Brighton & Hove Albion and Luton Town both progress to the fifth round of the FA Cup after Maidstone United pull off a monumental upset at Ipswich Town’s Portman Road.
Brighton & Hove Albion and Luton Town both progressed to the fifth round of the FA Cup after Maidstone United pulled off a monumental upset at Ipswich Town‘s Portman Road.
George Elokobi‘s sixth-tier side – the lowest-ranked team left in the competition – clashed with the Premier League-chasing Tractor Boys in the lunchtime kickoff and pulled off the latest historic giant killing with a 2-1 win over a team sat 98 places above them in the footballing pyramid.
A delightful chip from Lamar Reynolds sent the National League South side ahead in the 43rd minute, although Brighton & Hove Albion loanee Jeremy Sarmiento got Ipswich back on level terms just 11 minutes after the break.
Maidstone had one more trick up their sleeve, though, as with 66 minutes on the board, Reynolds turned provider for Sam Corne, who finished clinically low into the Ipswich goal before the full-time whistle sparked delirium in the away end.
Four games exclusively between Premier League and Championship teams followed Maidstone’s extraordinary triumph, one of which saw Sheffield United and Brighton & Hove Albion engage in an engrossing seven-goal spectacular, which the Seagulls emerged victorious in by five goals to two.
Facundo Buonanotte and penalty aficionado Joao Pedro sent the Seagulls into a comfortable lead within the opening 30 minutes, but a Blades switch was flipped in the dying embers of the first half, as Gustavo Hamer and Will Osula remarkably drew Chris Wilder‘s men level before the break.
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However, just seven minutes into the second period, Pedro converted his second spot kick of the afternoon before completing his hat-trick 15 moments later, and an injury-time Danny Welbeck contribution condemned Ivo Grbic to an even more chastening afternoon on the goalkeeper’s Sheffield United debut.
There was late drama in the other all-Premier League affair, where Luton Town made it back-to-back wins over Everton at Goodison Park this season, earning another 2-1 victory on the Toffees’ turf.
Four months on from clinching their first-ever Premier League win at the stadium, Luton made lightning strike twice thanks to Vitaliy Mykolenko‘s own goal and Cauley Woodrow‘s winner six minutes into second-half injury time, rendering Jack Harrison‘s 55th-minute leveller inconsequential.
Meanwhile, Championship leaders Leicester City were convincing winners over fellow second-tier side Birmingham City at the King Power Stadium, cruising into the fifth round with a 3-0 victory.
Jamie Vardy met Marc Albrighton‘s sumptuous delivery to break the deadlock in the 47th minute, before Yunus Akgun and Dennis Praet also contributed to the second-half rout in the 72nd and 88th minute respectively.
Nothing could separate Leeds United and Plymouth Argyle at Elland Road, though, as the visitors came from behind to rescue a 1-1 draw and force a fourth-round replay.
A sublime solo goal from Jaidon Anthony sent the Whites ahead in the 31st minute, but with 17 minutes of normal time remaining, Adam Randell restored parity for Argyle, who held out despite only having 34% of the ball on the day.
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