WALSALL.....................................................................1 Black Cats saddled match as warning
NON-LEAGUE Halifax and Maidstone failed to join National League rivals Solihull Moors in the hat for the FA Cup third round.
Halifax missed early chances as they lost 3-1 to League Two AFC Wimbledon while Maidstone went down 2-0 at home to Oldham.
Solihull had already confirmed their place in Monday’s third-round draw after their goalless draw with Blackpool on Friday night.
Things might have been different if Matty Kosylo had not rattled the post for Halifax in the 19th minute of their game at The Shay.
Wimbledon withstood the early pressure and snatched the lead through Ben Purrington’s deflected effort just before the break.
Two goals in three minutes midway through the second half from Anthony Wordsworth and Joe Pigott sealed Wimbledon’s win, before a late James Hanson own goal gave Halifax some consolation.
Maidstone battled well after conceding a 13th-minute opener to Oldham’s Peter Clarke at the Gallagher Stadium.
But when it looked like they might manage to force a replay, Chris O’Grady fired his side’s second from an acute angle eight minutes from time to seal victory for the league side.
League Two Lincoln are shaping up for another cup run after seeing off Carlisle 2-0, while truggling Bradford struck back from the dead to claim a 2-2 draw in their all League One tussle at Peterborough.
First-half efforts from Ivan Toney and Siriki Dembele looked to have seen the hosts home with the minimum of fuss. But Kelvin Mellor blazed home from long range in the 84th minute and two minutes from time Luca Colville’s deflected effort earned a replay.
Late goals from Andy Butler and John Marquis earned Doncaster a place in the hat with an impressive 2-0 win at Charlton, while goals from Offrande Zanzala, Billy Kee and Jordan Clark saw Accrington Stanley see off Cheltenham 3-1.
Cauley Woodrow hit a second-half double as Barnsley won 4-2 at Southend. Kieffer Moore and Mike-Steven Bahre also scored for the Tykes while the Shrimpers’ efforts came from Sam Mantom and TimotheeDieng.
Goals from James Henry and Cameron Brannagan paved the way for Oxford’s 2-1 win at Plymouth. SUNDERLAND will be in the hat for tomorrow’s FA Cup third-round draw – but they will need a second attempt to overcome Walsall.
Skipper-for-the-day Aiden McGeady’s strike shortly before half-time put the Black Cats in front at the Bescot Stadium, as he netted his sixth goal in seven appearances.
But Bishop Auckland-born Andy Cook levelled for the Saddlers early in the second period to earn his side a moneyspinning replay at the Stadium of Light in 10 days’ time.
The sides will meet again on Wearside on Tuesday, December 11, to decide which will progress and continue their FA Cup adventure.
Jack Ross made two changes to the side that beat Barnsley in mi d w e e k , one of which was forced upon him at the last minute when Chris Maguire picked up an injury in the w a r m - u p and Bryan Oviedo took his place. The other change saw Luke O’Nien coming into the side in place of George Honeyman, who missed out due to a knock. That meant Max Power retained his place in midfield despite being sent off here last weekend in the league. His fivematch ban was overturned on appeal and Ross had said he would have no qualms about playing him against Walsall again so soon after. Walsall boss Dean Keates made three changes to the side that lost at Portsmouth on Tuesday. He brought in Cook, Isaiah Osbourne, Connor Johnson in place of Josh Ginnelly, Kane Wilson, and Russell Martin. Sunderland took charge in the first half, with Walsall able to make little headway. Josh Maja saw an early effort blocked after collecting a McGeady cross and turning to make space for a shot on the penalty spot. And on 20 minutes, Maja almost prodded the Black Cats in front when Oviedo cut inside from the right and hit a low left-foot shot which the striker got a toe to, forcing goalkeeper Liam Roberts to re-adjust quickly and make an excellent diving save to turn the ball round the post.
Walsall’s Morgan Ferrier fired high and wide from range a few minutes later.
But Sunderland made the breakthrough in the 37th minute, Lynden Gooch feeding the ball into the box for Oviedo on the right, his low cross was missed by Maja but McGeady was behind him to sweep