The FA Cup Third Round Proper
Winning clubs receive £40,000





It has been another incredible Third Round of The FA Cup, and here we look back on the action with the words from all those who played their part in a fantastic weekend of football.

Leicester City 3-2 Tottenham Hotspur

Craig Levein was understandably delighted by the result after coming from two goals down to beat Premiership Tottenham.

"Mark de Vries was the catalyst for us," said Leicester manager Levein. "And I'm thrilled he scored the winning goal.

"He's been as frustrated as anyone with the way the season has gone so far and he has his detractors because when things aren't going well he can look an awkward player.

"He was fantastic for us but the referee let him compete with the central defenders. Strikers competing with centre-backs is the way it should be as far as I'm concerned, but in the Championship Mark's having fouls given against him all the time."

Tottenham manager Martin Jol was gutted with the result, particularly as his side had looked to be cruising just before the interval.

Jol admitted: "Their first goal gave them a lifeline and all credit to them they never gave up.

"But what made me angry is that Paul Robinson never had one save to make and we had chances to kill them off, which we missed and then, after their late goal, we are suddenly back in the changing room feeling terrible.

"We started the game well, created lots of chances and scored two good goals.

"But then we gave away an awful goal because we allowed Leicester to cross from the wing and could not defend it properly at the back post.

"And their second goal was all too easy as well because we gave away a corner unnecessarily and again failed to defend it properly.

"There was a debate about whether Mark de Vries was offside for their third goal but it doesn't matter now.

"For the whole of the game our two central defenders played with one covering the other but then, right at the end of the game, they decide to step up and play offside."

Burton Albion 0-0 Manchester United

Burton player/manager Nigel Clough was surprisingly calm after the match, admitting that his side may have been unfortunate not to emerge victorious.

He said: "We matched them and probably were the better team in the first half, then in the second half we were under the cosh a bit and they got close to their top form.

"With a possible penalty in the second half and a few headers in the first half, we could well have gone through.

"Rooney and Ronaldo gave us some problems and Saul produced an excellent save at the end."

Speaking of his father Brian, Nigel admitted, "He would have been pleased that we could keep a clean sheet in the game, I'm sure of that.

"At the end there I had no thoughts of bringing myself on from the bench, it was too tight!"

United manager Sir Alex Ferguson reflected after the game that he was pleased to get a replay following the nature of the game.

He said: "Our disappointment will be reflected in a number of ways, but when you look at the nature of the game and the pitch we can be pleased to draw the game.

"It is the nature of this fantastic competition that whenever they attacked they looked like they could make something happen.

"I can't deny Burton a fantastic result for them. We seem to be good at saving teams financially, last year it was Exeter and this year it is Burton's turn."

Fulham 1-2 Leyton Orient

Leyton Orient manager Martin Ling said his side thoroughly deserved their FA Cup third round win over Fulham.

"This is probably the best day in my nine-and-a-half years here. We edged them on the pitch and in the supporters' department," he said. "We needed a bit of luck to pull off the upset and we got that with the deflections and the penalty. We passed the ball against a Premiership side.

"No-one can put the win down as a smash-and-grab." Ling also revealed that his players had a special celebration lined up after the match, courtesy of chairman Barry Hearn.

"We're having our Christmas do after this match. The chairman is picking up the tab. They deserve it and we'll let them enjoy themselves. They will have lots of girls chasing after them now!

"They will have a few drinks and rightly so. They're going for a meal but will be eating pasta."

Ling's Fulham counterpart Chris Coleman laid the blame for the defeat fairly and squarely on the shoulders of his players.

"The defeat was down to a sense of arrogance, a lack of effort and enthusiasm," said a furious Coleman. "God knows where the arrogance came from because we can't afford to approach any game like that.

"We did our homework on Orient and didn't change anything in terms of preparation because we knew what a tough game it would be.

"I'm gutted, absolutely gutted. I didn't show Orient any disrespect because they are a good team, who have a good manager and play good football. I showed them respect but the players didn't."

Nuneaton Borough 1-1 Middlesbrough

Nuneaton manager Roger Ashby was as cool as striker Gez Murphy as the Conference North side earned an FA Cup Third Round replay against Premiership Middlesbrough.

Ashby said: "He's very good at penalties and he does not miss many, so I was quite confident he would score and he sent the keeper the wrong way," Ashby said. "Going to the Riverside for the replay will be tremendous and we are all really looking forward to it.

"We will go there and really enjoy ourselves as it will be a day to remember for everybody at the club.

"This was a fantastic result for us and it feels as if we have won the game. The result was nothing less than we deserved and we showed our quality.

"We created quite a few chances and their keeper made one or two good saves and that just shows that we have got some good ability."

Middlesbrough had taken the lead in the first-half through Gaizka Mendieta, but can now expect another tough encounter in the replay next midweek.

Luton Town 3-5 Liverpool

England midfielder Steven Gerrard knows there will still be an inquest despite Liverpool staging an amazing comeback to beat Luton in the FA Cup Third Round.

But Gerrard admitted: "I am sure it was a great FA Cup game for the neutrals, but we are not happy.

"We knew this would be a tough match and all credit to Luton because they got right at us and stopped us playing.

"It's important that we got through no matter what, but I'm sure the manager will have plenty to say because for about 60 minutes things were not right."

Torquay United 0-0 Birmingham City

Torquay manager Leroy Rosenior admitted his chairman would be the happiest man in Devon after they held Premiership outfit Birmingham to a 0-0 draw in the FA Cup Third Round.

And Rosenior said: "I think the chairman will be happy with a 0-0 draw. He has had quite a hard time recently, so I'm sure he's counting the money from this game and the replay.

"I am so proud of the players and delighted by the performance. Maybe we could have even won it, but Birmingham are a Premiership team so we have to be happy.

"I thought we played tremendously well and put them under pressure at the right times and caused them a few problems.

"We will try to have a go at them in the replay, but I am sure Birmingham will raise their game and we will need to do the same."

Birmingham boss Steve Bruce confessed he was just pleased to be in the draw for the Fourth Round on Monday after a dismal display from his side threatened to make them a victim of a massive upset.

"Torquay played really, really well and we are only in the hat for the next round by the skin of our teeth," he said.

"That is the beauty of this FA Cup competition. You can see why people across the country love it so much, but it's not quite so enjoyable when you are a Premiership manager trying to avoid an upset at a place like this!"

Stoke City 0-0 Tamworth

Tamworth manager Mark Cooper believes his side could have done even better than holding Stoke to a FA Cup Third Round draw at the Britannia Stadium.

The Tamworth boss said: "Full credit to my players. I felt we gave a good account of ourselves and could have even nicked it.

"We beat Bournemouth and Hartlepool in the last two rounds and we were confident we would do ourselves justice in this match.

"We had a game plan and I think we frustrated Stoke well and then tried to counter-attack when we had the opportunity.

 "I'm sure the chairman and the directors will be over the moon because we have earned the replay and that might be shown on TV now."

Boskamp, meanwhile, was furious with his Championship squad for putting on such a poor display at home.

"This is my first taste of the FA Cup and it was not very good for me," he admitted.

"What we did out there was a disgrace and I am very, very, very disappointed. If my players don't understand they have to be better in the replay then they might as well go and play in the lower leagues."