MATTY PEARSON WAS Burnley’s nemesis once again as his late header saw Huddersfield come from behind to dump the Premier League side out of the FA Cup with a 2-1 win at Turf Moor.

Pearson, whose extra-time goal gave Accrington Stanley a League Cup win over Burnley in 2016, headed in for the Championship club four minutes from time after Josh Koroma had cancelled out Jay Rodriguez’s first-half goal.

It means the Terriers are into the fourth round for the first time since 2018, while relegation-threatened Burnley are left to wonder if this will again be a league fixture next season.

Sean Dyche was absent from the game with Covid, but selected a relatively strong team for the game, with Irish defender Kevin Long on the bench and Nathan Collins not making the squad. 

Meanwhile, League Two Mansfield Town were pipped at the death after a brave fightback in a 3-2 home FA Cup third-round defeat by Middlesbrough.

The visitors were in command with two goals in the first 14 minutes.

But Mansfield dominated the second half and thought they had forced extra time when Rhys Oates levelled after 85 minutes only to be undone by a stoppage-time own goal by former Irish U21 international John-Joe O’Toole. 

After a scare, @Boro have won it at the death! 💀#EmiratesFACup pic.twitter.com/H43H8y7Z8C

— Emirates FA Cup (@EmiratesFACup) January 8, 2022

Aaron Connolly was not involved in the matchday squad for ‘Boro, having completed a loan move from Brighton earlier this week. Manager Chris Wilder admitted Connolly’s minutes will have to be managed during the early weeks of his loan move, given his relative lack of game-time for Brighton in recent months. 

Stephen Quinn, a member of the Irish squad at Euro 2016, played the full game for Mansfield, while former Finn Harps defender Stephen McLaughlin also started the game. 

A Harry Wilson goal in extra-time saw Fulham nudge into the fourth round at Bristol City’s expense. Callum O’Dowda and goalkeeper Max O’Leary played all 120 minutes for Bristol City. 

In London, a stunning second-half display by Michael Olise helped Crystal Palace come from behind to beat rivals Millwall 2-1 and avoid an FA Cup upset.

The Lions had knocked out Everton and Leicester in recent years and were eyeing another scalp when Benik Afobe put them ahead early on to only further incite a partisan crowd at the Den.

At this point Patrick Vieira, a five-time winner of the competition, was heading for an unwanted first defeat as a manager in the FA Cup but his 20-year-old summer signing turned the south London derby around.

Olise equalised within a minute of the second half with a superb individual goal and turned creator before the hour mark to help Jean-Philippe Mateta head home what proved the winner of a fiery clash to send the Eagles through to the fourth round.

Danny McNamara – recently name-checked by Stephen Kenny as being on the fringes of the Irish senior squad – played the entire game with Millwall, with veteran defender Alex Pearce starting at centre-back. 

18-year-old Joe Grey stepped off the bench to fire League Two Hartlepool into the FA Cup fourth round for the first time since 2009.

Grey fired a 61st-minute winner to complete a dramatic second-half comeback and sink Championship Blackpool, who led through Keshi Anderson’s early opener.

David Ferguson hauled Hartlepool level three minutes after the interval before Grey, who had replaced Mark Cullen moments earlier, kept his nerve to beat Daniel Grimshaw and grab only his second senior goal. Former Irish international Richard Keogh played the full game for Blackpool, while Gavan Holohan and Neill Byrne played all 90 minutes for the winners. 

There was disappointment for Jason Knight and Irish U21 international Festy Ebosele – their Derby side were beaten 1-0 by a Coventry side that featured former Irish U21 international Jordan Shipley. 

Results – FA Cup Third Round, early kick-offs 

• Mansfield Town 2-3 Middlesbrough 
• Bristol City 0-1 Fulham (AET)
• Burnley 1-2 Huddersfield 
• Coventry 1-0 Derby County 
• Hartlepool 2-1 Blackpool 
• Millwall 1-2 Crystal Palace 

With reporting by Gavin Cooney