The third round of the FA Cup lived up to its reputation of being fertile ground for upsets.
Sixth-tier Kiddermimster, the lowest-ranked side left in the competition, beat Reading on Saturday and will be joined in the fourth round by fellow non-leaguers Boreham Wood, who knocked out AFC Wimbledon.
League One outfit Cambridge United, meanwhile, piled more misery on Newcastle with an upset win at St. James' Park, while Arsenal crashed out at the hands of Nottingham Forest. Here's a round-up of the good, the bad and the ugly from the third round of the FA Cup.
THE BIGGEST WINNERS
Unlike Newcastle, Cambridge United are not the be-all and end-all of their city. But when spending a day at the Abbey Stadium in November, Sportsmail found a forward-thinking club with a family feel.
In the city more famed for its university, the U’s took a punt on an inexperienced coach who graduated from their Under 8s side all the way to the first team. Mark Bonner, 36, had never kicked a ball in professional football but is a personable, positive coach who now can put this 1-0 giant-killing on his c.v. alongside a shock promotion to League One last term.
Cambridge United pulled off one of the great upsets of the third round by beating Newcastle
BIGGEST LOSERS
Is ‘the magic of the cup’ dead? The broadcasters certainly think so. The BBC and ITV missed potential upsets, instead choosing two ties which happen again in the Premier League next weekend: West Ham against Leeds and Manchester United versus Aston Villa.
Their desire to show top-flight quality matches is understandable but misses what the Cup is about. Lowest-ranked Kidderminster knocked out second-tier Reading in dramatic fashion and their chairman summed it up.
‘Why has the world of sport forgotten about us when we are the lowest-ranked club?’ asked Richard Lane. ‘It is disgusting. The Cup thrives on the aspirations and dreams of lower clubs. That is not being shown live, it is wrong.’
