FA Cup clockwatch: Burnley v Peterborough and more – live! | Football

Peep peep! It’s half-time in the six 12.31pm games, and these are the scores:

• Birmingham 1-0 Blackburn
• Bristol City 1-0 Shrewsbury Town
• Burnley 3-1 Peterborough
• Millwall 1-0 Newport County
• Rochdale 0-1 Newcastle
• Rotherham 2-1 Hull (Rotherham down to 10 men)

What a goal! Kyle Vassell has given 10-man Rotherham the lead with a spectacular goal from the left edge of the box. He allowed a short throw to run across his body, waited for the ball to bounce up and smashed a swirling shot that flew over Matt Ingram and into the far corner. It was very similiar to this goal from Steve McManaman, only better.

You don’t see many consolation goals in the first half, but Peterborough have got one at Turf Moor. Matthew Lowton’s backheader was short, and Ivan Toney danced around Joe Hart to score confidently from a tight angle.

“My favourite third round goal is Shane Long for Reading vs Liverpool in 2010,” says Rob Evans. “Cold, possibly snowy weekday evening. We’re playing well but it’s Liverpool, and it’s Anfield and somehow it is extra time. Reading favourite Bryn Gunnarson turns into Garrincha, throws in a Cruyff turn and a nutmeg before pinging in for Shane Long to score.”

“I join Mr. Pearson in my astonishment that all the early matches are available here in the colonies,” says James Thomas. “I’ve opted for Birmingham-Blackburn, although I’m really waiting for Fulham-Aston Villa later. What do the Cottagers need to do, in your humble estimation, to earn promotion, and stick, this season?”

Erm, win the play-offs? I’m no Championship expert – I’m not sure I’m an anything expert – but it does look like Leeds and West Brom will be hard to catch.

Bristol City 1-0 Shrewbury Town Ah, here we go. A short corner on the left, a deep cross and a precise looping header from Famara Diedhiou.

I can’t describe this one because BT Sport are currently on an ad break. Hotels.com, since you asked.

Rotherham 1-1 Hull Rotherham are down to 10 men. Adam Thompson has been sent off for a studs-up lunge at Keane Lewis-Potter. I suspect it was overzealous rather than malicious, but it was a dangerous tackle and he had to walk.

“Mickey Thomas’s free kick against for Wrexham against Arsenal would still be rising today had the net not stopped it,” says Matt Dony. “Xabi Alonso scored against Luton from way inside his own half on his WRONG FOOT. But, although it might not be the most romantic or spectacular choice, Van Dijk’s header against Everton two years ago looks like a turning point. He announced his arrival in style, and went on to have a ridiculously transformative effect on the team. That one probably gets my vote. I want to be VVD when I grow up.”

Jeff Hendrick’s deflected shot from the edge of the area extendes Burnley’s lead.

An equaliser for Rotherham! Michael Smith, given too much time in the area, slams a rising shot into the top corner.

“Evening Rob,” says Patrick O’Brien. “My favourite MIKEL ARTETA!!!!! third round goal MIKEL!!!!! ARTE!!!!!TA was MIKEL ARTETA!!!!!!! when … um, effing love MIKEL ARTETA me.”

Hull take a slightly underserved lead at the New York Stadium, with Tom Eaves dragging a low shot into the corner from close range.

A neat finish from Miguel Almiron gives Newcastle a deserved lead. Scott Murray will tell you more.

Bliss it was in that dawn to be alive, but to be a Clockwatcher was very heaven

We can’t see the goals when we do Premier League clockwatches, which makes for a peculiar experience. Thankfully BT Sport are allowed to show the goals from the 12.31pm games. It’s quite an experience to actually describe the goals rather than paraphrase Paul Merson and Matt Le Tissier.

Burnley are cruising into the fourth round. Erik Pieters, 25 yards out, thumps a bouncing ball across Christy Pym and into the far corner. The keeper might have done better.

A preview of one of tomorrow’s big games

Burnley 1-0 Peterborough Pym makes a good save from Gudmundsson’s low shot. Peterborough could be blown away here.

A question for both you readers: what’s your favourite FA Cup third round goal and why? I’m not sure I can get past Ronnie Radford.

Rodriguez gives Burnley the lead from close range after Chris Wood’s header is saved by Christy Pym. He was offside in the build up, but it was a new phase of play by the time he scored, which meant the goal survived a VAR check. Incidentally, VAR is only being used in matches at Premier League grounds.

Millwall take an early lead with Matt Smith scoring from 10 yards after a left-wing corner was allowed too bounce across the box.

Birmingham have scored the first goal of the third round. Daniel Crowley, once of Arsenal, surges from the halfway line to the edge of the box and cracks a low shot into the far corner. Good goal, that.

Burnley and Newcastle, the two Premier League sides playing this lunchtime, have both picked strong XIs. It will be hard for any of the Small 13 to win the competition, but there is certainly scope for a run to the semi-finals, perhaps the final.

“One of the reasons I subscribed to ESPN+ was so I could watch FA Cup matches here in the USA,” says Joe Pearson. “Little did I expect they would ALL be available. What do I do?”

Watch Rochdale v Newcastle, and keep pressing F5 on this clockwatch so that we get more hits and The Man labours under the misapprehension that I am more popular than the average Clockwatcher. He might even give me a packet of bonbons.

The 12.31pm games are about to kick off. A reminder that Scott Murray is following Rochdale v Newcastle.

“Happy new year!” says Mike MacKenzie. “Not sure how practical the following ideas are but offer them anyway to improve FA Cup:

• 1) No replays from 3rd round on. I think Jamie Carragher has suggested this among others. Would result in more upsets as well as fewer games.
• 2) Move winter break to January. Have it start after the 3rd round FA Cup weekend. That might encourage teams to play their best sides knowing they’ll get a rest after.”

I like the first idea in particular, but the climate has changed so much that I don’t think there’s a way to restore the FA Cup’s 20th-century status. Actually, there is one way: football could buy back its soul. But there is more chance of me waking up tomorrow morning with a lustrous mullet.

As with 99.9999 per cent of everything Scott Murray writes, this is a brilliant read

And here’s a preview of every third round match

Peterborough think they will be facing a shadow Burnley side when they turn up for an early kick-off at Turf Moor, and they might be right. The FA Cup has come at an awkward time for the Clarets, who have lost six of their last eight league games, are only four points above the relegation zone and face Chelsea, Leicester, Manchester United and Arsenal when the Premier League resumes. Sean Dyche will still try to pick a side capable of winning the tie against League One’s top scorers, but anything could happen. VAR will be in use here, as it will be at all ties hosted by Premier League teams.

Hello. These all-dayers are getting out of hand. It was the Premier League on New Year’s Day, and today it’s an FA Cup third round special. First orders will be at 12.31pm, when the opening round of matches kick off. There are more games at 3.01pm, then a third lot starting at 5.31pm.

We’ll have separate MBMs for the two televised games, Rochdale v Newcastle and Wolves v Man Utd while muggins here will attempt to keep up with all the other games. The unusual kick-off times, as you are probably aware, are so that we can take a minute or three to think about mental health. Football has come a long way in the 21 years since Stan Collymore was made a pariah.

Alas, the FA Cup has become a bit of an outcast in that time, certainly in comparison to the big Leagues. We’re all friends here, so let us speak frankly: the FA Cup third round does not have the magic/romance/insert preferred cliche here it once did. It will never mean as much as it did in the days of Ronnie Radford, Matthew Hanlan and Micky Thomas. (The saddest thing about the FA Cup, since you asked, is that its greatest day, 8 April 1990, hastened its demise.)

It is still English football’s greatest giantkilling canvas, though, and the likelihood is that, at some stage this weekend, a few players will define their careers. Maybe even their lives.

Today’s fixtures

12.31pm

• Birmingham v Blackburn
• Bristol City v Shrewsbury Town
• Burnley v Peterborough
• Millwall v Newport County
• Rochdale v Newcastle
• Rotherham v Hull

3.01pm

• Brentford v Stoke
• Brighton v Sheffield Wednesday
• Cardiff v Carlisle
• Fulham v Aston Villa
• Oxford v Hartlepools
• Preston v Norwich
• Reading v Blackpool
• Southampton v Huddersfield
• Watford v Tranmere

5.31pm

• Bournemouth v Luton
• Fleetwood v Portsmouth
• Leicester v Wigan
• Manchester City v Port Vale
• Wolves v Manchester United