Around One – Just four go through

Tommy Smith - gave Sunderland the lead

Two of those winners, like the Clarets, beat fellow Division One rivals with Sunderland winning 2-1 at Ipswich and Sheffield United recording a 3-0 victory of a Nottingham Forest side who look incapable of scoring a goal right now. West Ham though beat Premiership opposition with a 3-1 win at Wolves with all the goals coming in the first half.

Ipswich put the Mackems under a lot of pressure but they survived to go in front with a goal from Tommy Smith, his first FA Cup goal since he notched the first against us at Vicarage Road last season. They doubled the lead through Julio Arca before having to hang on after a late Ipswich goal.

Nottingham Forest dominated their tie at the City Ground against Sheffield United and had far more shots at goal. Their new strikers Marlon King and former Claret Gareth Taylor are struggling though and have now found the net just three times between them in thirty three appearances. They both fired blanks again and came in for more stick from the home crowd as Forest bowed out fo the FA Cup for another season.

The Hammers recorded a superb win at Molineux where they went 2-0 up with goals from two Alan Pardew signings in Brian Deane and Marlon Harewood with David Connolly restoring the two goal lead after Wolves had pulled one back.

Coventry scored twice in their home tie against Division Three side Colchester but one of them was an own goal from Dele Adebola. A fortunate deflected equaliser from Julian Joachim gives them another chance at the flea pit called Layer Road.

The only other side from our division still in this season’s FA Cup is Millwall and they were unable to play at Conference club Telford because of a waterlogged pitch.

Apart from Gillingham, Ipswich and Forest there were also exits for Franchise and Preston with Preston proving to be the star turn of the round.

Lee Trundle - scored Swansea's winner against Preston

Franchise went out to an offside looking goal at Birmingham but the Weary Whingers North End managed to turn a 1-0 lead into a 2-1 defeat at Swansea in the last ten minutes with the winner coming from Lee Trundle. WW himself said: "It was a disaster. I am angry, as angry as I have been at Preston. Our team lacked moral fortitude."

Well done to Brian Flynn and Kevin Reeves alongside Brad Maylett who was in the Swansea team.

In the league there was another defeat for BRBC who went down at the Bradford & Bingley Pulse Flamingo Land Pension Scheme Valley Parade Stadium to Crystal Palace.

Palace were two goals up after just a quarter of an hour through Andy Johnson and Neil Shipperley with BRBC replying through new loan signing from West Brom Ronnie Wallwork. The 2-1 result moves Palace some distance clear of the bottom.

It is back to league action for all of us next week with one game in midweek and a full fixture list next Saturday. All games kick off at 3:00 p.m. unless otherwise shown.

Wednesday 28^th January

Derby County v Sheffield United (7:45 p.m.)

Saturday 31^st January

Cardiff City v Nottingham Forest
Coventry City v Ipswich Town
Crewe Alexandra v Millwall
Crystal Palace v Franchise
Gillingham v Bradford City
Norwich City v Sheffield United
Reading v Derby County
Stoke City v Walsall
Sunderland v Preston North End
West Bromwich Albion v Watford
West Ham United v Rotherham United
Wigan Athletic v Burnley

Note: For the car load of Franchise fans considering a trip to the away game at Crystal Palace, directions to Selhurst Park are available in the match programme from your last game played in Milton Keynes.

Around One – Just four go through

Last updated : 26 January 2004 By Tony Scholes