Enlarge imageBy Trevor Huggins
LONDON (Reuters) - Newcastle United have been made to wait for a 2-0 victory over minor league Yeading and champions Arsenal had to come from behind to beat Stoke City 2-1 in a nervy FA Cup third round for the favourites.
Despite six divisions separating the two clubs, the biggest gap in FA Cup history, Newcastle needed second-half goals from Lee Bowyer and Shola Ameobi to shatter Yeading’s FA Cup hopes at Loftus Road on Sunday.
A shock was also on the cards at Highbury when Arsenal went behind to a Wayne Thomas strike for the second division side just before halftime.
Arsenal’s equaliser came from Spanish forward Jose Antonio Reyes on 50 minutes but Stoke hit the woodwork and had another effort cleared off the line before Dutchman Robin van Persie fired home their winner in the 70th minute.
Advertisement starts
Advertisement ends
Neutral fans across the country were rooting for Yeading but their hopes of causing the biggest ever upset were ended after 51 minutes when Bowyer steered Newcastle’s first and Ameobi arrowed in a header 10 minutes later.
Yeading manager Johnson Hippolyte told BBC: "Apart from my kids being born, that was the second-proudest day of my life.
"A lot of those players have had disappointments earlier in their careers, at pro clubs and that sort of thing.
"But I thought they had the character and I knew they had the technical ability and I think they showed that to everybody watching today."
PART-TIME PLAYERS
Summing up, Johnson said: "Us not being full-time was always going to be an issue but I thought the boys did ever so well. Good luck to all of them, they made me proud."
Despite the odds being stacked in their favour, there were no shortage of scares for Arsenal before they ran out winners.
Stoke took a shock lead when Thomas snapped up a loose ball from point-blank range after Ade Akinbiyi’s powerful header was only parried by keeper Jens Lehmann.
Reyes, back after a lay-off due to injury and personal problems, cracked the equaliser after Stoke had cleared a Kolo Toure cross from the left flank.
Stoke hit back with striker Chris Greenacre having an effort cleared off the line by French defender Gael Clichy and Akinbiyi enjoying no better luck when his shot hit the woodwork.
The match was decided with 20 minutes to go when Van Persie clipped in a Jermaine Pennant cross from the right.
