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AUDIO - Alex Stone on 'Player of the Round' Nominees FA Press Officer Alex Stone tells us how the five nominees for the 'Player of the Round' competition were selected.

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Five players who hit the headlines with outstanding FA Cup Third Round performances over the weekend have been short-listed for The FA’s ‘Player of the Round’ award, run in partnership with UMBRO.

And the winner will become the seventh player to join The FA’s ‘Team of The FA Cup’.

For only the second time ever, two ‘keepers have been shortlisted for the award.

They are up against a player who notched a brace as his manager was preparing to substitute him, a striker who scored one and set up two goals to avert a 'giantkilling' and a captain courageous whose performance in a 2-0 defeat earned him rave reviews.

The two ‘keepers are Exeter’s Paul Jones and Oldham Athletic’s Les Pogliacomi, who both kept clean sheets against Premiership big guns Manchester United and City respectively.

Jones will be hoping that the Exeter fanbase come out in support for him as they did for Dean Moxey in the previous round, when his teenage teammate scored the goal of the Second Round against Doncaster Rovers.

Last year Oldham Town striker James Curley was voted as the Player of the First Qualifying Round and Pogliacomi will be hoping that local supporters will get voting in the same way too.

Sheffield United wideman Andy Liddell earns his nomination for two goals in as many minutes to set the Blades on another cup run, as they knocked out Premier League Aston Villa at Bramall Lane.

Southampton striker Kevin Phillips, who scored one and set up two more in a 3-1 win over Northampton is the fourth player from this weekend's games to be nominated.

Phillips earns additional plaudits for the way he stayed on his feet under a heavy challenge, before setting up Jamie Redknapp for the nerve-calming third goal at the Sixfields Stadium.

Two years ago his Saints teammate Brett Ormerod gained a Player of the Round Award for his performance in The FA Cup Semi-Final victory over Watford at Villa Park.

The fifth and final nomination is Yeading captain David Clarke, who was inspirational in his side’s 2-0 defeat against Newcastle.

Clarke's accomplished midfield display belied the fact that his side were six leagues below Newcastle United, and rightfully earned the plaudits from Gary Lineker, Alan Hansen and Alan Shearer.

The player who secures the most votes will be crowned FA Cup ‘Player of the Round’ and will win £1000 worth of UMBRO football kit and equipment for a local school, club or organisation of his choice, plus an engraved silver salver.

The successful player will join Bishop’s Cleeve FC’s Kevin Slack, AFC Wimbledon’s Rob Ursell, Bath City’s Scott Partridge, Halifax Town’s Craig Midgley, Slough Town’s Alex Haddow and Exeter’s Dean Moxey in The FA’s Team of The FA Cup.

The team will enjoy VIP status at The FA Cup Final at the Millennium Stadium on Saturday 21 May and will be introduced to the crowd at half time.

The Team of The FA Cup will comprise Player of the Round winners from the First Qualifying round to the Semi Final.

Last year’s team included five non-league players as well as Premiership stars Jose Antonio Reyes, Freddie Ljungberg and Bruno Cheyrou.

Fans have just seven days to register a vote for their player of the round on the homepage of TheFA.com before 9.00am on Monday, 17 January, and can win themselves two tickets for a Fourth Round match of their choice - stay logged on for more details.

The FA Cup Player of the Round nominations are made by a media panel of Mark Clemmit Last year’s (BBC Five Live) FA Cup giankiller of 1972 Ricky George (Daily Telegraph), Stuart Robertson (The Independent) and Non League Paper Editor David Watters.