couldn't match their opposition and will need new players if they're to have success this year. Incredibly this was the first time Huddersfield had scored more the 2 goals in a game this season and they're rewarded by a trip to in-form Rochdale.

Hull City vs Swansea City

This tie saw two sides struggling for survival in the Premier League meet, both with new managers, and sadly both with fans who are unhappy, not only with performances on the pitch, but with how their club is being run. It was Swansea who had the best chance of the first half, as Ki had his volley well saved. It took until 12 minutes from time for someone to finally produce a moment of quality, and that came from Hull's main man Robert Snodgrass. His delighful chip over the Swansea defence found Maloney who set up Abel Hernandez for a tap-in on his return from injury. Snodgrass was involved in the winner aswell, as he switched the ball to 17 year old local lad Josh Tymon, who kept his composure and struck the ball low and hard off the far post and in. A great moment for Tymon whose goal sees his side travel to Fulham in the next round. For both these clubs however, survival in the Premier League will be the upmost priority but you can never write Hull off in the FA Cup.

Ipswich Town vs Lincoln City
This tie had upset written all over it as Conference leaders Lincoln City travelled, with their thousands of fans, to Championship side Ipswich Town. It didn't take long for those 5000 Lincoln fans to have something to celebrate as journeyman Theo Robinson, who I can't believe is only 27 as it feels like an ago that I was watching him at Edgar Street, turned in Arnold's cross in the 7th minute. Their lead only lasted 5 minutes though, as Tom Lawrence was allowed to go on a run without anyone making an attempt to tackle before putting the ball through the keeper's legs. It was the non-league side who had the better of the chances with Nathan Arnold being denied twice before, in the 65th minute, that man Theo Robinson intercepted a poor back pass from Berra to volley home from 12 yards. The upset was on until the 86th minute when Lawrence picked the ball up from 25 yards out and drove his low shot past the keeper who really should have done better. Lincoln soaked up the pressure and held on for a draw and will fancy their chances in the replay which thankfully is being shown live on BBC this time. The winner of this faces a visit of Championship leaders Brighton and if Lincoln win this, their return to the 4th Round for the first time since 1976 may well be a successful one.

Millwall vs Bournemouth

Bournemouth were the other side that named a completely changed line-up when they travelled to The Den to face a Millwall side. Despite the troubles off the pitch which may see Millwall move from The Den, on the pitch, they were 'united' and put in arguably the performance of the Third Round. Steve Morison missed an open goal in the early minutes of the game but on the 26th minute, he didn't fail to make his free header count, as he put the hosts ahead. Lee Gregory came close to doubling the advantage on two occasions before Bournemouth's Mousset somehow missed the target with his header. On the 50th minute, however, Millwall did get their second through full-back Cummings, who tapped home the rebound from Morison's saved strike. Callum Wilson had a goal disallowed for offside before, in stoppage time, the League One side, got their third. Morison made a great tackle in his own half before switching it to Ferguson whose shot found the bottom right corner. Bournemouth were outfought and outplayed by their opposition who will fancy themselves to cause another upset in the next round when they host Watford.

Norwich City vs Southampton

For Norwich City, life back in the Championship hasn't been plain sailing as they'd have hoped and they faced a real test as they hosted Southampton at Carrow Road. The Premier League side were on top for the majority of the first and should have been up by at least two goals as Tadic's free-kick was well-saved by McGovern and Shane Long's header was just over the bar. However, in the 38th minute, they got their breakthrough as Tadic's whipped cross was brilliantly volleyed home by arguably the best centre-back in the country, Virgil Van Dijk. Southampton were dominant and didn't look like conceding until, their teenage goalkeeper Harry Lewis took a heavy touch and brought down Cameron Jerome for a penalty, which was subsequently well converted by Steven Whittaker. The visitors then got back on top of possession again and we're showing their quality as Tadic forced another great save out of McGovern, but, on the the 67th minute, he could do nothing to deny the Saints other centre-half Maya Yoshida from getting on the scoresheet. That should have been enough to see the visitors through to the next round but in 92nd minute, the goalscoring centre-halfs switched off and left Steven Naismith in acres of space in the box (big mistake), and he headed home to give Norwich a chance of hosting Arsenal in the next round.

That's all for Part One, Part Two will be uploaded at the same time tomorrow and it includes;

• Wimbledon's return to where it all began.
• Could Conte's men get back to winning ways?
• Could any more Premier League sides come unstuck against Championship opposition?
• And Finally how did the lowest ranked side left in the FA Cup get on.