LONDON: Newcastle ended their 13-year wait to beat bitter rivals Sunderland as Alexander Isak’s double inspired a 3-0 win in the FA Cup third round on Saturday.
In the first Tyne and Wear derby since 2016, Eddie Howe’s side put their bitter local rivals to the sword thanks to Dan Ballard’s first-half own goal and Isak’s brace after the break at the Stadium of Light.
Responding to the sound and fury in the stands, tackles flew in with abandon from both teams.
Sunderland’s Jobe Bellingham, brother of Real Madrid star Jude, caught Joelinton with a crude lunge before Jack Clarke pole-axed Sven Botman to the audible delight of the Black Cats fans.
Amid the maelstrom, Newcastle kept their nerve and snatched the lead in the 35th minute as Ballard stretched to block Joelinton’s cross but only succeeded in diverting the ball into his own net.
Sunderland gifted Newcastle their second goal less than 60 seconds after the interval when Almiron robbed the dawdling Pierre Ekwah inside his own area and teed up Isak to fire home from 10 yards.
Ballard’s 90th minute foul on Anthony Gordon conceded a penalty that Isak converted to cap the exclamation point on Newcastle’s victory.
Non-league Maidstone United clinched a surprise 1-0 win against Stevenage to reach the fourth round for the first time as Sam Corne netted a penalty in first half stoppage-time before fans flooded the pitch in celebration at the final whistle.
In Saturday’s other early third round ties, Leicester beat Millwall 3-2 at The Den through goals from Cesare Casadei, Ricardo Pereira and Tom Cannon.
Ipswich moved into the fourth round with a 3-1 win at League Two side AFC Wimbledon.
Late on Friday, Pedro Porro scored his first goal of the season to put Tottenham Hotspur through to the fourth round of the FA Cup with a 1-0 victory over Burnley, while Fulham eased their way through with a 1-0 win over Rotherham United.
Ten-man Wolverhampton Wanderers came from behind to draw 1-1 at Brentford and force a replay, despite having Joao Gomes sent off in the ninth minute.
Eight-time FA Cup winners Spurs and Burnley looked destined for a replay before Porro broke the deadlock in the 78th minute of a drab game when he intercepted goalkeeper Arijanet Muric’s throw, firing a rocket from long range into the top far corner.
Championship (second tier) side Rotherham, who haven’t made it through to the fourth round of the competition since 2001-02, kept their composure early on as Fulham controlled the play.
But Bobby De Cordova-Reid made the breakthrough in the 24th minute, smashing the ball into the top left corner from outside the area as the visitors became overstretched, much to the delight of the foot-stamping fans rattling the century-old Johnny Haynes stand.
Depleted Wolves fell behind to a Neal Maupay goal four minutes before the break but the visitors found the equaliser in the 64th minute when Tommy Doyle hit a stunning strike from outside the area.
Published in Dawn, January 7th, 2024
