Newcastle United won the Tyne-Wear derby for the first time in 13 years with a 3-0 victory away at Sunderland on a packed day of Emirates FA Cup third round action.
A Dan Ballard own goal and two second-half Alexander Isak strikes silenced a raucous Stadium of Light and earned the Magpies a fourth-round berth for the first time since 2020.
Sunderland were subdued for much of the first half but were far better in the second and forced goalkeeper Martin Dubravka into a series of excellent saves, while Alex Pritchard hit the bar from 30 yards.
However, they were 2-0 down by that point and Newcastle killed the game when Isak converted a late penalty.
Beyond all doubt 🎯
— Emirates FA Cup (@EmiratesFACup) January 6, 2024
Isak buries from the spot for @NUFC#EmiratesFACup pic.twitter.com/DUd1Wrfrjf
Despite being a division below their rivals, Sunderland started the day with belief they could pull off an upset against a Newcastle team on a three-match losing streak.
They started impressively and gave the home crowd plenty to shout about with a series of committed challenges, but Newcastle quickly found a passing rhythm and dominated possession.
They deservedly took the lead 10 minutes shy of half-time when Joelinton beat a stretching Jack Clarke down the left, powered into the box and slid a perfectly-placed cross into the six-yard box. With Isak poised to tap in behind him, Ballard had to react but the ball flew off the centre-back’s boot and into the corner.
The visitors doubled their lead straight from the kick-off in the second half as Miguel Almiron won the ball from Pierre Ekwah inside the penalty area, passed the ball beyond the rushing goalkeeper to Isak, who fired into the corner.
Isak makes the defence pay 💪
— Emirates FA Cup (@EmiratesFACup) January 6, 2024
Look what it means to the @NUFC fans 🤩#EmiratesFACup pic.twitter.com/CCq99INut8
Sunderland gradually worked up a head of steam, and Pritchard’s rasping shot from 30 yards clipped the top of the bar. The midfielder forced Dubravka into an excellent save shortly after, but Newcastle held on comfortably and added a third when Isak converted from the spot following a foul on Anthony Gordon.
Elsewhere on a busy day, non-league Maidstone United reached the fourth round for the first time in their history with a 1-0 win against League One Stevenage - 69 places above them in the football pyramid.
Sam Corne scored the only goal of the game with a penalty on the stroke of half-time, but Stevenage twice went close to equalising when Jamie Reid hit the bar and Kane Hemmings the post on the rebound.
Corne almost doubled Maidstone's lead with an effort that needed clearing off the line by Carl Piergianni, who then had an effort of his own cleared on the line at the other end, as Maidstone held on for a famous win.
The National League South team are the first from the sixth tier to reach the fourth round since Havant & Waterlooville in 2008.
WHAT A MOMENT.
— Emirates FA Cup (@EmiratesFACup) January 6, 2024
Non-league @maidstoneunited have upset the odds and are through 🤯#EmiratesFACup pic.twitter.com/N0LQmvJffz
Maidstone are not the only non-league team in the hat for the fourth round after National League club Eastleigh drew 1-1 at Newport County despite playing much of the match with 10 men following George Langston's first-half red card.
James Clarke put Newport in the second half but Chris Maguire's penalty with just eight minutes remaining salvaged a draw.
Super Chris Maguire 🦸#EmiratesFACup pic.twitter.com/692hu6RmCo
— Emirates FA Cup (@EmiratesFACup) January 6, 2024
There was, however, late heartbreak for National League leaders Chesterfield, who lost 2-1 to Watford at Vicarage Road. Joe Quigley put the Spireites ahead with a 28th-minute strike and an upset seemed on the cards until Mileta Rajovic equalised 15 minutes from time, before Tom Dele-Bashiru completed the comeback in the 95th minute.
It was a good day for Premier League teams, with all six avoiding defeat to lower league opposition. Eight-time winners Chelsea had to be patient but eventually strolled into the fourth round with a 4-0 win against Preston North End at Stamford Bridge.
The two teams were level at half-time but striker Armando Broja broke the deadlock with an excellent header from Malo Gusto's cross, before Thiago Silva, Raheem Sterling and Enzo Fernandez sealed the win.
Elsewhere, Joao Pedro scored twice in the second half as Brighton & Hove Albion eventually saw off plucky Stoke City 4-2, while AFC Bournemouth bounced back from 2-0 down to beat QPR 3-2 at Loftus Road.
Premier League strugglers Sheffield United made light work of a potential banana skin at League Two Gillingham as William Osula scored twice in the first half to help them to a 4-0 win, while Aston Villa ended a run of eight FA Cup third round defeats with a 1-0 at Middlesbrough courtesy of a late Matty Cash strike.
In other notable results, 2021 champions Leicester City beat Millwall 3-2, Coventry City eased past Oxford United 6-2, and Blackburn Rovers despatched Cambridge United 5-2 thanks to a Sammie Szmodics hat-trick.
Full results can be found here.
