Sheffield United and Rochdale were the big winners during Saturday’s massive block of FA Cup games, pulling off the third round’s two biggest upsets. The Blades, now down in League One, pulled off a stunning win at Villa Park against a Villa side that featured no true youth or reserve players. League Two side Rochdale’s win against Leeds was equally impressive, given that they were the better side from start to finish in their 2-0 victory.
FA Cup scores: Sheffield United, Rochdale pull off the day’s big upsets
Aston Villa are the only Premier League side that fell to a lower-league opponent on Saturday, but Rochdale’s win over Leeds might have been even more surprising.
The two other big upsets came from Coventry City, who beat Barnsley away, and Stevenage, who downed Doncaster away with a stoppage time goal from Darius Charles. Southend added their name to the list of sides pulling off upset wins with a 4-1 drubbing of Millwall in a game that was delayed by a floodlight failure.
Grimsby Town just barely missed out on earning a replay against Huddersfield, with an own goal sinking them in stoppage time. Blackburn, MK Dons, Bristol City, Kidderminster, Preston North End and Macclesfield Town were the sides that did well enough to draw and earn a replay against higher division opposition.
Besides Aston Villa, things went smoothly for Premier League sides that played lower league opposition, with Stoke, Hull and Everton all posting wins. Norwich and Fulham drew in one all-Premier League encounter, while Cardiff won away to Newcastle in Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's first game as boss and Crystal Palace beat West Brom at The Hawthorns.
Bournemouth were not able to play their game against Burton owing to a waterlogged pitch, while Charlton vs. Oxford was also delayed. Bristol Rovers and Crawley Town also fell victim to the weather.
Scores
Aston Villa 1-2 Sheffield United
Barnsley 1-2 Coventry City
Bolton 2-1 Blackpool
Brighton 1-0 Reading
Bristol City 1-1 Watford
Doncaster 2-3 Stevenage
Everton 4-0 QPR
Grimsby Town 2-3 Huddersfield
Ipswich 1-1 Preston
Kidderminster 0-0 Peterborough
Macclesfield 1-1 Sheffield Wednesday
Middlesborough 0-2 Hull
Newcastle 1-2 Cardiff
Norwich 1-1 Fulham
Rochdale 2-0 Leeds
Southampton 4-3 Burnley
Southend 4-1 Millwall
Stoke 2-1 Leicester
West Brom 0-2 Crystal Palace
Wigan 3-3 MK Dons
Yeovil 4-0 Leyton Orient
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