[Sport] FA Cup third round: Chorley stun Derby, Blackpool beat West Brom on penalties

[Agent47]

 

 

Dates: 8-11 January Coverage: Crawley Town v Leeds United (13:30 GMT) and Marine v Tottenham (17:00) live on BBC One on Sunday, 10 January, plus live streams of games at Chelsea and Man City
League One Blackpool produced one of the biggest shocks of Saturday's FA Cup third-round action by beating West Brom on penalties, while non-league Chorley eliminated a youthful Derby side that had been affected by Covid-19.

Premier League West Brom lost 3-2 on penalties after the two sides had drawn 2-2 after extra time to complete a miserable return to Bloomfield Road for Baggies boss Sam Allardyce, who used to manage Blackpool.

Lancashire part-timers Chorley overcame the depleted Championship club Derby 2-0 at Victory Park, the National League North side's third victory over English Football League opposition in this season's competition.

"I'm ecstatic, really proud," Chorley boss Jamie Vermiglio, a primary school headteacher, said after goals by Connor Hall and Mike Calveley earned the Magpies a place in the fourth round for the first time.

"We've made around £250,000 before today, goodness knows what it'll be now. It'll certainly be £300,000 or £400,000.

"We could possibly get to £500,000 now and for a club like us, not only does it save us, it enables us to grow."

The tie had been in doubt because of freezing temperatures and Vermiglio added: "We had volunteers sleeping here overnight and used hairdryers and kettles to make sure the game was on."

Chorley play in the sixth tier of English football, four tiers below Derby.

Elsewhere, League One Doncaster Rovers won at Championship side Blackburn Rovers, while Sheffield United, rooted at the foot of the Premier League table, suffered a scare at League One Bristol Rovers before securing a first win since 11 July.

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There are no fans present at any of the third-round ties because of a stay at home order for millions in the UK amid the coronavirus pandemic.

But people were spotted leaning out of bedroom windows of homes surrounding Chorley's Victory Park ground to catch their win over Derby.

The match had been in doubt because of overnight sub-zero temperatures but Chorley groundsman Ben Kay spent all night under a giant protective heated cover on the pitch to make sure it was playable.

"We didn't have much choice," Kay said. "Everything had to be done to get the game on. The pitch has been frozen since 27 December."

Chorley's players celebrated in the changing room after the game with a loud rendition of Adele's Someone Like You.