They might be giant killers
FA Cup Third Round brings possibility of upsets
One of the most anticipated weekends in English football is upon us: the FA Cup Third Round Proper. What started eight rounds ago back in July with the 184 matches of the Extra Preliminary Round, which was open to teams who play in the top 10 tiers of English football, has now reached the stage where the Premier League and Championship sides enter the fray. Those 44 teams join the 20 sides that won through the Second Round and with their arrival comes the genuine hope of a cup upset.
Over the years there have been many. Part-timers can triumph over professionals, as happened when then Blue Square Premier League’s Luton Town beat Premier League’s Norwich City in 2013. That might be an extreme example – it was the first time a non-league side had beaten a top-flight team in the FA Cup – but there is always plenty of potential for David to beat Goliath. This season is no different.
With seven non-league sides still in the cup, the romance of the cup remains. But there are more games where teams from vastly different worlds will meet this weekend. The underdog may yet have its day. A place in the Fourth Round awaits.
Wycombe v Stourbridge – Separated by 73 places
Wycombe Wanderers might not be the biggest name in the draw, but the League Two side still represent a massive challenge for Stourbridge, the lowest-ranked team left in the competition. The Glassboys play their football in the Evo-Stik Northern Premier League, the seventh tier on the football pyramid. This is the first time they have played in the Third Round, but Stourbridge have a history with the cup, having knocked out Plymouth Argyle to reach the Second Round in 2011 and they beat League One side Northampton Town – a team 89 places above them on the pyramid – to get here.
Brentford v Eastleigh – Separated by 68 places
This may be the first meeting of the clubs, but new Eastleigh manager Martin Allen is no stranger to Griffin Park having been Brentford manager a decade ago. His side sit 11th in the National League while the hosts are 14th in the Championship. But fans of the Hampshire side will be hoping form goes out of the window and that Scott Wilson, scorer of both goals in the 2-0 replay win over Halifax in the last round, has more goals in him.
Ipswich Town v Lincoln City – Separated by 57 places
High-flying Lincoln City are top of the National League and will be hoping that they can return to the Football League after six seasons in the fifth tier. A cup run could be a distraction to their promotion bid, but victory over their mid-table Championship opposition would be most welcome. Mick McCarthy’s side are in indifferent form and will be looking for a cup run of their own, but it won’t be easy.
Chelsea v Peterborough – Separated by 50 places
The Premier League leaders come into the game on the back of a loss to Tottenham Hotspur, but the end to their 13-game winning streak is not really a cause for concern. League One side Peterborough, who beat Notts County to earn a trip to Stamford Bridge, will hope that Antonio Conte rings considerable changes to his team for what is his first taste of the FA Cup, and they will take heart from Chelsea’s losses to lower-league opposition in recent years. Can the Posh triumph over the billionaires in West London?
Barrow v Rochdale – Separated by 49 places
National League side Barrow have already caused a shock in this season’s FA Cup, coming from behind to beat Bristol Rovers 2-1. Byron Harrison was the hero then, bagging a brace to turn the tie, and the Cumbrian club will hope he can spearhead victory against the visitors who are currently fourth in League One and might be prioritizing promotion. Rochdale famously lost to non-league team FC United in the First Round in 2010.
Cambridge v Leeds United/ Blackpool v Barnsley – Separated by 49 places
These two ties feature League Two sides playing host to opposition from the Championship and the same gap between the teams. Playoff chasing Leeds United are on the way back after a notable fall from grace but face a tough game at promotion hopefuls Cambridge. Blackpool will hope they have passed their lowest point after crashing from the Premier League to the fourth tier and a win over Barnsley, who are within sight of backto-back promotions and a return to the top flight, would count as a genuine upset.
Sutton United v AFC Wimbledon – Separated by 48 places
In a former life AFC Wimbledon went from non-league to winning the FA Cup by beating Liverpool in the 1988 final, but the days of the Crazy Gang seemed long ago when the club rose from the ashes of a controversial move to Milton Keynes by the club now known as the MK Dons. AFC Wimbledon have risen from non-league to League One and now find themselves as the giants in a tie against Sutton United, a position similar to the last round where four goals in the last 10 minutes were needed to see off National League’s North Curzon Ashton. National League side Sutton might be an even stiffer test in this local derby.
Liverpool v Plymouth / Millwall v Bournemouth – Separated by 43 places
It is a quirk of the league table that 43 places can be the difference for a team in the Premier League against sides in League One and League Two. Liverpool face League Two’s second-place side Plymouth and childhood Reds fan Graham Carey, who scored the winner in the last round, could be their star at Anfield. Bournemouth, who as a mid-table Premier League side are now considered a big scalp, will not relish a trip to mid-table Millwall, a team that reached the 2004 final when they were in the second tier.