FA Cup Round Three Review Part Two

The second part of the third round action begins with the only one postponement across the afternoon's games which given the bad weather was a surprise but for the fans of League two side Newport County and Championship side Blackburn Rovers it was a late decision to call the game off which left them with a midweek re-arrangement.

League Two side Northampton Town hosted Championship side Milton Keynes Dons with the hosts eyeing a potential 'cupset'. However, such a result was dented early on as Cresswell hit into his own net to give the Dons the lead on 13 minutes. The Cobblers staged a stunning turnaround as Holmes struck a nine minute brace in the 49th and 58th minutes to make it 2-1 but they were denied a famous win by a late leveller as Maynard made it 2-2 in the 82nd minute to force a replay.

A battle between two sides at either end of the Premier League table saw Norwich City host Manchester City with the Canaries hoping to boost a mixed season so far while the Sky Blues looked to add another win to their already successful season in the domestic cups. The visitors struck an early opener as Sergio Aguero made it 1-0 on 13 minutes before Kevin De Bruyne doubled the lead in the 31st minute. The Canaries battled to cut the deficit but had their fate sealed midway through the second half as Kelechi Ihenacho wrapped up a 3-0 victory in the 78th minute.


An all Championship battle saw Nottingham Forest host Queens Park Rangers at the City Ground with both the former top flight sides hoping to extend their fine runs in the competition so far. The tie was a close run one with just one goal separating the sides across the 90 minutes with Ward's 24th minute strike enough for the hosts to secure a 1-0 win.

League One side Peterborough United hosted Championship side Preston North End with hopes of a 'cupset' against a side going well in the division above. The hosts made a stunning start as they struck a seventh minute opener through Samuelson and the narrow lead was doubled just seven minutes after the half-time break as in-form Conor Washington made it 2-0. The two goal lead proved to be enough to hold of the visitors as United secured a famous win.

A battle between two former top flight sides currently residing in the Championship saw Sheffield Wednesday host Fulham as Hillsborough. The sides were evenly matched in the first half including scoring a goal each in the final minutes as Barry Bannan gave the Owls the lead on 42 minutes only for the Cottagers to strike back instantly through Dembélé for 1-1 at the interval. The tie was settled midway through the second half as Nuhiu secured a 2-1 win in the 73rd minute.

An all top flight tie saw Southampton face Crystal Palace at St Marys Stadium with both looking to extend reasonable first halves to the season. The Eagles struck an opener in the 29th minute through Joel Ward but were pegged back by a 51st minute equaliser as Oriol Romeu made it 1-1. The tie was decided with a strike in the 68th minute as Wilfred Zaha struck for the Eagles to seal a 2-1 win.

Another top flight battle saw high flying Watford host struggling Newcastle United at Vicarage Road with the Magpies keen to boost a poor season that sees them sit in the bottom three. The tie was settled by just a single goal across the 90 minutes as the Hornets secured a 1-0 success after a 44th minute strike from Troy Deeney.

Top flight West Bromwich Albion hosted Championship side Bristol City at The Hawthorns with the visitors looking to stage a surprise on their Premier League hosts. The first half was a tight affair as the sides remained level at 0-0 into the interval and the deadlock continued past the hour mark until an opener from Saido Berahino put the Baggies in front on 67 minutes.

City drew level just seven minutes later through Kodjia before taking a surprise lead with seven minutes left of the 90 as Agard made it 2-1. However, their joy was to be dented as James Morrison salvaged a 2-2 draw in added time to force a replay.

Another tie between a top flight and Championship side saw West Ham United host Wolverhampton Wanderers with the visitors looking to pass the test against higher league opposition. The tie was a close run one as the sides remained level at 0-0 long into the second half with a late penalty from Nikica Jelavic sealing a 1-0 win in the 85th minute.

The late kick-off saw another top flight- Championship tie as  Manchester United hosted Sheffield United. The two sides looked destined for a replay at Bramall Lane as the game remained goalless deep into the the second half. The tie was sealed with a last-gasp goal as Wayne Rooney slotted in a 93rd minute penalty to secure a 1-0 win for the hosts.

Sunday saw the remaining four ties starting with the early kick-off between League Two promotion hopefuls Oxford United and Premier League strugglers Swansea City at the Kassam Stadium. The Swans took the lead through Jefferson Monterson on 23 minutes before being pegged back in the final seconds of the first half as Sercombe made it 1-1 from the penalty spot. A 15 minute brace from Kemar Roofe turned the tie around as he struck in the 49th and 59th minutes for 3-1. Bafetimbi Gomis pulled the deficit back to 3-2 in the 66th minute but the Swans were unable to prevent the hosts from claiming a famous 'cupset'.

An all League Two meeting saw Carlisle United host Yeovil Town meaning at least one side from the division would reach the fourth round but both sides went into the draw for the next round after a 2-2 draw. Grainger put the hosts ahead in the 25th minute only for the Glovers to level in the 71st minute though Zoko but the sides were level for just five minutes as Ellis regained the lead for the hosts on 76 minutes and the visitors forced a replay late on with a late strike from Jeffers in added time.

Premier League champions Chelsea hosted League One side Scunthorpe United with the visitors hoping to stage a huge 'cupset' akin to Bradford's against the Blues in last seasons fourth round. However, the Blues had taken lessons from last season and secured a 2-0 win to book a spot in the next round. Diego Costa got them off the mark in the 13th minute before a first senior goal for Ruben Loftus-Cheek in the 68th minute completed the win.

The final top flight battle of the round saw high flying duo Tottenham Hotspur and Leicester City meet at White Hart Lane. Spurs opened the scoring with an early strike from Christian Eriksen in the ninth minute before the Foxes levelled through Marcin Wasilewski in the 19th minute.

Shinji Okazaki made it 2-1 to the visitors but they will face a replay at the King Power Stadium after  late penalty from Harry Kane made it 2-2 in the 89th minute.

Championship side Cardiff City hosted League One side Shrewsbury Town with the visitors keen to stage a 'cupset' on the former top flight side. The Shrews did just that as they edged a tight game with a narrow 1-0 win courtesy of 62nd minutes strike from Mangan.