Sunday, 22 January 2017

Season 2016-17 - Third Round Proper

Saturday 7th January
Millwall 3 AFC Bournemouth 0
So third round day in the FA Cup and League One Millwall had the tough task of hosting Premier League side AFC Bournemouth at the New Den.

The build up to the game made things tougher for the South London outfit with the club having admitted they could be forced to leave their home in south-east London and move to Kent if Lewisham Council go ahead with a plan to purchase areas around The Den and sell them on.

However, the team are showing a united front on the pitch, right down to the selection of an unchanged side for a fifth game running, during which time they are unbeaten although this would be there toughest test yet no doubt against Premier League quality.

The visitors came into this one off the back of that amazing 3-3 draw at home to Arsenal and Eddie Howe had made eleven changes to his side for this one which could work both ways sometimes.

And thanks to a committed and energetic display from the Lions against a Bournemouth side 44 places above them in the football ladder but unrecognisable in both personnel and play from that side who drew against Arsenal in the Premier League on Tuesday the hosts managed to really take the game to their opponents.

And Morison's glancing near-post header from Shaun Williams' corner gave the home side the lead in a first half they largely dominated.

It could easily have been more at the break but for Morison missing an open net following a challenge on away keeper by Lee Gregory, who fired wide himself from inside the box late in the half.

They took control of the game soon after the break, though, when Cummings finished off Morison's low cross at the back post.

After withholding a concerted period of pressure from the away side, they scored their third on the break in the final minute courtesy of Shane Ferguson's drilled finish into the bottom corner.

Bournemouth manager Eddie Howe has received plenty of plaudits for the way he has established Bournemouth in the Premier League, playing an attractive, possession-based style of football.

Criticism will surely come his way, though, after 11 changes resulted in a disjointed and error-strewn display comprising just four shots, all of which were off target.

The Cherries made little impression in the first half, only coming to life to desperately chase the game in the last 30 minutes when 2-0 down.

Even the half-time introduction of main striker Callum Wilson could not provide them with the requisite edge in attack, as an increasingly tired Millwall restricted them to half-chances and poorly executed crosses.

So there you have it, a cup shock at the New Den, and Millwall will now await Monday Evening's draw hoping they get a decent draw and a huge pay day perhaps.

Here are some photos of the game courtesy of Millwall FC:-







Now here are the Third Round Proper Results in full:-
Friday 6th January
West Ham United 0 Manchester City 5

Saturday 7th January
Manchester United 4 Reading 0
Ipswich Town 2 Lincoln City 2
Barrow 0 Rochdale 2
Hull City 2 Swansea City 0
Sunderland 0 Burnley 0
Queens Park Rangers 1 Blackburn Rovers 2
Millwall 3 AFC Bournemouth 0
Brighton & Hove Albion 2 Milton Keynes Dons 0
Blackpool 0 Barnsley 0
Wigan Athletic 2 Nottingham Forest 0
Birmingham City 1 Newcastle United 1
West Bromwich Albion 1 Derby County 2
Everton 1 Leicester City 2
Wycombe Wanderers 2 Stourbridge 1
Watford 2 Burton Albion 0
Stoke City 0 Wolverhampton Wanderers 2
Bristol City 0 Fleetwood Town 0
Huddersfield Town 4 Port Vale 0
Brentford 5 Eastleigh 1
Bolton Wanderers 0 Crystal Palace 0
Norwich City 2 Southampton 2
Sutton United 0 AFC Wimbledon 0
Accrington Stanley 2 Luton Town 1
Rotherham United 2 Oxford United 3
Preston North End 1 Arsenal 2

Sunday 8th January
Cardiff City 1 Fulham 2
Liverpool 0 Plymouth Argyle 0
Chelsea 4 Peterborough United 1
Middlesbrough 3 Sheffield Wednesday 0
Tottenham Hotspur 2 Aston Villa 0

Monday 9th January 
Cambridge United 1 Leeds United 2

Tuesday 17th January 
Replays
Burnley 2 Sunderland 0
Barnsley 1 Blackpool 2 (AET)
Fleetwood Town 0 Bristol City 1
AFC Wimbledon 1 Sutton United 3
Crystal Palace 2 Bolton Wanderers 1
Lincoln City 1 Ipswich Town 0

Wednesday 18th January
Replays
Newcastle United 3 Birmingham City 1
Plymouth Argyle 0 Liverpool 1
Southampton 1 Norwich City 0


That completes the Third Round Proper of the FA Cup.  There were some notable shocks too, none more so than at Sincil Bank where Vanarama National League Lincoln City defeated Skybet Championship side Ipswich Town and also at The Cherry Red Records Stadium where another Vanarama National League outfit Sutton United got the better of their local Skybet League One rivals AFC Wimbledon meaning their are two non league sides in the Fourth Round Proper.

My focus in the Fourth Round will again be at the New Den where Millwall host another Premier League side in the shape of Watford.  With the Vicarage Road side out of form right now the League One hosts will fancy another Premier League scalp in South London on Sunday 29th January at noon.  Check out the Fourth Round Proper section for the story of that.        

No comments:

Post a Comment