Skip to content

FA Cup R3: Tranmere comeback stuns Watford

Rochdale secure late draw with Newcastle, Fulham knock out Aston Villa, Sheffield Wednesday eliminate Brighton

Connor Jennings pulled a goal back as Tranmere recovered at Watford
Image: Connor Jennings pulled a goal back as Tranmere recovered at Watford

Paul Mullin scored an 87th-minute penalty as Tranmere came from three goals down to seal a remarkable 3-3 draw in the third round of the FA Cup at Watford.

Tom Dele-Bashiru opened the scoring in his first start for the Hornets, before Nathaniel Chalobah doubled the home side's advantage just 117 seconds later.

Roberto Pereyra appeared to have put the game out of reach when he scored a third for last season's beaten finalists after 34 minutes.

Paul Mullin thumps Tranmere level from the penalty spot against Watford
Image: Paul Mullin thumps Tranmere level from the penalty spot against Watford

But in a stunning second half, Tranmere pulled one back shortly after the hour mark when Connor Jennings' disallowed offside goal was overturned by VAR.

Defender Manny Monthe then struck with 12 minutes remaining before Mullin converted from the spot after VAR determined debutant Mason Barrett had fouled Corey Blackett-Taylor in the box.

Pereyra was then sent off for foul play to cap a miserable second half for the Vicarage Road side.

Rochdale 1-1 Newcastle

Rochdale
Image: Wilbraham celebrates his strike at the age of 40 against Steve Bruce's side

Forty-year-old Aaron Wilbraham struck late to snatch a richly-deserved draw for League One Rochdale in their FA Cup third-round clash with Newcastle at the Crown Oil Arena.

Also See:

Wilbraham combined with fellow substitute Luke Matheson, 23 years his junior, to equalise in the 79th minute after Miguel Almiron had put the Premier League side in front.

Rochdale got what they deserved when Matheson found Wilbraham in the box and the veteran striker took one touch before drilling past Martin Dubravka.

And as the massed ranks of visiting fans began to show their displeasure, Rochdale almost grabbed a winner when Oliver Rathbone found space in the box but drifted a slow shot wide of target.

Fulham 2-1 Aston Villa

Harry Arter celebrates his brilliant winner for Fulham against Aston Villa
Image: Harry Arter celebrates his brilliant winner for Fulham against Aston Villa

Harry Arter climbed off the bench to dump Aston Villa out of the FA Cup with a spectacular long-range strike.

The midfielder had been on the pitch for barely 90 seconds when he let fly from 25 yards to seal a 2-1 win for Championship Fulham.

Anwar El Ghazi had earlier cancelled out Anthony Knockaert's cracker, but Arter's rocket fired the Cottagers through to round four.

Brighton 0-1 Sheffield Wednesday

Adam Reach was the match-winner for Sheffield Wednesday at Brighton
Image: Adam Reach was the match-winner for Sheffield Wednesday at Brighton

Adam Reach struck a second-half winner as Sheffield Wednesday beat Premier League opposition in the FA Cup for the first time in 27 years with a 1-0 win at Brighton.

Owls winger Reach smashed home a deflected drive from the edge of the box 25 minutes from time to earn the Sky Bet Championship side a narrow third-round success at the Amex Stadium.

Wednesday's previous win over top-flight opposition in this competition came courtesy of goals from Chris Waddle and Mark Bright at Wembley in the 1993 semi-final against city rivals Sheffield United.

However, a memorable day on the south coast was tempered by a suspected knee injury suffered by 12-goal top scorer Steven Fletcher.

Man City 4-1 Port Vale

Phil Foden was on target as Manchester City thrashed Port Vale
Image: Phil Foden was on target as Manchester City thrashed Port Vale

Tom Pope fulfilled a boast to score against John Stones but could not prevent holders Manchester City easing to a 4-1 victory over Port Vale in the FA Cup.

Pope, the veteran Vale striker, claimed in a mocking tweet last summer that he would score 40 a season if he played against City defender Stones every week.

He came good as he cancelled out an Oleksandr Zinchenko strike at the Etihad Stadium but the League Two minnows were ultimately outclassed as Sergio Aguero, Taylor Harwood-Bellis and Phil Foden netted for the holders.

Two of City's goals, for Aguero and Harwood-Bellis, required lengthy VAR checks before being allowed but neither were controversial.

Leicester 2-0 Wigan

Harvey Barnes scores as Leicester breezed past Wigan into round four
Image: Harvey Barnes scores as Leicester breezed past Wigan into round four

Leicester eased into the FA Cup fourth round with a 2-0 victory against Wigan at the King Power Stadium.

With a Carabao Cup semi-final first leg against Aston Villa on the horizon in four days' time, Foxes boss Brendan Rodgers made 10 changes from the New Year's Day win at Newcastle.

Only left-back Ben Chilwell kept his place, but it made little difference to the result as an own goal by Latics debutant Tom Pearce and a Harvey Barnes strike had Leicester firmly in control at half-time - and that is how it stayed.

Wolves 0-0 Man Utd

Matt Doherty was denied by VAR as Manchester United held Wolves
Image: Matt Doherty was denied by VAR as Manchester United held Wolves

Manchester United fired blanks again as they were held to a goalless stalemate in the third round of the FA Cup at Wolves.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side have now failed to score in three of their last five games after Saturday's third round 0-0 draw at Molineux.

Sergio Romero's fantastic save thwarted Matt Doherty, while Marcus Rashford hit the bar for the visitors in the second half.

Doherty had a late goal ruled out for handball but it was a forgettable game between two unimaginative teams, who now face a replay at Old Trafford.

Preston 2-4 Norwich

Norwich
Image: Adam Idah had a day to remember as Norwich eased past Preston

Teenager Adam Idah struck a hat-trick to fire Norwich into the fourth round of the FA Cup for the first time since 2013 as they brushed aside Preston 4-2 at Deepdale.

Idah, making only his second Norwich start days after his Premier League debut as a substitute against Crystal Palace, opened the scoring inside 90 seconds and made it 3-0 before half-time when he fired in a second from distance.

In between the 18-year-old played a key role in Onel Hernandez's strike and he was not done there, sealing his hat-trick from the penalty spot in the 61st minute after Billy Bodin pulled one back for Preston.

Josh Harrop got a second for Preston with six minutes left, but Norwich had done enough to win their first third-round tie since winning 3-0 at Peterborough seven years ago.

Southampton 2-0 Huddersfield

Two Southampton teenagers fired their side into the fourth round of the FA Cup in a 2-0 victory over Huddersfield at St Mary's.

Making his first senior appearance, 19-year-old William Smallbone gave the hosts the lead in the 48th minute with a well-timed volley.

Saints wrapped up all three points in the 86th minute when Jake Vokins, also aged 19, fired in from the edge of the area for his first goal of the season, in only his second senior appearance.

William Smallbone broke the deadlock for Southampton against Huddersfield
Image: William Smallbone broke the deadlock for Southampton against Huddersfield

Burnley 4-2 Peterborough

Jay Rodriguez scored twice as Burnley responded to a poor run in the Premier League with a 4-2 victory over Peterborough in the third round of the FA Cup at a sparsely-attended Turf Moor.

The Posh, who have not beaten a top-flight side in the FA Cup since 1965, were three down inside 25 minutes through goals from Rodriguez, Erik Pieters and Jeff Hendrick.

Ivan Toney seized on a defensive mistake to pull one back before half-time with his 17th of the campaign, but Rodriguez's second all but clinched the tie for Burnley even though teenage substitute Ricky Jade-Jones pulled one back for Posh late on.

Peterborough United's Marcus Maddison (left) and Burnley's Johann Berg Gudmundsson battle for the ball during the FA Cup third round match at Turf Moor
Image: Johann Berg Gudmundsson in action for Burnley against Peterborough

Bournemouth 4-0 Luton

Dominic Solanke ended a year-long wait to score his first Bournemouth goal as the Premier League strugglers picked up a morale-boosting 4-0 FA Cup third-round win at home to Luton.

Philip Billing struck twice with substitute Callum Wilson also on target as the Cherries eased past their Championship visitors, for whom Alan Sheehan missed a penalty when the score was 1-0.

Dominic Solanke scored his first Bournemouth goal against Luton
Image: Dominic Solanke scored his first Bournemouth goal against Luton

Millwall 3-0 Newport

Sky Bet Championship challengers Millwall eased into the FA Cup fourth round with a comfortable 3-0 win over League Two strugglers Newport at The Den.

There were 54 places between the two teams at kick-off, in their first meeting since 1985, and the Lions were the better side throughout, despite the visitors' spirited start to the second half.

A first-half strike from Matt Smith put the hosts in charge and second-half goals from Connor Mahoney and Tom Bradshaw sealed the victory for Gary Rowett's side.

Birmingham 2-1 Blackburn

Jeremie Bela spared the blushes of team-mate Ivan Sunjic as 10-man Birmingham grabbed a late winner to beat Blackburn 2-1.

Bela punished a goalkeeping mistake by Jayson Leutwiler to score a breakaway goal in the last minute after Sunjic had been sent off less than two minutes after coming off the bench.

The Croatian midfielder received his marching orders for bringing down Sam Gallagher in the penalty area in the 60th minute, having replaced Gary Gardner in the 58th minute.

Adam Armstrong equalised from the spot in the 61st minute to cancel out Dan Crowley's first goal for Blues four minutes into the game.

But the final result hardly seemed a fair reflection as Rovers dominated the second half, only for former Blues loan striker Gallagher to waste two good chances after Stewart Downing missed another, while goalkeeper Lee Camp allowed a routine punt from Derrick Williams to slip through his fingers.

Bristol City 1-1 Shrewsbury

Sean Goss scored a second-half equaliser to earn League One Shrewsbury an FA Cup third-round replay following a deserved 1-1 draw at Championship side Bristol City.

The hosts took the lead against the run of play on the half hour when Niclas Eliasson's far-post cross from the left was headed back across goal and into the net by Famara Diedhiou.

But impressive Shrewsbury were back in it three minutes after the interval, Goss guiding a perfectly-placed shot from the edge of the box past goalkeeper Niki Maenpaa after a Diedhiou clearance had fallen into his path.

Brentford 1-0 Stoke

Emiliano Marcondes fired a young Brentford side into the FA Cup fourth round at the expense of Stoke.

The Bees, who made 10 changes from their last Sky Bet Championship game and named just one first-team player in Ethan Pinnock, eased to a routine 1-0 win against a more experienced Potters side.

Brentford took the lead just before the break with a sublime piece of skill from Danish midfielder Marcondes.

The playmaker, just back from a loan spell at Danish outfit Midtjylland, curled a beautiful drive into the far top corner, almost from the corner flag, to give the Bees the lead.

Rotherham 2-3 Hull City

Tom Eaves scored a hat-trick as Hull reached the FA Cup fourth round with a 3-2 win against 10-man Rotherham.

Hull took the lead in the 16th minute with Dan Batty bursting into the box and cutting the ball back for Eaves to score, but Rotherham were level five minutes later thanks to Michael Smith's powerful finish from Chiedozie Ogbene's centre.

The home side were reduced to 10 men in the 24th minute when Adam Thompson was given a straight red card for hacking Keane Lewis-Potter but the Millers stunned Hull two minutes before half-time when Kyle Vassell fired a thunderbolt from the edge of the box.

But the visitors' pressure paid off in the 66th minute with Eaves on hand to head in from Herbie Kane's cross. And Rotherham's resistance lasted until the second minute of added time, when Eaves was again on hand to punish them with a towering header and send the Tigers through.

Reading 2-2 Blackpool

A weakened Reading had to settle for a 2-2 draw with League One Blackpool in their FA Cup third-round tie at Madejski Stadium.

Reading striker Sam Baldock struck a post in the first half before Blackpool took the lead shortly before the half-hour mark through Nathan Delfouneso.

Baldock equalised 11 minutes into the second half, but Armand Gnanduillet restored the Blackpool advantage four minutes later.

Danny Loader made it 2-2 with a clever backheel, but Gnanduillet wasted the chance for a Blackpool victory when his chipped penalty struck the crossbar.

Cardiff 2-2 Carlisle

Cardiff fought back from two goals down to salvage a 2-2 draw and an FA Cup third-round replay with Carlisle.

Jack Bridge and Harry McKirdy stunned the Sky Bet Championship side with first-half headers that gave them real hope of a cup upset.

But quick-fire goals from Callum Paterson and Gavin Whyte at the start of the second half spared Cardiff's blushes and earned a replay at Brunton Park.

Oxford 4-1 Hartlepool

Midfielder Shandon Baptiste scored a brilliant individual goal to end National League Hartlepool's FA Cup dream as Oxford ran out 4-1 winners.

Mark Kitching pounced on a weak back-pass from Rob Dickie to slot past Jordan Archer in the ninth minute.

But Rob Hall equalised after 52 minutes with a curling shot from outside the area before Baptiste lit up the match by dribbling past three defenders before shooting in from close range.

Tariqe Fosu turned the ball in from close range after 84 minutes and three minutes later Matty Taylor blasted in from the penalty spot after Ryan Donaldson fouled Mark Sykes.

Fleetwood 1-2 Portsmouth

Portsmouth triumphed in an all-League One FA Cup battle as they eased to a deserved 2-1 win at Fleetwood.

Pompey broke the deadlock in the 66th minute when Bolton bundled home Ronan Curtis's inswinging corner from close range.

It was 2-0 five minutes later as John Marquis forced home from close in following a Christian Burgess header into the danger zone.

Fleetwood substitute Conor McAleny fired home a deflected shot in stoppage time, but it proved too little, too late.

New Year, same Super 6!
New Year, same Super 6!

FREE TO PLAY: Do not miss your chance to land the £250,000 jackpot for the sixth time this season.

Around Sky