FA Cup Replays: Bournemouth to end Wigans interest

Christian Crowther takes a look at Tuesday's third-round replays and predicts more joy for the underdogs...

 

Birmingham v Leeds, Tuesday 19:45, Match Odds: Birmingham 2.48, Leeds 3.1, The Draw 3.5

With injuries and suspensions blighting both these Championship sides, a midweek replay would have appeared some way down the respective managers' wish lists. Neil  Warnock was taken to his sickbed for the original tie, though he was probably fairly relieved to have missed what transpired to be a somewhat uninspiring contest. As  it was, Lee Clark in the visitors dugout would have definitely been the healthier and happier gaffer given a spirited performance from a thoroughly threadbare  Birmingham side. A real dampener on Leeds hopes for qualification at St Andrew's is their recent dire away form, producing a sequence of four straight defeats in which  they've conceded 11 and notched just three.

Recommended Bet: Back Birmingham to beat Leeds @ 2.48

 

Bournemouth v Wigan, Tuesday 19:45, Match Odds: Bournemouth 3.15, Wigan 2.5, The Draw 3.5

Eddie Howe's second spell at Bournemouth since returning from a spell with Championship side Burnley has proven that they are a match made in heaven. Saturday's draw  against fellow promotion hopefuls Swindon equalled a club record of 18 games unbeaten for the Cherries, who have engineered a meteoric rise up the League One table.  Wigan seemed to pay the price for a host of changes in the first tie at the DW Stadium as Bournemouth proved a match for the Latics' inexperienced team. Now Roberto  Martinez's side face another examination in the challenging surroundings of Dean Court, hoping to avoid a second successive FA Cup third round exit to lower league  opposition. As Opta tell us, Wigan have failed to keep a clean sheet in any of their last seven FA Cup games against teams from lower divisions.

Recommended Bet: Back Bournemouth to beat Wigan at 3.15

 

Leyton Orient v Hull, Tuesday 19:45, Match Odds: Leyton Orient 3.7, Hull 2.16, The Draw 3.55

Leyton Orient are once again proving thorny customers for loftier opposition in the FA Cup. In fact, Russell Slade's men can count themselves very unlucky not to be in  the next round already, after possibly their best performance of the season was spoilt only by an equaliser deep into stoppage time at the KC Stadium. Nick  Proschwitz's header may have spared the Championship high-flyers' blushes but it couldn't disguise a hugely inept display from Steve Bruce's men. The Tigers must, and  surely will, improve at Brisbane Road, though O's fans will be full of optimism given that they now hold home advantage. Orient's faithful will have fond memories of a  home draw with Arsenal just two seasons ago in this competition and, given their visitors stuttering form of just one win in five, they will be hopeful of troubling  them.

Recommended Bet: Back the draw @ 3.55

 

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