Republic of Ireland striker Shane Long came off the bench to score the winner as Southampton survived the first-half dismissal of Yan Valery to reach the fourth round of the FA Cup with a 3-2 extra-time win at Swansea.
The Saints spent a full 90 minutes down to 10 men, but goals from Nathan Redmond, Mohamed Elyounoussi and Long saw them progress from a tie played behind closed doors because of the Welsh Government's coronavirus regulations.
Saints go marching on? 😇
— Emirates FA Cup (@EmiratesFACup) January 8, 2022
Shane Long makes no mistake for @SouthamptonFC.#EmiratesFACup pic.twitter.com/QLPBybeSah
Joel Piroe had brought parity after 77 minutes before Jan Bednarek's own goal briefly put Swansea ahead in extra-time.
The lack of a crowd did not favour Championship side Swansea, who were unable to unsettle slick Premier League opponents during a one-sided opening.
Valery's second dismissal in English football offered Swansea encouragement, but Southampton - FA Cup semi-finalists last season - showed enormous character to fuel hopes of another productive run in the competition.
Swansea - for whom Irish pair Ryan Manning and Michael Obafemi started - had not played since 11 December because of Covid-19 both in their squad and opposition camps. It was a gutsy showing, but ultimately the Saints had too much.
Andros Townsend's extra-time screamer saved Everton's blushes as under-fire Rafael Benitez saw his side stumble into the FA Cup fourth round with a 3-2 triumph at Hull.
The Spaniard has never been the most popular figure at Goodison Park thanks in no small part to his strong ties to Liverpool, where he oversaw his final match in East Yorkshire.
There were times on Saturday evening when it looked like Hull could again prove the end of the road for Benitez, but Townsend came to the rescue in extra-time as Everton eked out a 3-2 win.
A pulsating, topsy-turvy tie began in dream fashion for the hosts as Tyler Smith scored his first City goal inside 45 seconds in front of prospective new owner Acun Ilicali.
The Turkish businessman was attending his first match ahead of his takeover at the MKM Stadium, where Everton finally clicked into gear midway through the first half.
Demarai Gray slotted home after a superb one-two before Andre Gomes headed home a Jonjoe Kenny cross, with Everton continuing to push after the break.
But substitute Ryan Longman's exceptional curling leveller from 20 yards took the match into extra-time, when Townsend would fire home a 30-yard rocket to seal progress.
An outstanding Asmir Begovic stop denied Tom Eaves taking the match to penalties on a night when Grant McCann's Championship outfit made life difficult from the outset.
Ireland captain Seamus Coleman played the full 120 minutes for the Toffees.
Amari Morgan-Smith was Kidderminster's late hero as they dumped Reading out of the FA Cup with shock 2-1 comeback victory.
The National League North side - the lowest ranked club left and 79 places below their Championship visitors - came from behind to stun the Royals by the narrow result and book their place in the fourth round.
George Puscas' first goal for nine months gave Reading the lead before Sam Austin levelled after the break and Morgan-Smith struck with eight minutes remaining to earn a third-round giantkilling.
Defeat increased the pressure on Royals boss Veljko Paunovic as injuries and rotation saw Reading start with six players that were aged 21 or under.
Returning Romelu Lukaku struck as Chelsea cruised to a comfortable victory against non-league Chesterfield in a 5-1 canter at Stamford Bridge.
The Champions League holders flexed all their muscles of quality and depth to nullify any prospect of a cup upset.
Lukaku tapped in debutant Lewis Hall's low cross and missed three gilt-edged chances before being withdrawn at half-time.
Academy product Hall, 17 impressed on his senior bow claiming that deserved assist for Lukaku, with Timo Werner, Callum Hudson-Odoi, Andreas Christensen and Hakim Ziyech all also finding the net.
Akwasi Asante tapped in a late Chesterfield consolation to spark jubilant celebrations among their raucous travelling fans.
Tyrone Marsh and Adrian Clifton fired National League side Boreham Wood into round four for the first time in their history.
Marsh's spectacular first-half goal and Clifton's late strike, moments after coming off the bench, secured a 2-0 victory and one of the shocks of the third round against League One AFC Wimbledon.
The Dons, who in their previous incarnation caused probably the biggest upset of them all when they beat Liverpool in the 1988 final, for once found themselves on the wrong end of a cup surprise.
Matty Pearson was Burnley's nemesis once again as his late header saw Huddersfield come from behind to dump the Premier League side out with a 2-1 win at Turf Moor.
Pearson, whose extra-time goal gave Accrington Stanley a League Cup win over Burnley in 2016, headed in for the Championship club four minutes from time after Josh Koroma had cancelled out Jay Rodriguez's first-half goal.
It means the Terriers are into the fourth round for the first time since 2018, while relegation-threatened Burnley are left to wonder if this will again be a league fixture next season.
The Clarets were without manager Sean Dyche – absent with Covid-19 – and without a spark against the Terriers, who made seven changes to the side that drew 0-0 with Blackburn last weekend but who were able to boss the second half.
This is the 100th anniversary of Huddersfield’s only FA Cup success – a run which began with a 2-2 draw at Turf Moor – and though a repeat would be beyond a fairy-tale, this was a fine start.
A hat-trick from substitute Bryan Mbeumo sent Brentford through with a 4-1 victory over League Two Port Vale at Vale Park.
Marcus Forss scored the only goal of a low-key first half but the game burst into life with three goals in 10 minutes in the second.
Mbeumo put the visitors two up only for 19-year-old Kian Harratt to pull one back a day after signing on loan from Huddersfield.
Vale, playing their first match since 11 December, pushed hard for an equaliser but Mbeumo scored his second on the break before converting from the penalty spot late on.
League Two Mansfield Town were pipped at the death after a brave fightback in a 3-2 home defeat by Middlesbrough.
The visitors were in command with two goals in the first 14 minutes.
But Stags dominated the second half and thought they had forced extra time when Rhys Oates levelled after 85 minutes only to be undone by a John-Joe O'Toole own goal in stoppage time.
Eighteen-year-old Joe Grey stepped off the bench to fire League Two Hartlepool into the fourth round for the first time since 2009.
Grey fired a 61st-minute winner to complete a dramatic second-half comeback and sink Championship Blackpool, who led through Keshi Anderson's early opener.
David Ferguson hauled Hartlepool level three minutes after the interval before Grey, who had replaced Mark Cullen moments earlier, kept his nerve to beat Daniel Grimshaw and grab only his second senior goal.
The in-form visitors were left to rue a succession of missed chances in a thoroughly dominant first half, as well as injuries to goal-scorer Anderson and James Husband, who both limped off before the break.
Dominic Hyam fired Coventry to a 1-0 win over Wayne Rooney's Derby.
The defender scored his first goal since May as the 1987 winners put themselves into the fourth-round draw with victory over their Championship rivals.
Coventry goalkeeper Ben Wilson pulled off a string of fine saves to keep the Rams at bay as the hosts held on late on.
Substitute Harry Wilson struck in extra-time to give Fulham a 1-0 win at fellow Championship club Bristol City.
The midfielder's inswinging cross from the right in the 105th minute was missed by attackers and defenders alike and crept inside goalkeeper Max O’Leary’s far post.
It was rough justice on City, who had been the better side for much of the game, but failed to capitalise on some excellent chances.
New signing Bali Mumba made an instant impact with a debut winner to fire Peterborough to a 2-1 victory over Bristol Rovers.
The loan capture from Norwich was sent on by boss Darren Ferguson at the break and responded with the decisive strike in the 63rd minute.
Mumba burst forward, swapped passes with Sammie Szmodics and classily fired into the bottom corner to ensure the Championship strugglers eased past their League Two visitors.
Szmodics had earlier give Peterborough the lead, only for Paul Coutts to level with a penalty after half-an-hour.
Wigan saw off Championship promotion-chasers Blackburn 3-2 with a stoppage-time winner from Thelo Aasgaard just after Daniel Ayala's header looked to have sent the tie to extra-time.
Ireland striker Will Keane assisted Max Power's opening goal for Wigan which levelled the game on the hour mark after Blackburn had led through Reda Khadra's strike shortly after the break.
Boys In Green wing-back James McClean came on two minutes later for the Latics before the dramatic ending which saw Jack Whatmough net on 75 minutes, prior to Ayala's 89th minute equaliser for Blackburn and the subsequent Aasgaard winner.
Barnsley were forced into extra-time by 10-man Barrow but eventually claimed a 5-4 victory at Oakwell in one of the most incredible FA Cup matches seen in recent years.
An all-action match, which saw Barrow forward Tom Beadling sent off just before half-time, looked to have been settled by Carlton Morris' strike in the 88th minute – only for Josh Kay to equalise at 4-4.
Morris, though, eventually scored what proved to be the winner with 102 minutes on the clock.
Emiliano Marcondes scored a hat-trick as Bournemouth eased into the fourth round with a 3-1 win at Yeovil.
The Danish midfielder tucked away a first-half double before completing his treble midway through the second period after Joe Quigley had scored to give National League Yeovil hope just after the interval.
