NEIL MELLOR showed why he is rated as the brightest young player to emerge from the Liverpool Academy since Steve Gerrard and Michael Owen on Sunday.

The 20-year-old Sheffield-born striker was a constant thorn in Manchester City's side, and would have scored on his first Liverpool start had Peter Schmeichel not been in top form.

Mellor, who scored eight goals in the 2001 FA Youth Cup, deservedly ended up on the winning side when DANNY MURPHY scored the only goal from the penalty spot.

"It is exciting to see a youngster come into the team. Neil did a tremendous job up front for us," said Sami Hyypia.

"He's a Man City fan so he wanted to prove a point today. It's good to see we have new youngsters coming into the team and doing well."

England under-16 international LEE HOLMES made history when he came on from Derby County at Brentford. At 15 years and 277 days, Holmes became the youngest player ever to appear in the FA Cup proper when he was sent on by John Gregory for the last 11 minutes of County's 1-0 defeat.

The most heart-warming story was MATT JANSEN'S double for Blackburn at Aston Villa. Jansen nearly died in a motorcycle accident in the summer after narrowly missing out on an England World Cup place.

It has taken the young forward six months to rediscover full fitness but was on-target twice at Villa Park in a 4-1 Rovers win.

"He has had a very worrying time - he deserves to go to sleep with a big smile on his face after his goals," said his manager Graeme Souness.

Jansen was in a coma after being hit by a car while on holiday in Italy and revealed to TheFA.com how watching the Brazil-England World Cup tie on television was his first proper memory as he came round.

Young WAYNE ROONEY knows what The FA Cup is all about now. He was part of the Everton side humbled 2-1 at Shrewsbury, overshadowed on this occasion by NIGEL JEMSON who scored both goals in the Third Division's 2-1 win at Gay Meadow.

Jemson, a teen idol himself in the late 1980s at Nottingham Forest, told TheFA.com last week how he hoped his team-mates wouldn't freeze on the big occasion. He needn't have worried!

Former England skipper PAUL INCE was on target on Sunday as Newcastle United became the second Premiership side to be dumped out by lower division opposition.

The Guv'nor as he was known in his Manchester United and England heyday scored the opening goal for Wolves in an epic 3-2 win at Molineuex.

MICHAEL RICKETTS, who made his England debut nearly a year ago against Holland but then endured a miserable 2002, is approaching his best again. He scored his fourth goal in five games to give Bolton a 1-1 draw against Sunderland. Ricketts was one of only three first-teamers picked by Sam Allardyce. "Some of the others were mentally and physically tired but Michael is in the goals and buzzing at the moment," explained Allardyce.

JASON EUELL notched his eighth goal of the season as Charlton overcame a scare to beat Third Division Exeter City 3-1 and there was plenty to shout about for young West Ham duo JOE COLE and JERMAIN DEFOE.

They shared the goals as The Hammers won their first home game of the season, 3-2 against Nottingham Forest.

Two-goal Defoe admitted after his late winner: "Michael Carrick would have killed me if I hadn't scored because he thought he was better placed. I had about five touches to get my shot in - but it went in!"

DAVID BECKHAM scored a wonder free-kick from 30 yards as FA Cup favourites Manchester United beat Portsmouth 4-1. "He is the best in the world at set-pieces," said former England international Lee Dixon.

JAMES BEATTIE underlined his claims for an England place in 2003 with his 14th goal of the season as Southampton thumped Spurs 4-0.

"An eight out of 10 performance," said Saints boss Gordon Strachan, keen to remind everyone his team aren't a one-man band.

Compiled by Joe Bernstein

FA Cup third round results

Arsenal 2 Oxford 0
Aston Villa 1 Blackburn 4
Birmingham 3 Fulham 1
Blackpool 1 Crystal Palace 2
Bolton 1 Sunderland 1
Bournemouth 0 Crewe0
Brentford 1 Derby 0
Cambridge 1 Millwall 1
Cardiff 2 Coventry 2
Charlton 3 Exeter 1
Chelsea 1 Middlesbrough 0
Darlington 2 Farnborough 3
Gillingham v Sheffield Wednesday Postponed
Grimsby 2 Burnley 2
Ipswich 4 Morecambe 0
Leicester 2 Bristol City 0
Macclesfield 0 Watford 2
Man City 0 Liverpool 1
Man Utd 4 Portsmouth 1
Norwich v Brighton Postponed
Plymouth 2 Dagenham & Redbridge 2
Preston 1 Rochdale 2
Rotherham 0 Wimbledon 3
Scunthorpe 0 Leeds 2
Sheffield United 4 Cheltenham 0
Shrewsbury 2 Everton 1
Southampton 4 Tottenham 0
Stoke 3 Wigan 0
Walsall 0 Reading 0
West Brom 3 Bradford 1
West Ham 3 Nottingham Forest 2
Wolves 3 Newcastle 2