3RD ROUND DIGESTED

Premier League exits

STOKE, West Bromwich and Bournemouth were on the wrong end of upsets, while Everton and Swansea were also knocked out. Throw in West Ham’s loss to Manchester City on Friday and 14 top-flight teams are left standing.

Changes for the worst

11 TAKE a bow Eddie Howe, the Bournemouth boss, who incurred the wrath of his own fans for changing his entire team for the 3-0 defeat at League One side Millwall.

One irate fan, doubtless speaking for many, tweeted: ‘Wish he had told me before I wasted my money coming up here, but there again they obviously don’t give a t*** about the fans.’

The final ignominy. Bournemouth are the first Premier League team to lose an away FA Cup match by three goals to a side from the third tier or below.

A tiny drop of red

HARDLY a flurry of goals yesterday — five ties ended 0-0 — and nor was there a sea of red cards. Luton’s Glen Rea was the day’s one and only miscreant, sent off for a pair of bookings in the 2-1 loss at Accrington.

Lowest Attendance

1 , 717 On a day when fans generally stayed away from the FA Cup, the lowest turnout was at the Crown Ground, Accrington, where fewer than 2,000 hardy souls watched the hosts get through to the fourth round.

68% Protesting Hull fans, furious at the running of the club, planned a boycott yesterday which meant a meagre 6,808 turned up yesterday, a 68 per cent plunge from their average gate.

Excuse of the day

STEP forward, Tony Pulis – but careful how many steps!

Yes, the West Brom boss, speaking after their 2-1 defeat by Derby, put the Rams’ win down to referee Jon Moss’s counting skills at a free-kick. ‘He marked out 13 paces for that one,’ moaned the Baggies boss. ‘With others, he marked out 10. Those are the breaks you need in Cup football.’