FA Cup roundup: Maidstone United pull off another shock to reach round four
Maidstone United, the lowest-ranked team left in the FA Cup, stunned the League One side Stevenage with a 1-0 win to advance to the fourth round and continue their dream run in the competition.
The National League South team had already made history in reaching the third round for the first time since the club were reformed in 1992, and they took the lead at the Gallagher Stadium shortly before half-time, with the midfielder Sam Corne converting a penalty. Having defeated League Two’s Barrow in the second round, Maidstone now have a third-tier scalp to add to their collection.
Leicester, FA Cup winners in 2021, were victorious at the Den, defeating Millwall 3-2 to reach the fourth round for the fifth consecutive season. The visitors took the lead through the Chelsea loanee Cesare Casadei, who headed in a Marc Albrighton cross in the 16th minute. Ricardo Pereira then began and finished a fine team move to double Leicester’s lead in the first half.
Duncan Watmore brought Millwall back into the game before the hour with a goal from close range, but Thomas Cannon skipped around the keeper to slot in his side’s third. Zian Flemming scored in the 86th minute to keep things interesting, but Leicester held on.
Coventry enjoyed a goal-laden day at home with a 6-2 win against Oxford United. Early proceedings were eventful, with the hosts taking a 3-1 lead inside 17 minutes. The Championship side struck first thanks to Joel Latibeaudiere before Mark Harris equalised for Oxford a couple of minutes later. The visitors’ joy was short-lived, with goals from the former Arsenal midfielder Ben Sheaf and Kasey Palmer – who hit a wonderful strike from range – putting Coventry in control. A Callum O’Hare penalty early in the second half provided the Sky Blues with further smiles, as did a late Matthew Godden brace.
Pick that out 🤯
— Emirates FA Cup (@EmiratesFACup) January 6, 2024
An UNBELIEVABLE hit from Kasey Palmer for @Coventry_City 🚀#EmiratesFACup pic.twitter.com/PFzn39im6u
Ipswich, high-flyers in the Championship, were victorious on the road, beating AFC Wimbledon 3-1. Kieran McKenna’s men took an early lead through an own goal from Josh Davison in the eighth minute but Wimbledon drew level in the 17th, with their captain, Jake Reeves, scoring from the spot. Ipswich were back in front before half-time, though, with Axel Tuanzebe heading in the first goal of his professional career. Wimbledon were reduced to 10 men in the second half after Harry Pell was sent off for a second yellow, before Jack Taylor scored a late third.
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