Premier League strugglers Wigan Athletic were the highest profile casualties as the FA Cup third round lived up to its fabled giant-killing tradition yesterday.

Wigan crashed out 2-1 at League Two outfit Swindon as the Latics’ troubled season took another miserable turn.

Calum McManaman had put Wigan 1-0 up but Swindon, managed by Italian Paolo Di Canio, struck back to claim a famous win with goals coming from Alan Connell and Paul Benson.

“The team spirit, the quality, the intelligence of the guys I have here – today is a special day,” a delighted Di Canio said.

“I want to dedicate this victory to all my players because they deserve it.”

Wigan manager Roberto Martinez had few complaints with the defeat.

“We’re just a bit disappointed as we started very well,” Martinez said.

“But things went away from us and I think Swindon took advantage of what the FA Cup brings – a unique opportunity to match yourself against a Premier League side. We wish them well.”

Bolton Wanderers narrowly avoided becoming another Premier League casualty as they were forced to come from behind to scramble a 2-2 draw at Macclesfield, the League Two side who are 64 places below the club in the top flight.

Ivan Klasnic had fired Bolton ahead on seven minutes at Macclesfield’s Moss Rose ground before the minnows hit back through Colin Daniel and Arnaud Mendy to take a 2-1 lead.

David Wheater equalised for Bolton 13 minutes from time.

QPR – who have not won an FA Cup tie since 2001 – also left it late before salvaging a 1-1 against promotion-chasing League One side Milton Keynes Dons.

Dean Bowditch had put the Dons on course for an upset before QPR equalised through Icelandic veteran Heidar Helguson on 89 minutes.

Other Premier League sides in action all made sure of their places in the fourth round.

A virtual second-string Tottenham breezed past Cheltenham 3-0 with goals from Jermain Defoe, Roman Pavlyuchenko and Giovani Dos Santos.

Fulham, meanwhile, crushed League One leaders Charlton 4-0 at Craven Cottage, Clint Dempsey scoring a hat-trick and Damien Duff getting on the scoresheet for Martin Jol’s side.

Everton brought non-league Tamworth’s FA Cup campaign to an end with a 2-0 victory at Goodison Park, Johnny Heitinga and Leighton Baines getting the goals.

West Bromwich Albion were comfortable 4-2 winners over Cardiff while Swansea were made to work hard before downing Barnsley by the same scoreline.

Norwich proved too strong for Championship side Burnley, Paul Lambert’s team romping to a 4-1 win at Carrow Road.

Newcastle won the day’s only all-Premier League clash, coming from behind to beat Blackburn 2-1 at St James Park.

David Goodwillie had shot Rovers ahead before Hatem Ben Arfa equalised for the Magpies.

A replay at Ewood Park looked the likeliest outcome until Jonas Gutierrez struck in the fifth minute of injury time to sink Rovers.

Pulis’s return

Stoke City manager Tony Pulis, meanwhile, enjoyed a winning return to his former club Gillingham, the Potters winning 3-1 at Priestfield.

It was a largely disappointing day for the four non-league sides left in the draw, with only Wrexham managing to avoid defeat.

Tamworth lost at Everton, Fleetwood were thrashed 5-1 by Blackpool as Salisbury bowed out 3-1 at Sheffield United.

Wrexham, authors of one of the most famous upsets in FA Cup history when they beat Arsenal in 1992 when they were bottom of the old Fourth Division, also appeared to be heading for defeat before securing a 1-1 draw at Brighton.

The pick of the third round ties falls today, when holders Manchester City take on rivals Manchester United at Eastlands.

Results and standings

FA Cup – 3rd round

Barnsley 2
Vaz Te 29, 65;
Swansea 4
Rangel 30; Graham 46, 89; Dyer 54;

HT: 1-1. Att: 7,380.

Birmingham 0
Wolves 0

Att: 14,594.

Brighton 1
Caskey 48;
Wrexham 1
Cieslewicz 62;

HT: 0-0. Att: 18,573.

Bristol Rovers 1
McGleish 90;
Aston Villa 3
Albrighton 35; Agbonlahor 64; Clark 78;

HT: 0-1. Att: 10,883.

Coventry 1
McSheffrey 5;
Southampton 2
Ward-Prowse 64; Martin 82;

HT: 1-0. Att: 9,000.

Crawley Town 1
Tubbs 73;
Bristol City 0

HT: 0-0. Att: 3,779.

Dagenham 0
Millwall 0

Att: 3,396.

Derby 1
Robinson 9;
Crystal Palace 0

HT: 1-0. Att: 10,113.

Doncaster 0
Notts County 2
Hughes 37, 70 pen;

HT: 0-1. Att: 9,535.

Everton 2
Heitinga 5; Baines 79 pen;
Tamworth 0

HT: 1-0. Att: 27,564.

Fleetwood 1
Vardy 70;
Blackpool 5
Lua Lua 24; Phillips 47, 77, 81; Ince 55;

HT: 0-1. Att: 5,092.

Fulham 4
Dempsey 8, 61, 81p; Duff 87;
Charlton 0

HT: 1-0. Att: 20,317.

Gillingham 1
Kedwell 16;
Stoke City 3
Walters 34; Jerome 43; Huth 49;

HT: 1-2. Att: 9,872.

Hull City 3
McLean 27; Cairney 32; Stewart 90;
Ipswich 1
Scotland 57;

HT: 2-0. Att: 10,246.

Macclesfield 2
Daniel 16; Mendy 68;
Bolton 2
Klasnic 7; Wheater 77;

HT: 1-1. Att: 5,757.

M’boro 1
Emnes 40;
Shrewsbury 0

HT: 1-0. Att: 12,631.

MK Dons 1
Bowditch 65;
QPR 1
Helguson 89;

HT: 0-0. Att: 19,506.

Newcastle 2
Ben Arfa 70; Gutierrez 90;
Blackburn 1
Goodwillie 35;

HT: 0-1. Att: 30,876.

Norwich 4
Holt 6; Jackson 12; Surman 60; Morison 73;
Burnley 1
Rodriguez 15;

HT: 2-1. Att: 22,898.

Nottm Forest 0
Leicester 0

Att: 18,477.

Reading 0
Stevenage 1
Charles 21;

HT: 0-1. Att: 11,295.

Sheffield Utd 3
Porter 18; Evans 60; Webb 72 og;
Salisbury 1
Macklin 86;

HT: 1-0. Att: 10,488.

Swindon 2
Connell 40; Benson 76;
Wigan 1
McManaman 35;

HT: 1-1. Att: 13,238.

Tottenham 3
Defoe 24; Pavlyuchenko 43; Dos Santos 87;
Cheltenham 0

HT: 2-0. Att: 35,672.

Watford 4
Deeney 3; Sordell 40; Forsyth 57, 59;
Bradford 2
Hanson 8; Wells 88;

HT: 2-1. Att: 8,935.

West Brom 4
Odemwingie 7; Cox 33, 61, 90;
Cardiff City 2
Earnshaw 36; Mason 50;

HT: 2-1. Att: 12,454.

Playing today
Man. City vs Man. United - 14.00
Chelsea vs Portsmouth - 16.00
Peterborough vs Sunderland - 16.30
Sheffield Wed. vs West Ham - 16.00

Tomorrow
Arsenal vs Leeds - 20:45

Next fixtures
Tuesday: League Cup semi-final, first leg 21.00 Crystal Palace vs Cardiff City.
Wednesday: League Cup semi-final, first leg – 20.45 Manchester City vs Liverpool. Premier League 20.45 Tottenham vs Everton.
Saturday: Premier League 16.00 Aston Villa vs Everton; Blackburn vs Fulham; Chelsea vs Sunderland; Liverpool vs Stoke; Manchester United vs Bolton; Tottenham vs Wolves; West Brom vs Norwich.
Sunday: Premier League 14.30 Newcastle vs QPR; 17.00 Swansea vs Arsenal.
Monday, Jan. 16: Premier League 21.00 Wigan vs Manchester City.

League One
Carlisle 4 - Leyton Orient 1
Chesterfield 0 - Exeter 2
Hartlepool 2 - Rochdale 0
Tranmere 2 - Brentford 2
Walsall 2 - Bournemouth 2

Standings: Charlton Athletic 54; Sheffield Wednesday 49; Huddersfield, Sheffield United 47; MK Dons 46; Carlisle 41; Stevenage 38; Brentford 36; Bournemouth, Bury 34; N. County, Colchester, Hartlepool, Preston 32; Oldham, Leyton Orient 31; Tranmere Rovers 30; Exeter 25; Scunthorpe, Walsall 23; Yeovil 21; Wycombe, Rochdale 20; Chesterfield 16.

League Two
Aldershot 0 - Oxford Utd 3
Crewe 3 - Plymouth 2
Morecambe 1 - Northampton 2
Southend 3 - Port Vale 0

Standings: Crawley Town 50; Southend, Cheltenham 49; Swindon 43; Shrewsbury 42; Gillingham, Oxford 41; Burton 40; Accrington 39; Torquay 38; Rotherham 37; Morecambe, Port Vale 35; Crewe 33; Macclesfield 30; Aldershot 27; Wimbledon 26; Bradford 25; Bristol Rovers, Barnet 23; Hereford 22; Dagenham, Northampton 21; Plymouth 18.

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