And that’s all from me. I’ll be back for Manchester United v Reading later but in the meantime why not enjoy a bit of Preston v Spurs?
Updated
And here’s our roundup of the day’s action in the Championship:
Here’s our report from a great game at Craven Cottage:
Full-time results in full
FA Cup fourth round
Blackburn 2-2 Birmingham
Bristol City 3-0 West Brom
Fulham 1-1 Sunderland
Ipswich 0-0 Burnley
Luton 2-2 Grimsby
Sheff Wed 1-1 Fleetwood
Southampton 2-1 Blackpool
Championship
Coventry 2-0 Huddersfield
Hull 3-0 QPR
Middlesbrough 2-0 Watford
League One
Burton 2-0 Oxford Utd
Cheltenham 0-0 Port Vale
Lincoln 0-0 Cambridge Utd
MK Dons 0-2 Exeter
Morecambe 5-1 Bristol Rovers
Peterborough 2-1 Portsmouth
Shrewsbury 2-1 Forest Green
League Two
AFC Wimbledon 1-0 Stockport
Barrow 0-2 Northampton
Crawley 3-2 Salford
Harrogate 0-1 Sutton
Hartlepool 1-2 Colchester
Mansfield 4-1 Doncaster
Rochdale 0-1 Carlisle
Swindon 3-3 Gillingham
Tranmere 1-0 Leyton Orient
Scottish Premiership
Hibernian 6-0 Aberdeen
Rangers 2-0 St Johnstone
Ross County 3-0 Kilmarnock
St Mirren 1-0 Motherwell
Southern League Division 1 Central
Walthamstow FC 6-0 FC Romania
Northern Premier League Premier Division
Stafford Rovers 2-0 Marske United
Updated
Duncan Ferguson’s managerial debut ends in drama and despair as Ryan Bowman slots home a one-on-one to make it Shrewsbury 2-1 Forest Green and complete the hosts’ comeback in the ninth minute of injury time!
Updated
Goal! Blackburn 2-2 Birmingham (James 91)
The substitute scores with his first touch! James turns home a low cutback to level the scores at Ewood. High drama at Craven Cottage as Aleksandar Mitrović skews a free header wide to waste a glorious chance to win the game for Fulham before 15-year-old Chris Rigg – born when Umbrella by Rihanna ft Jay-Z was top of the UK charts – sees an apparent winner ruled out for offside. Aberdeen’s week of abject misery is complete: William Fish makes it 6-0 to Hibs, who are now playing against 10 extremely beleaguered men.
Updated
Saidou Khan adds to the fun at the County Ground by getting himself sent off for the hosts. Stafford Rangers go 2-0 up against Marske United after keeper Michael Roxburgh fumbles a long throw from the wonderfully named Tom Tonks. And Barcelona take the lead at Girona, Pedri prodding home a rebound from close-range.
Updated
Goal! Sheffield Wednesday 1-1 Fleetwood (Earl og 72)
Mallik Wilks think he’s equalised after connecting with Marvin Johnson’s cross on the volley but it’s actually a Josh Earl own-goal, the defender deflecting the strike goalward. Charlie Austin stoops to nod in at the near post to make it Swindon 3-3 Gillingham in the game of the day. And Walthamstow put a fifth past FC Romania, skipper Jordan Watson converting his side’s third spot-kick of the afternoon.
Updated
Two goals! Luton 2-2 Grimsby
Jordan Clark adds the finishing touch to a tidy Luton move but the hosts have barely finishes celebrating when Harry Clifton converts a cross to make it two each. Kasey Palmer doubles Coventry’s lead against Huddersfield and Jevani Brown does likewise for Exeter at MK Dons.
Updated
Southampton 2-1 Blackpool
Not over just yet. Arsenal loanee Charlie Patino halves the deficit with a cocky finish. Aaron Connolly makes it safe fort Hull, passing home his second of the game for 3-0. And Walthamstow make it 4-0 against FC Romania, Bilal Sayoud picking out the top corner with a glorious free-kick
Updated
Goal! Fulham 1-1 Sunderland (Cairney 61)
All square at Craven Cottage and the goal is a delightful one, Tom Cairney selling his opponents a couple of dummies before shaping one in with his left foot. Blackburn miss a golden chance to make it 3-1 as Ben Brereton Diaz tries the dink when through one-one-one and it floats wide. And Hull double their lead against QPR thanks to Rob Dickie’s Carragheresque own-goal.
Updated
Goal! Southampton 2-0 Blackpool (Perraud 62)
Saints make it safe as Romain Perraud plays a nifty one-two on the edge of the box and rifles home.
Southampton's defender Romain Perraud (L) scores their second goal past Blackpool's goalkeeper Chris Maxwell . Photograph: Glyn Kirk/AFP/Getty Images
Updated
Goal! Sheff Wed 0-1 Fleetwood
Brendan Sarpong-Wiredu misses a sitter for the visitors, heading wide from six yard, but before he’s had time to process that his side are ahead anyway, Promise Omochere nodding home almost the very same chance. Another absurd penalty at Swindon, and this time Gillingham defender who concedes a penalty for having the ball blammed at him from a yard away. Charlie Austin coverts from the spot to pull one back: 3-2 Gillingham. Glen Kamara makes it Rangers 2-0 St Johnston.
Updated
Goal! Luiton 1-1 Grimsby (Adebayo 49)
Elijah Adebayo levels things up from the spot in a tight game at Kenilworth Road. In the Championship, Coventry are ahead against Huddersfield after Gustavo Hamer Ricky Villas his way into the box before curling home a sumptuous finish.
Updated
Goal! Bristol City 3-0 West Brom (Bell 48)
Lovely composed finished from Sam Bell to effectively clinch his side’s place in the fifth round with half the game to play.
Updated
Goal! Blackburn 2-1 Birmingham (Rankin-Costello 46)
Joe Rankin-Costello collects a lucky bounce on the edge of the box and plants a strike into the bottom corner. Half-time in fair Girona, where the hosts are holding Barcelona at 0-0.
Updated
Simon McMahon writes: “Least surprising news of the day Pt. 1 - Jim Goodwin is facing the sack (possibly at half-time?) as Aberdeen trail Hibs by two at the break. Least surprising news of the day Pt. 2 - Rangers awarded a penalty and opponents reduced to ten men at Ibrox.”
Half-time scores
FA Cup
Blackburn 1-1 Birmingham
Bristol City 2-0 West Brom
Fulham 0-1 Sunderland
Ipswich 0-0 Burnley
Luton 0-1 Grimsby
Sheff Wed 0-0 Fleetwood
Southampton 1-0 Blackpool
Championship
Coventry 0-0 Huddersfield
Hull 1-0 QPR
Middlesbrough 2-0 Watford
League One
Burton 1-0 Oxford Utd
Cheltenham 0-0 Port Vale
Lincoln 0-0 Cambridge Utd
MK Dons 0-1 Exeter
Morecambe 1-0 Bristol Rovers
Peterborough 2-0 Portsmouth
Shrewsbury 0-1 Forest Green
League Two
AFC Wimbledon 0-0 Stockport
Barrow 0-0 Northampton
Crawley 2-0 Salford
Harrogate 0-1 Sutton
Hartlepool 0-1 Colchester
Mansfield 2-0 Doncaster
Rochdale 0-1 Carlisle
Swindon 1-3 Gillingham
Tranmere 0-0 Leyton Orient
Scottish Premiership
Hibernian 3-0 Aberdeen
Rangers 1-0 St. Johnstone
Ross County 1-0 Kilmarnock
St Mirren 1-0 Motherwell
Updated
Goal! Luton 0-1 Grimsby (Holohan)
The Mariners have one foot in the fifth round as Gavan Holohan heads home just before half-time. Middlesbrough double their lead against Watford, and a respectable goal this time as Jonny Howson threading through to Marcus Forss who sits the keeper down and slots home. Elie Youan nods in a third for Hibs to deepen Aberdeen’s misery and ensure the imminent departure of Jin Goodwin.
Updated
Great game at Craven Cottage where Sunderland are well worth their lead, Anthony Patterson somehow managing to keep out a surefire goal from Andreas Pereira to keep them in front. Duncan Culley completes a first-half hattrick as Walthamstow storm into a 3-0 lead on 38 minutes.
Goal! Blackburn 1-1 Birmingham (Dack )
All square at Ewood as Bradley Dack nods home from a yard out after Neil Etheridge had tipped an effort onto the bar. Boro takes the lead against Watford with a hilariously scrappy goal that entailed at least two farcical missed chances in the buildup, Chuba Akpon latching onto his own waywardly sliced effort to head home. Jack Baxter gives Stafford Rangers the lead against Marske United.
Updated
Goal! Bristol City 2-0 West Brom (Scott 28)
West Brom in trouble here as the midfielder arrives with perfect timing to turn home a cross from the right. In the Championship, Watford miss a glorious chance to go ahead against the run of play at Middlesbrough, Matheus Martins striding through confidently before shinning his shot wildly over the bar.
Updated
Goal! Southampton 1-0 Blackpool
Romain Perraud rewards the handful of Saints fans at St Mary’s this afternoon by rifling a free-kick through the wall. Further down the pyramid, Jordan Garrick cuts in from the left and belts in a sublime goal to to mark the start of Forest Green’s Big Dunc era and Duncan Culley doubles up to make it Walthamstow 2-0 FC Romania.
Updated
James Tavernier fires home from the spot to give Rangers the lead against St Johnstone and, for now at least, reduce the gap at the top to six points. Aberdeen are in big trouble, 2-0 down at Hibs within 10 minutes thanks to a Josh Campbell brace. Aberdeen lost to sixth-tier Darvel last week, after which the chairman released a statement saying the result “added insult to injury” and that manager Jim Goodwin “has been left in no doubt that the Board and the fans are seeking an immediate response from him and the players”. Eeek.
Goal! Bristol City 1-0 West Brom
Sam Bell returns a half-hearted clearance with interest, bending in a great strike to put the hosts ahead. Elsewhere, former bright young thing Aaron Connolly rattles home from just inside the box to put Hull ahead against QPR in the Championship. And Gillingham go 3-1 up – four goals in the first 13 minutes – with a glancing header from Tom Nicholls.
Updated
Goal! Fulham 0-1 Sunderland (Clarke 6)
Sunderland go ahead at Craven Cottage after Jack Clarke pickpockets Kenny Tete and shapes a lovely strike into the far corner. The fun continues at Swindon, where Gillingham are 2-1 after getting a penalty for blasting the ball into a defender’s face.
Updated
Goal! Blackburn 0-1 Birmingham (Khadra 6)
Birmingham open the scoring at Ewood Park, Reda Khadra sneaking home an effort thanks to some suspect goalkeeping. Swindon and Gillingham have exchanged a pair of early goals within the first three minutes. And Walthamstow have taken an early lead against FC Romania, Duncan Culley converting coolly from the spot.
Updated
Our reports are in from Leicester’s narrow win at Walsall (the Poundland Bescot Stadium)…
… and Leeds’ defeat of Accrington (at the Wham Stadium):
Here’s Richard Woods: “Morning Alex. I’m settling down in front of i-follow at 7am in Vancouver to watch Morecambe vs the Mighty Gas, while sighing at what might have been, as I always do when FA Cup round four comes around. Any news on Stafford Rangers? I used to watch them when I was at university.”
I can tell you they host relegation-threatened Marske United (managed by former Sheffield United and Birmingham midfielder Curtis Woodhouse) in the bewilderingly named Northern Premier League Premier Division. All the news as I get it.
And Simon McMahon gives us the run-down north of the border: “Afternoon Alex. As well as St Johnstone v Rangers, there will be a few eyes on Easter Road this afternoon where Hibs ‘entertain’ Aberdeen. Both managers are under severe pressure due to indifferent league form and high profile Scottish Cup exits last week, Hibs to city rivals Hearts, and Aberdeen to sixth-tier Darvel in one of the great cupsets. What price the draw, a result that might keep both in a job, at least temporarily. Ross County host Kilmarnock in a match with big implications for the teams at the bottom, including Dundee United, who play Celtic at Tannadice tomorrow. In the Scottish Championship leaders Queens Park face third placed Dundee at Dens.”
A lovely little history lesson from Richard Hirst: “Can I crave indulgence for the old and grey and nominate Fulham v Sunderland as the Vic Halom Derby? Then I can wax nostalgic about the halcyon days of 4-2-4 (look it up kids) and the Fulham forward line of Conway, Halom, Earle and Barrett which terrorised Division 3 (more looking up) defences in 1969/70 and 1970/71 – culminating in promotion in 70/71, but not as champions thanks to losing a last match of the season shoot out with Preston for top spot, due in large part to a glaring miss by … Vic Halom.”
Also in that division, Duncan Ferguson’s Forest Green side go to Shrewsbury in the Scot’s first game ever as a full-time manager – his appointment at the New Lawn Stadium making him football’s most terrifying eco-warrior. And with Forest Green rooted to the bottom of the table, it’s an unenviable job. Can the man who once knocked out a burglar smuggle his new side to safety?
And in League One, Bolton go home from Charlton with a 2-1 win, Dion Charles punished some sohddy defending to tap in the winner after a wondergoal apiece by Aaron Morley and Albie Morgan.
In today’s early cup games, Leicester have crept past Walsall thanks to a jammy deflected goal from Kelechi Iheanacho and Leeds have put Accrington to the sword 3-1, Jack Harrison opening the scoring in tasty style:
Oh that is brilliant Jack Harrison 👏
— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) January 28, 2023
His second goal of the season ⚽️ #BBCFootball #BBCFACup pic.twitter.com/0lkbtqTCCE
Preamble
January is always thick-and-fast season, but this may be the thickest, fastest January of them all. With a World Cup’s worth of missed fixtures to play, today’s cramming session takes in the FA Cup fourth round – including Blackpool’s trip to Southampton and Fulham against Sunderland (AKA the Steed Malbranque Derby) – as well as full-ish schedules in Leagues One and Two and another four in the Championship, including a face-off between two promotion hopefuls in Middlesbrough and Watford.
More exotically, Rangers host St Johnstone in the Scottish Premiership, Barcelona head to Girona in La Liga, and in Germany high-flying Union Berlin head across town to Hertha. And in the Southern League Division 1 Central, Walthamstow FC host FC Romania – which should be a simple three points but as we all know, there’s no easy games at that level.
Needless to say, you’ll be kept up to date with it all here. Get the kettle on.
