FA Cup Third Round Results 2nd January Part 3

Milton Keynes Dons v Burnley
I know he’s Scottish but it’s difficult not to talk about Burnley without mentioning their manager’s strange behaviour. Maybe a family member was ill and he really couldn’t afford to wait fifteen minutes (although I hope not) in which case I can’t blame his assistant manager for not telling the Press about it. But it is very very suspicious. Personally out of Burnley and Bolton I’d prefer to see Burnley go down so getting rid of their much-too-good manager might be a good idea.
Jermaine Easter played 80 minutes for Burnley. He did try to score but he couldn’t quite squeeze it in.

Nottingham Forest v Birmingham City
I’m not quite sure on the exact numbers because I never am quite sure where numbers are concerned. But I believe this is Forest’s seventeenth game without defeat and Birmingham’s thirteenth. So it had to be a draw didn’t it? What’s the betting they’re still level after extra time in the replay.
Forest might possibly have won it if Robert Earnshaw hadn’t taken his penalty in such a strange way. But then again going a goal down might have spurred Birmingham into action so perhaps missing the penalty was the best thing Rob has ever done. Rob says scoring goals is “right up there” with sex but in this case his problem was more that he couldn’t keep it down. Chris Gunter also played for Forest and it’s another clean sheet for him. He also got another yellow card though and judging from the number he got at the beginning of the season, he must be getting close to suspension.

Portsmouth 1-1 Coventry City
Portsmouth’s players haven’t been paid for December yet whilst Coventry have an in-form (if ill) Freddy Eastwood in the side. So a Portsmouth win might actually have been more of a shock than a Coventry win. I wouldn’t bet against Coventry snatching the win in the replay – but I am anti-gambling so I wouldn’t bet on anything really.

Preston North End 7-0 Colchester United
Typical. Preston finally remember what a good side they are after all this time and they have to go and do it without Paul Parry. It’s not fair. And I like Colchester.

Reading 1-1 Liverpool
Simon Church scored the goal to put Reading ahead. It would have been very difficult for him to miss it but he was in the right place at the right time and that can be one of the hardest things in football. Steven Gerrard got an equaliser in that annoying way of his but he couldn’t manage a winner. Sadly I think Liverpool might find a winner at Anfield but if Havant & Waterlooville can take the lead twice, we certainly can’t write off Reading.

Southampton 1-0 Luton Town
Lloyd James for once got neither the goal nor the assist as Southampton beat non-league Luton Town. Or not as far as I know – BBC Sport didn’t say who got the assist. But every player deserves a week off now and then.