2016-01-09

Eastleigh, the lowest-ranked team still in the competition, earned a replay against Bolton, but elsewhere the big boys escaped more or less unscathed on FA Cup third round day

5.13pm GMT

And that’s all from me - now it’s over to Scott Murray, who’ll be minute-by-minuting the United derby, as Manchester face Sheffield, featuring obligatory half-and-half scarf photo.

Related: Manchester United v Sheffield United: FA Cup third round – live!

5.10pm GMT

A couple of other wee bits to tidy things up - Barcelona sashayed to a 4-0 win over Granada, with Messi warming up for reclaiming the Ballon d’Or with a hat-trick, while on a similar level, the JPT Northern Final first leg between Barnsley and Fleetwood ended 1-1.

5.07pm GMT

And so, no massive upsets, but the headlines go to Eastleigh for getting that draw, and presumably a pleasant wee earner at the Macron, against Bolton. Here are all the scores from the 3pms in the FA Cup.

Arsenal 3-1 Sunderland
Birmingham 1-2 AFC Bournemouth
Brentford 0-1 Walsall
Bury 0-0 Bradford
Colchester 2-1 Charlton
Doncaster 1-2 Stoke
Eastleigh 1-1 Bolton
Everton 2-0 Dag & Red
Hartlepools 1-2 Derby
Huddersfield 2-2 Reading
Hull 1-0 Brighton
Ipswich 2-2 Portsmouth
Leeds 2-0 Rotherham
Middlesbrough 1-2 Burnley
Northampton 2-2 Milton Keynes Dons
Norwich 0-3 Man City
Nottm Forest 1-0 QPR
Peterborough 2-0 Preston
Sheff Wed 2-1 Fulham
Southampton 1-2 Crystal Palace
Watford 1-0 Newcastle
West Brom 2-2 Bristol City
West Ham 1-0 Wolverhampton

5.01pm GMT

So far, Premier League sides have got away with it...

4.57pm GMT

Full-times and three Championship sides have been toppled by teams from lower divisions:

4.56pm GMT

GOAL! Colchester 2-1 Charlton
Reza Ghoochannejhad grabs a consolation for Charlton.

4.54pm GMT

GOAL! West Brom 2-2 Bristol City
Cruel, cruel, cruel - looks like Bristol City will be denied their upset after James Morrison scores in the 95th minute. Oy vey.

4.52pm GMT

GOAL! Everton 2-0 Dagenham and Redbridge
Apparently there’s a cat on the pitch at Goodison, but arguably more importantly Kevin Mirallas has made it 2-0 from the penalty spot.

4.51pm GMT

Hal! Robson! Hal Robson-Kanu! has scored for Reading at Huddersfield, so that’s 2-1 to Reading, while Souleymane Doukara has sealed things for Leeds v Rotherham - that’s 2-0 at Elland Road.

4.50pm GMT

GOAL! Barcelona 4-0 Granada
Do I really need to tell you who scored it?

Well, yes, on this occasion - Neymar is yer man.

4.49pm GMT

GOAL! Ipswich 2-2 Portsmouth
Well Pompey’s lead didn’t last too long - tricksy winger Ryan Fraser makes it two apiece at Portman Road.

4.48pm GMT

GOAL! Eastleigh 1-1 Bolton
Well this is absolutely no fun at all. After a significant amount of pressure, Bolton have equalised, Darren Pratley the man finding the net for Neil Lennon’s beleaguered side.

4.47pm GMT

GOAL! Ipswich 1-2 Portsmouth
Oh, but here’s one - Conor Chaplin bags a cracker to put League Two Pompey ahead against Championship Ipswich.

Sam the Eagle is going to be fuming.

4.45pm GMT

GOAL! Birmingham 1-2 Bournemouth
And another potential upset circles the drain, as Glenn Murray gives the Premeir league team the lead at St Andrews.

4.44pm GMT

GOAL! Hartlepools 1-2 Derby County
Booooooooooo Darren Bent, booooooooo!

4.44pm GMT

GOAL! West Brom 1-2 Bristol City
Hello! Hello! Hello! Kieran Agard, just a minute after coming on, has put Bristol City 2-1 ahead with seven minutes remaining at the Hawthorns. Well, well, well.

4.42pm GMT

GOAL! West Ham 1-0 Wolves
What sounds like the first interesting event at the Boleyn this afternoon, as Nikica Jelavic gobbles up an Andy Carroll knock-down to give them the lead.

4.41pm GMT

GOAL! Northampton 2-2 MK Dons
Ah, pants. A potential upset is postponed as MK Dons level, Nicky Maynard credited with that one.

4.37pm GMT

GOAL! Norwich 0-3 Manchester City
No messing around for Manuel Pellegrini’s boys - Kevin de Bruyne, recently on for Sergio Aguero, pops a little bow on their afternoon’s work to make it 3-0.

4.36pm GMT

An equaliser for Barnsley in the Northern Final, first leg of the JPT - Ashley Fletcher has that one.

4.35pm GMT

GOAL! Arsenal 3-1 Sunderland
And that would seem to be that - Olivier Giroud puts some daylight between the Gunners and the Mackems.

4.35pm GMT

Goals in some Champo encounters - Stephen Ward has put Burnley ahead over Middlesbrough, 2-1 there, while Atdhe Nuhiu has given Sheffield Wednesday a 2-1 lead over Fulham and Matej Vydra has equalised for Reading at Huddersfield.

4.33pm GMT

GOAL! West Brom 1-1 Bristol City
Well that didn’t last long - Jonathan Kodija has levelled for Brizzle.

4.31pm GMT

GOAL! Arsenal 2-1 Sunderland
It had all been building a bit, but now Arsenal have the lead, as Aaron Ramsey makes it 2-1 to the Gooners, beating Jordan Pickford in the Sunderland nets.

Jordan Pickford, hotly tipped, has made at least one really good save today

4.30pm GMT

Simon McMahon has been on again: “Upset possible at Annan as the home team lead Hamilton, three divisions above, 3-1 going into the final quarter. Airdrieonians are holding Dundee ‘FFS’ United 0-0, Stirling are doing the same against Inverness, and it’s Dunfermline 2 Ross County 2. Livingston are in hot water at the Tony Macaroni Arena where Morton have just taken the lead.”

And as I paste that in, Annan have scored a fourth!

4.28pm GMT

GOAL! West Brom 1-0 Bristol City
Doesn’t look like Saido Berahino will be at West Brom for too much longer, but while he’s there he’s making himself useful, coming off the bench to bag for his (current) team.

4.27pm GMT

GOAL! Southampton 1-2 Crystal Palace
Southampton’s parity didn’t last too long - Wilf Zaha gobbles up a rebound from a saved Papa Souare shot to put Palace back in the lead.

4.26pm GMT

GOAL! Hartlepools 1-1 Derby
Ach, spoilsports. No sooner had Jeff Stelling’s blood pressure returned to normal levels, so Jacob Butterfield had levelled for Derby.

4.23pm GMT

GOAL! Barcelona 3-0 Granada
Do I really need to tell you who scored it?

It was Leo Messi.

4.22pm GMT

Many apologies for missing this before, but it’s the Northern Final of the Johnstones Paint Trophy today, and an Adam Davies own-goal has made it Barnsley 0-1 Fleetwood.

4.21pm GMT

Deadlock broken at the McAlpine, or whatever the hell it’s called these days - Jamie Paterson makes it Huddersfield 1-0 Reading.

4.20pm GMT

GOAL! Hartlepools 1-0 Derby
This is more like it! Jake Gray, on loan at Hartlepools from Crystal Palace, has put the League Twoers ahead against Derby, for whom playing every striker in the Championship isn’t working too well at the moment.

4.18pm GMT

GOAL! Northampton 2-1 MK Dons
It’s on! League Two Northampton, in fine form, are ahead against Championship scrappers MK Dons, Ricky Holmes getting his second after he equalised a bit ago.

4.17pm GMT

GOAL! Doncaster 1-2 Stoke
Stoke are making the world a more boring place, as Jonathan Walters has lessened the chances of an upset by scoring Stoke’s second, just after Peter Crouch missed an open goal.

4.15pm GMT

Two quick goals at Portman Road - Ipswich were ahead for about two minutes, after Tommy Oar put them ahead, only for Kyle Bennet to equalise for Portsmouth almost immediately.

4.14pm GMT

GOAL! Peterborough 2-0 Preston
A minor upset this would be, but an upset nonetheless - Conor Washington has doubled his League One side’s lead over Championship Preston. Darragh McAnthony is going to go off on Twitter later.

4.12pm GMT

GOAL! Eastleigh 1-0 Bolton
Here we go! The lowest-ranked team left in the FA Cup are ahead, and fairly typically for Bolton this season it’s a self-inflicted wound, as Dorian Dervitte puts through his own net to give the underdogs the lead!

4.10pm GMT

GOAL! Southampton 1-1 Crystal Palace
The man who looks like an extra from American History X has bagged for Southampton, Oriol Romeu making things level at St Mary’s.

4.08pm GMT

Equaliser for Northampton against MK Dons - Ricky Holmes has made it 1-1 with his goal for them Cobblers.

4.08pm GMT

Haven’t had many updates from Eastleigh v Bolton yet, which is largely because not a great deal has happened yet. More as we get it.

4.03pm GMT

Second halves are getting going - been a trifle sedate thus far, with no Premier League sides trailing to a lower division one. Four are being held though - will an upset occur?

3.56pm GMT

Arsenal 1-1 Sunderland
Birmingham 1-1 AFC Bournemouth
Brentford 0-1 Walsall
Bury 0-0 Bradford
Colchester 2-0 Charlton
Doncaster 1-1 Stoke
Eastleigh 0-0 Bolton
Everton 1-0 Dag & Red
Hartlepool 0-0 Derby
Huddersfield 0-0 Reading
Hull 1-0 Brighton
Ipswich 0-0 Portsmouth
Leeds 1-0 Rotherham
Middlesbrough 1-1 Burnley
Northampton 0-1 Milton Keynes Dons
Norwich 0-2 Man City
Nottm Forest 1-0 QPR
Peterborough 1-0 Preston
Sheff Wed 1-1 Fulham
Southampton 0-1 Crystal Palace
Watford 1-0 Newcastle
West Brom 0-0 Bristol City
West Ham 0-0 Wolverhampton

3.52pm GMT

Half-times all over the place - no massive upsets on the cards at present, other than Colchester beating Charlton, and the Addicks are in such a state at the moment that it’s not a colossal surprise, perhaps.

3.50pm GMT

Goals in some all-Champo numbers - Mustapha Carayol has given Leeds the lead over Rotherham in the Steve Evans Classic, while Moussa Dembele has evened affairs at Hillsborough - Wednesday 1-1 Fulham.

3.46pm GMT

GOAL! Birmingham 1-1 Bournemouth
Well, that didn’t last long. Lee Tomlin levels things for Bournemouth with a penalty.

3.46pm GMT

GOAL! Watford 1-0 Newcastle
Sounds like it’s been a touch against the run of play, but Troy Deeney capitalises on a mistake by Gini Wijnaldum to make it 1-0 at Vicarage Road.

3.45pm GMT

GOAL! Colchester 2-0 Charlton
Ach, sucks to be a Charlton fan at the moment - if things weren’t bad enough for them, they look like they’re being tipped out of the FA Cup as Great Britain Olympian Marvin Sordell has made it 2-0 to Colchester.

3.43pm GMT

Another two all Championship affairs - Robert Snodgrass has put Hull 1-0 ahead against Brighton, while Barry Bannan has made it Sheffield Wednesday 1-0 Fulham.

3.42pm GMT

GOAL! Birmingham 1-0 Bournemouth
It still feels slightly odd saying Blues beating the Cherries is a turn-up for the books, but it undoubtedly is - Michael Morrison has made it 1-0 at St Andrews.

3.39pm GMT

Sounds like a barn-burner at the Boleyn...

Slaven Bilic has put his hat on. And that's about all there is to report nearing half-time.

3.38pm GMT

Another of those all-Champo encounters has a goal, and Diego Fabbrini has put Middlesbrough ahead over Burnley.

3.38pm GMT

GOAL! Brentford 0-1 Walsall
Dean Smith didn’t have to wait long to play his old team, even though Brentford are a division above Walsall, but he’s having his pants pulled down at the moment - the splendidly named Sam Mantom has the goal.

3.36pm GMT

Get a load of the bins on Alex Song...

35: Alex Song in action at the Boleyn #WHUFC #WHUWOL #Tckakap pic.twitter.com/3DsnZSNzRj

3.35pm GMT

GOAL! Everton 1-0 Dagenham & Redbridge
Obviously spurred on by me repeatedly calling him useless in recent weeks, Arouna Kone has put Everton 1-0 ahead against Dagenham & Redbridge.

3.32pm GMT

GOAL! Norwich 0-2 Manchester City
Sounds like a walk in the park for City, M, at the moment - they’re 2-0 up, and Kelechi Iheanacho is the latest scorer.

3.31pm GMT

Oh, there’s the home leader - George Moncur has put Colchester ahead against Charlton.

3.31pm GMT

GOAL! Southampton 0-1 Crystal Palace
No home winners at the moment, and that continues as Joel Ward converts after some nice work by former Southampton man Jason Puncheon. Is it considered disrespectful to celebrate against a former club when you’ve only set the goal up?

3.27pm GMT

GOAL! Arsenal 1-1 Sunderland
Chances of upset: reduced. Joel Campbell has equalised for the Gunners, after Theo Walcott cut back on the left side for the Costa Rican to slap home from about 12 yards.

Lovely goal from Campbell, nice run and pass from Iwobi, great cut back by Walcott. 1-1

3.25pm GMT

GOAL! Doncaster 1-1 Stoke
Ah! Well, look at this - Nathan Tyson has taken advantage of one of the rare times when he isn’t favouring twanged hamstring to level things up in Donny.

3.24pm GMT

Goal in the all-Championship/one of the more boring ties of the round, and Jamie Ward has put Nottingham Forest 1-0 up against QPR.

3.21pm GMT

Update from Scotland, via Simon McMahon: “A few early goals in Scotland, Nick, as Motherwell lead Cove Rangers of the Highland League 2-0, Kilmarnock have taken the lead at St. Johnstone, Dunfermline and Ross County are level at 1-1, and League Two Annan Athletic lead SPFL Hamilton 1-0. And in the early kick-off non-league Linlithgow Rose have come from two goals and a man down to draw 3-3 with Forfar.”

3.20pm GMT

GOAL! Barcelona 2-0 Granada
Do I really need to tell you who scored it?

It was Leo Messi.

3.19pm GMT

GOAL! Arsenal 0-1 Sunderland
Hello! They’re both Premier League teams so it might not technically count as an upset in the official FA Cup dictionary of this sort of thing, but it would certainly be a surprise - Jeremain Lens spanks one home from inside the area to give the second-bottom team the lead over the league leaders.

3.17pm GMT

GOAL! Norwich 0-1 Manchester City
Ah, we’re cooking on gas now. A strong team selection for Manchester City is paying off as Jesus Navas sets Sergio Aguero up to give them the lead at Carrow Road.

3.16pm GMT

GOAL! Doncaster 0-1 Stoke
He doesn’t get many games these days what with all their good players and stuff, but Peter Crouch is taking advantage of a rare start by putting his Stoke boys a 1-0 lead over Donny.

Incredible performance boys ! No wonder I can't get a run out #STKEVE

3.15pm GMT

First ogger of the day, and Ryan Cresswell has put through his own net to give MK Dons a 1-0 lead over Northampton.

3.11pm GMT

GOAL! Barcelona 1-0 Granada
Do I really need to tell you who scored it?

It was Leo Messi.

3.09pm GMT

Ah - first goal of the FA Cup 3pms - Martin Samuelson has given Peterborough a 1-0 lead against Preston.

3.08pm GMT

Biggest development so far is the West Ham social media team’s foray into the world of colloquialisms and banter...

7: No mate. Zyro tries to beat Jenko for pace on the outside, but the right-back has wheels and cleans up [0-0] #WHUFC #WHUWOL

3.00pm GMT

And we’re off. Games are underway, but no goals in the 3pms thus far. SO MUCH FOR THE MAGIC OF THE CUP, EH?

2.59pm GMT

For no other reason than it’s a monster of a song and one that feels like it fits as warm-up to a day of MASSIVE DRAMATIC FOOTBALL ACTION, here’s ‘Cochise’ by Audioslave.

2.51pm GMT

This from Newport...

John Sheridan unhappy with his groundstaff about postponement: "I'm disappointed. I think we should've done better in trying to get game on"

2.48pm GMT

A spot of pre-match reading. Here’s Alan Smith’s interview with Chris Todd, cancer survivor and Eastleigh manager:

Chris Todd remembers the phone call as if it were yesterday. It was a typical midweek evening in November 2008 and life was about to change for ever. A rare strain of cancer had taken hold; unbeknown to him, he was living on borrowed time.

Despite warnings from medical professionals to get checked weeks earlier, he remained ignorant to the condition spreading rapidly inside. A nurse noted a problem with his blood after a routine groin operation but Todd did nothing apart from jest that he was seriously ill. Except it was not a joke: his spleen was expanding and the clock was ticking.

2.37pm GMT

It’s all over at Adams Park, and Aston Villa have held Wycombe to a 1-1 draw...

Related: Wycombe Wanderers v Aston Villa: FA Cup third round - live!

2.32pm GMT

“Afternoon Nick,” writes Simon McMahon, who has some updates from Scotland. “Scottish Cup fourth round action today, and game of the day is Airdrieonians v. Dundee United, as the Tannadice men look to end a disastrous run of league defeats that sees them 11 points adrift at the foot of the SPFL, with a disastrous cup defeat at League One Airdrieonians. New Finnish loan signing, and headline writers dream, Riku Riski, goes straight into the squad. There are two all SPFL ties with St. Johnstone v. Kilmarnock and Hearts v. Aberdeen. The latter is a tea time kick off. Other matches includes Dunfermline v. Ross County, Hibs v. Raith Rovers, Linlithgow Rose v. Forfar (currently 0-1) and Motherwell v. Cove Rangers, whilst East Kilbride v. Lothian Thistle Hutchison Vale and Dundee v. Falkirk have been postponed.”

2.32pm GMT

Barça XI: 13.Bravo 3.Piqué 4.Rakitic 7.Arda 9.Suárez 10.Messi 11.Neymar 18.Jordi Alba 20.S.Roberto 22.Aleix Vidal 23.Vermaelen #FCBLive

OFICIAL | Alineación del @GranadaCdeF ante el @FCBarcelona_es #VamosMiGranada #FCBvGCF pic.twitter.com/dqSjHCrrmU

2.26pm GMT

The teams are in! Here's how #SaintsFC line up for this afternoon's #EmiratesFACup clash with #CPFC – pic.twitter.com/kQNOCsXGdZ

#CPFC XI: Hennessey; Ward, Dann, Delaney (c), Souare; Zaha, Cabaye, Ledley, Puncheon; Mutch; Campbell. pic.twitter.com/3mIsOssazZ

TEAM NEWS: 4 #watfordfc changes v @NUFC. Prödl, Guedioura, Berghuis & Oulare in for Britos, Capoue, Abdi & Ighalo. pic.twitter.com/t1BKVEf4PU

TEAM NEWS: Here is how Newcastle United will line up at @WatfordFC in the #EmiratesFACup today (3-5-2). #NUFC pic.twitter.com/NgEighMr3e

TEAMS: Here are today's starting XIs, brought to you with @eToro #WHUWOL #WHUFC #COYI pic.twitter.com/fTVycRPFyg

2.23pm GMT

Today's team vs @OfficialBWFC #Spitfires #EmiratesFACup #DoingItForNonLeague pic.twitter.com/gSdRdPObK3

TEAM: A full review of this afternoon's #HUFCvDCFC team news can be read online now: https://t.co/CZGsb0npNQ pic.twitter.com/obPctY6eyN

TEAM NEWS | Here's today's starting XI, brought to you in association with @Coral. Your thoughts? #ncfc pic.twitter.com/CEkt5F1sfD

City XI: Caballero, Zabaleta, Demichelis, Otamendi, Kolarov, Fernando, Delph, Navas, Sterling, Iheanacho, Aguero #norwichvcity #mcfc

2.19pm GMT

IMAGE: Blues v AFC Bournemouth team sheet #bluesLIVE #BCFC pic.twitter.com/Bhefolyqrv

#DRFC STARTING XI: Stuckmann, Butler, Evina, Alcock, McCullough, Taylor-Sinclair, Middleton, Grant, Keegan (c), Williams, Tyson

#SCFC XI v @drfc_official: Haugaard; Bardsley, Shawcross, Wollscheid, Wilson; v.Ginkel, Adam; Walters, Joselu, Diouf; Crouch

Team news is in! Here's how we line up to face @Dag_RedFC in the @EmiratesFACup... #EFCvDAG pic.twitter.com/9lcIvQb2Un

Daggers XI v Everton: Cousins, Passley, Labadie, Nosworthy, Dikamona, Chambers, Doidge, Raymond, Muldoon, Hemmings, Worrall

2.08pm GMT

A quick point of admin - with 24 FA Cup games in addition to Barcelona v Granada kicking off simultaneously, it’s going to be quite tricky to keep track of all of them. Therefore:

2.08pm GMT

Meanwhile, the match at Eastleigh goes ahead, but it doesn’t look like it’ll be much fun....

2.07pm GMT

Newport v Blackburn is off, due to a waterlogged pitch. Our man Nick Ames has toddled all the way there for nothing, as it turns out. Well, not quite nothing - he did get some sweet snaps...

Perhaps not a day for getting chalk on your boots. pic.twitter.com/8EVac33Rfy

1.57pm GMT

And here, for your records, is the full list of 3pm kick-offs in the FA Cup today:

Arsenal v. Sunderland
Birmingham v. AFC Bournemouth
Brentford v. Walsall
Bury v. Bradford
Colchester v. Charlton
Doncaster v. Stoke
Eastleigh v. Bolton
Everton v. Dag & Red
Hartlepool v. Derby
Huddersfield v. Reading
Hull v. Brighton
Ipswich v. Portsmouth
Leeds v. Rotherham
Middlesbrough v. Burnley
Newport County v. Blackburn
Northampton v. Milton Keynes Dons
Norwich v. Man City
Nottm Forest v. QPR
Peterborough v. Preston
Sheff Wed v. Fulham
Southampton v. Crystal Palace
Watford v. Newcastle
West Brom v. Bristol City
West Ham v. Wolverhampton

12.44pm GMT

The FA Cup has, it’s fair to say, been going for a while. There’s plenty of history involved here, so before we get too closely involved in who’s playing who in the latest edition of the third round - which, as the shrewdies among you will have spotted, is today - let’s have a look at a few upsets from this stage in the competition down the years, with the help of the Guardian and Observer archives.

The greatest act of giant-killing occurred way back in January 1933. Arsenal, under the legendary Herbert Chapman, were the best team in the land by far. They were top of the First Division, on their way to the league title, and in that competition had already beaten Sunderland 6-1, Wolverhampton Wanderers 7-1, Leicester City 8-2 and Sheffield United 9-2. Their opponents in the third round of the FA Cup were Walsall, sitting10th in the old Third Division (North). “It will be the joke of the day if the league leaders are beaten,” opined this newspaper of Arsenal’s visit to the Midlands.

Ho ho ho! Arsenal were under-strength, Chapman having decided to rest stars Eddie Hapgood and Joe Hulme. But not that under-strength: their team still boasted George Male, David Jack, Alex James and Cliff Bastin. “A handsome assembly saw the London team attempting to play class football against a side using typical cup-tie tactics – with the inevitable result,” reported the Observer. Walsall striker Gilbert Alsop headed the opener after an hour, beating reserve left-back Tommy Black to the ball. Black then thuggishly cut off Alsop at the knee, a foul resulting in several players having a square go at each other, as well as a penalty. Billy Sheppard converted, and on the final whistle an 11,000-strong crowd chaired their heroes off the pitch. A livid Chapman, his bowler hat hovering in mid-air over his head, suspended by the steam blasting out of his lugs, told Black he would never play for Arsenal again. He was transferred to Plymouth Argyle within the week.

What a weekend for the Southern League wonders from Wimbledon. Having wombled Burnley out of the FA Cup’s third round yesterday, they were promptly drawn away against the League champions, Leeds United...

It was a Cup afternoon which eclipsed even that evocative occasiona when Walsall beat Arsenal. All five non-league sides covered themselves in equal parts mud and glory, and not one of them was beaten. But without doubt it was Wimbledon who had everybody marvelling last night. ‘Hey,’ said Liverpool’s John Toshack after the Anfield match, ‘did you hear that Wimbledon beat Burnley 6-2, 6-3, 6-0?’

You aren’t going to believe this, but Manchester United are out of the FA Cup. The holders of the trophy, the club who might yet be this year’s League champions, were swept out of the competition at their first defence of it by Bournemouth. With a minute of the match remaining, fighting broke out in the terraces behind Bournemouth’s goal, halting the tie for five minutes as spectators spilled on to the pitch.

But the hiatus was irrelevant: the cause had been lost long before for United, who had started off timorously, played without style or daring or adventure, and finished up on the wrong end of one of the most staggering wins in Bournemouth’s history...

Two minutes that were conceivably the most glorious in the 119-year history of Wrexham AFC turned Arsenal’s season into an undiluted disaster. When the goal produced in the 83rd minute by a blasted free-kick from the oldest and (on the day) the most effective player on the field, Mickey Thomas, was followed in the 85th by a killing stretch of Watkin’s right leg, the League champions found themselves dumped from the last of the major competitions they had a realistic hope of winning. They will go on striving in the First Division but only a fanatic could believe that a team as traumatised as they are now will salvage consolation there.

Nothing they have endured recently - their explusion from the European Cup by a stylishly superior Benfica, their dismissal from the Rumbelows Cup or their struggles in the League - can compare with the horrors inflicted on them by Fourth Division opposition late on this chilly afternoon in North Wales.

3.47pm GMT

Nick will be here shortly.

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