Nottingham Forest, Hartlepool and Torquay led the giant-killing in the FA Cup third round.
Man City and Stoke City crash out, while Chelsea are held at home
Nottingham Forest, Hartlepool and Torquay led the giant-killing in the FA Cup third round as Manchester City, Stoke City and Blackpool all crashed out of the competition to lower league opposition.
It is though a draw that may steal the headlines in Sunday's papers, as
Chelsea's Stamford Bridge blues continued with
Southend coming away from West London with a 1-1 draw.
Salomon Kalou had given Chelsea a first half lead in a game they dominated but in injury-time Peter Clarke's goal had Steve Tilson and the travelling Shrimpers in dreamland.
Peterborough claimed the same scoreline at
West Brom as Craig Mackail-Smith scored another late leveller in the Midlands.
Darren Ferguson's Posh gave a good account of themselves at The Hawthorns but Jonas Olsson's second half goal looked to be good enough to send West Brom through. However, with three minutes remaining, the free-scoring Makail-Smith continued his rich vein of form in front of goal.
Forest Green were unfortunate to go down to
Derby 4-3, while non-league
Kettering join the big boys in the next round courtesy of a 2-1 victory over
Eastwood Town.
City scalped
Manchester City endured a miserable day at Eastlands as
Nottingham Forest - who had new boss Billy Davies watching from the stands - claimed a noticeable upset as Nathan Tyson, Robert Earnshaw and Joe Garner all etched their names on the scoresheet.
Mark Hughes' side were wretched as Wayne Bridge watched aghast from the directors' box, as his new side's woeful defending saw Forest cruise into the next round.
Hartlepool made light of
Stoke's Premier League status to claim the third round's first scalp as they beat Tony Pulis' side 2-0 at Victoria Park. Michael Nelson broke the deadlock after the break with a set-piece header before substitute David Foley registered with a fine 25-yard drive.
Championship side
Blackpool were dumped out of the competition by Conference club
Torquay as Matthew Green's goal just past the half-hour mark ensured an upset on the coast.
Forest Green made a sensational start to their game with Derby as Jonathan Smith's arrow of a strike from the edge of the box gave Jim Harvey's side a 14th minute lead, which was doubled not long after by Alex Lawless' cute near post finish. Chris Hutchings' Rams showed considerable character though, as goals from Rob Hulse and Martin Albrechtsen had them level at the break.
Saturday's most exciting game had several twists left in the second half as Paul Stonehouse gave Forest Green the lead, only for Paul Green to restore parity with 15 minutes left on the clock and Steve Davies to net a late winner from the penalty spot.
Barrow out
Barrow took close to 7,000 supporters to Middlesbrough but dreams of a top flight scalp took a turn for the worse before half-time when Afonso Alves ended a barren run in front of goal with his first in nine games. After the interval the Brazilian grabbed his second of the afternoon to ease Gareth Southgate's fears of an upset; rendering Jason Walker's late goal nothing more than a consolation.
Sunderland's strike pair Kenwyne Jones and Djibril Cisse were the toast of the Stadium of Light faithful as their second half goals were enough to decide an all Premier League affair with
Bolton, who registered a late consolation through Polish striker Ebi Smolarek.
Andy Johnson's brace for
Fulham silenced Hillsborough as
Sheffield Wednesday were seen off 2-1. Wednesday defender Tommy Spurr's speculative effort drew Brian Laws' side level on 21 minutes after Johnson's early opener but it was the Fulham man who decided matters with just two minutes remaining.
Leon Osman ensured
Everton avoided cup embarrassment that has plagued them in recent seasons, as his fine half-volley just before half-time at Moss Rose gave David Moyes' side a 1-0 win at
Macclesfield.
Hull held
Hull City and
Newcastle could not be separated at the KC Stadium in a 0-0 stalemate and it was the same scoreline that ensued at Fratton Park, with holders
Portsmouth not having enough firepower to see off
Bristol City.
Non-League
Kidderminster failed to ever really trouble
Coventry on their travels as Leon McKenzie and Leon Best goals were enough for Chris Coleman's side.
Barnsley failed to live up to last season's FA Cup exploits as Herita Ilunga's tenth minute goal set
West Ham on their way to the fourth round at Upton Park. A Mark Noble penalty before half-time put Gianfranco Zola's side in total control going into the interval, while Carlton Cole's third in as many games put the gloss on a polished display.
Plymouth held
Arsenal at the Emirates in the first half but Robin van Persie, captain for the day, broke the deadlock after the interval as his header ended the Pilgrims' resolve. David Gray's own goal had Arsenal in cruise control but Karl Duguid gave the Championship side hope when he steered home from close range. It was though Van Persie who had the final say as his second goal gave Arsenal a 3-1 win.
Liverpool avoided the pitfalls that had befallen some of their Premier League rivals as they recorded a comfortable 2-0 victory over
Preston with Albert Riera opening the scoring and Fernando Torres tapping home a late second.
