Saturday 3 January 2015 19:52, UK
We round up the five biggest stories from an action-packed FA Cup third-round Saturday.
Berahino shows suitors what they’re missing
With speculation about Saido Berahino’s future at West Brom rife, the club put a £20m price tag on the 21-year-old ahead of their FA Cup third round tie with Gateshead and the striker responded in style, firing in four and setting up another in a 7-0 thrashing.
However, the England U21 international’s refusal to celebrate any of his goals – even the crucial opener, which followed a spirited start from the Conference side – could perhaps prove telling.
Tony Pulis, taking charge of the Baggies for the first time, insisted after the game that the club hadn’t received any offers for Berahino and he was looking forward to working with the frontman, but there’s no doubt a potential move will be a recurring headline during this transfer window.
Pulis was keen to applaud his players for recording the biggest win he’s ever experienced as a manager or head coach – and West Brom’s biggest win in the Cup since beating Aylesbury 8-0 in 1992 – but the focus remains firmly on his forward.
Derby eventually break Southport resistance
Derby are two points off an automatic promotion place to the Premier League; Southport are hovering above the relegation zone in the Conference. Ahead of kick-off this FA Cup third round tie showed little potential for an upset. After the final whistle Derby boss Steve McClaren was breathing a sigh of relief after a late, late let-off.
Despite dominating with 64% of possession, forcing 17 corners and firing in 23 shots, Derby needed a 93rd minute Chris Martin penalty to finally break through their lowly visitors’ defences.
Southport have not progressed beyond the third round since 1966 – but they can hold their heads up high after Saturday’s performance against a Derby team who have scored more goals than all but one of their Championship rivals this season.
Luis Figo is a Blyth Spartans fan
Such was the excitement of Blyth Spartans’ half-time 2-0 lead over Championship side Birmingham – a full 120 places above them in the football pyramid - even former Real Madrid and Barcelona star Luis Figo began following their Twitter page.
A Robbie Dale double had put the Northern Premier League side ahead and the Croft Park cult hero, who had quit the sport as a 16 year old before returning to the game through Sunday morning football, seemed to have set up a fairytale third-round story.
Birmingham eventually fought back to win 3-2 but there’s no question Blyth won new fans – and Twitter followers – with their spirited display.
Another early FA Cup exit for Newcastle
If the romance of the Cup was alive and well in Northumberland, it seems Newcastle remain staunchly out of love with the competition.
Under Alan Pardew Newcastle failed to progress past the fourth-round of the FA Cup and showed little interest in prioritising a trip to Wembley; against Leicester, with caretaker John Carver in charge, Newcastle made seven changes and lost a scrappy affair 1-0.
In fairness, hosts Leicester also made seven changes to their line-up after a busy run of fixtures, but they are battling relegation. Newcastle have now crashed out at the third-round stage for the sixth time in nine seasons and for a team which is well adrift of the Champions League places and comfortably clear of the relegation dogfight, it’s hard to understand why a serious tilt at the FA Cup doesn’t appeal.
League One clubs impress
Saturday saw League One clubs come to the fore, with Preston and Rochdale shocking Championship play-off chasers Norwich and Nottingham Forest.
Norwich had scored 13 in their past three second-tier fixtures but were shutout by a resolute Preston defence. North End have now kept a clean sheet in six of their last eight FA Cup ties at home and will be keenly awaiting the fourth-round draw after their 2-0 win.
Peter Vincenti was the star of the show once again for Rochdale, with his sixth goal in his last eight games sealing the clubs’ first back-to-back appearance in the fourth round in their history, with a 1-0 win over Stuart Pearce’s humbled Forest.
There’s was almost another League One triumph at The Den, too, where Billy Knott twice put Bradford City ahead against Championship strugglers Millwall, before Ricardo Fuller completed his own brace in a 3-3 thriller – and ensured the Bantams’ 27-year wait for a win at Millwall goes on.
With Doncaster Rovers and Bristol City set for a replay, yet another League One side is guaranteed a spot in the fourth-round.
