Non-League side Maidstone United pull off FA Cup third-round upset over Stevenage after TV snub

Non-League side Maidstone United pull off FA Cup third-round upset over Stevenage after TV snub

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Stuart Ballard

By Stuart Ballard


Published: 06/01/2024

- 14:36

Updated: 07/01/2024

- 12:32

The BBC and ITV opted against showing any of the four non-league teams left in the FA Cup live on TV.

Maidstone United are through to the FA Cup fourth round after a huge upset in beating Stevenage Town 1-0.

Maidstone were the lowest-ranked team left in the competition going into the third round and were one of only four non-league teams competing.


They were drawn a tough home tie against League One side Stevenage, who are currently pushing for promotion to the Championship.

It was a repeat of the FA Cup tie from nine years ago when Maidstone won at home in the first round of the competition.

Maidstone United are through to the fourth round

Maidstone United are through to the fourth round

GETTY

But this time around marked history for Kent's county town as they have never made it beyond the third round in their history.

The National League South side took the lead against Stevenage just before half-time when Sam Corne confidently converted his penalty past Taye Ashby-Hammond.

Stevenage had a great opportunity to level things up after the break when Jamie Reid rattled the cross bar before Kane Hemmings hit the post on the rebound.

Maidstone manager George Elokobi chucked on a host of defensive-minded players in the closing stages to keep the League One side at bay.

But Stevenage were growing frustrated at being unable to break down Maidstone's rigid defensive unit.

Pandemonium followed at the final whistle with thousands pouring onto the pitch to celebrate with the Maidstone squad.

Maidstone will now be included in Monday's draw for the fourth round of the FA Cup, where they could be in with a chance of facing Premier League opposition.

It's the first time a team from the sixth-tier has made it through to the fourth round since 2022 when Kidderminster Harriers faced off against West Ham and nearly pulled off a major upset.

Maidstone will be hoping for a similar tie against top-flight opposition and will go into the draw as ball No 30.

They'll also hope to have their fourth-round match shown live on TV after the BBC and ITV snubbed all four non-league sides competing in the third round.

Both broadcasters received heavy criticism for their TV selections for the third-round, including all-Premier League clashes between Crystal Palace and Everton as well as Tottenham's tie with Burnley.

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Sam Corne scored the winner for Maidstone United

Sam Corne scored the winner for Maidstone United

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National League teams Eastleigh, Aldershot Town and Chesterfield are the other non-league sides competing in the third-round.

The FA Cup is often a chance for non-league teams to make a name for themselves and create life-lasting memories for their players and fans.

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