Welcome to our coverage of the FA Cup third round. Unfortunately we’ve already seen malice rather than magic so far with an unsavoury incident at Anfield last night during Liverpool’s 5-1 win over Oldham.

At St Andrew’s today, though, we’re excepting a little more straight-up action.It may be a match between the Premier League and Championship but the gap isn’t actually that big. Wolves are in 16th in the top division while Birmingham City are 14th in the division below but with two games in hand that could propel them right into the play-off places. Chris Hughton’s side haven’t been beaten at home this season so that will only complicate Wolves’ task.

Of course, there’s also a lot of Irish interest in this one. The opposing managers – Chris Hughton and McCarthy – were on the same side in Euro 88 and Italia 90. On the Birmingham team then, there’s Colin Doyle, as well as Stephen Carr and Keith Fahey in the squad. Wolves, meanwhile, feature Stephen Ward, Stephen Hunt and of course Kevin Doyle.

The teams:

Birmingham: Doyle, Spector, Davies, Ridgewell, Murphy, Elliott Mutch, N’Daw, Gomis, Redmond, Rooney

Wolves: De Vries, Stearman, Johnson, Berra, Ward, Kightly, Henry, Jonsson, Hunt, Ebanks-Blake, Doyle

There’s an acute sense of rivalry to this one too: on the last day of the Premier League season in May, Wolves stayed up at Birmingham’s expense thanks to a late Stephen Hunt goal.

St Andrew’s currently engaging in respectful applause for Gay Ablett.

Magic of the Cup #1: the two teams have made 12 changes between them and there are tracts of empty seats here

It’s off.

Birmingham have started promisingly here and caused a few early problems in the Wolves box.

The 17-year-old Nathan Redmond has at least started for Birmingham. He’s showed how a few flashes so far and is highly rated.

Do you think Stephen Hunt is deserving of a start for Ireland?

Personally, I would say no. I think he’s a superb impact sub. His energy unsettls teams in the last 10 minutes when his direct approach can be much more effective. It loses any sense of surprise or abrasiveness over the course of an entire 90.

Former manager Steve Bruce in the crowd watching this one. This one’s gone, Steve.

Mutch half-volleys over from that, eh, half-chance. It’s been quiet.

Hunt swings over a dangerous-looking cross but Doyle collects.

Corner to Wolves who are having a  bit of control for the first time in the game.

Roger Johnson heads it over. Bah.

Missed an opportunity there. We should have labelled that half-volley: ‘Mutch ado about nothing’

Rooney and Johnson go up for a ball, leaving the latter in a heap on the ground.  Johnson, who left Wolves recently enough, is booed by the home crowd. Some notes being waved at him.

Johnson has to go off injured, much to McCarthy’s chagrin. That’s not good for Wolves given his importance. He’s replaced by young Marvin McCoy.

Oh, a real chance finally breaks. Ebanks-Blake is played into space in the area but, side on to goal, he can only poke it at Doyle’s legs. Might have done better.

That’s the second shot on target today. After 37 minutes.

Wolves now looking livelier. Ebanks-Blake slips Kevin Doyle down the line superbly but he can’t get his cross over to the waiting Kightly quickly enough.

And that’s half-time. Thank Christ for that.

Robbie Savage sums it up: “Nothing’s really happened.”

There’s an ad for the Dark Knight Rises. That’s the most exciting thing I’ve seen in the last few hours.

The second half has started. Let’s pray there’s even an ounce more action than the first.

The action has picked up in the second half. We’ve had some excitement near goal. That is a marked improvement.

Oh what a miss! Ebanks-Blake has acres of space and an entire goal to shoot out but he blazes it over the bar!

Meanwhile, it’s half-time between Deganham & Redbridge and Millwall… where it’s also 0-0.

Wolves in the ascendancy now.

Free-kick to Wolves in dangerous position. Stephen Hunt stands over it…

… Oooh! It’s touched to him before Hunt flicks it up and volleys it. Dips dangerously but in the end it’s just over.

And that’s Hunt’s last action. He comes off for Matt Jarvis.

Great tweet here from Samuel Luckhurst:

The FA Cup is about as magical as a straight-to-video Disney sequel.

This will go to a replay if it’s a draw. Oh no.

Young Rooney shows his ability and his inexperience for Millwall there. The forward rips into the heart of the Wolves defence only to then take a needless extra touch as the path to goal opens up.

Kevin Doyle comes off for Steven Fletcher.

That was of course Redmond with that run and shot. Adam Rooney hit the follow-up. He hails from Dublin actually, does Rooney

Oh chance Birmingham! A ball is lofted in the box which Beausejour sidefoots back across goal dangerously and McEvoy almost touches it into his own goal. Wolves just clear.

Keith Fahey coming on for Birmingham for N’Daw.

Three minutes of tortu… normal time left.

Redmond forces a fine save from De Vries with  shot from the edge of the box. Almost put Wolves out of their misery. Or our misery.

Fahey’s sprayed some nice balls around since coming on, as he’s just done there. Little coincidence Birmingham have picked up since then.

Oh, action right at the death! Matt Jarvis shoots from out left, with Doyle just about getting a touch on a fierce drive to force it onto the post. Fletcher reacts quickest but Doyle immediately gets up and touches it away. Wonderful saves from the keeper.

And that was the last moment of the game.

Full-time: Birmingham 0-0 Wolves

A truly awful game other than a bit of action in the last two. Possibly the worst we’ve covered here this season. Whatever about upsets, we’re just upset at watching that. These teams will have to do it again in 10 days but we’ll be back in a moment with the 3 o’clocks.

Welcome the the FA Cup three o’clocks, where the competition so far hasn’t been thrilling. The romance of the cup? More like the necromancy. It’s been dismal in truth. And, to be fair, there aren’t too many eye-catching ties in this bunch. More, a fair few intriguing ones.

There are games which could see a few interesting surprises rather than outright upsets:  Swansea’s trip to Barnsley, Fulham hosting Charlton, QPR going to MK Dons and Swindon taking on Wigan.

There is potential for at least some romance in Tamworth’s trip to Everton and Bolton going to Macclesfield.

The only all-Premier League tie comes between Newcastle United and Blackburn Rovers.