Here, the PA news agency looks at some other famous wins that saw non-league sides make it into the competition’s fourth round.
Hereford 2-1 Newcastle – third-round replay 1972
This cup shock unfolded over 50 years ago, but remains an iconic upset that retains its place on any giant-killing list. Who can forget the Match of the Day footage of Ronnie Radford’s stunning late equaliser for Hereford, bludgeoned out of the Edgar Street mud, before Ricky George’s extra-time winner? After the two sides had drawn 2-2 at St James’ Park, top-flight Newcastle had led the replay through Malcolm MacDonald before the Southern League side’s heroics sparked a joyous pitch invasion.
Sutton 2-1 Coventry – third round 1989
Coventry, then in the top flight, had won the FA Cup in 1987 but were ambushed by Conference side Sutton at Gander Green Lane. Tony Rains headed the London minnows into a half-time lead and although David Phillips equalised for the Sky Blues 10 minutes into the second period, Matt Hanlon, a 22-year-old self-employed bricklayer, volleyed home Phil Dawson’s 70th-minute out-swinging cross and Sutton held on for an historic win. In the fourth round, they lost 8-0 at Norwich.
West Brom 2-4 Woking – third round 1991
Woking were in the Isthmian League – English football’s sixth tier – when they headed to The Hawthorns and no-one gave them a prayer as they trailed 1-0 to West Brom, then in the old Second Division, at half-time. But a stunning hat-trick from Tim Buzaglo, a computer specialist who had played cricket for Gibraltar, turned the tie on its head and after a fourth goal from Terry Worsfold secured a spectacular upset, Woking’s jubilant players were applauded by the Baggies fans off the pitch.
Macclesfield 2-1 Cardiff – third round 2013
Blue Square Bet Premier side Macclesfield dumped out Championship leaders Cardiff, 81 places higher in English football’s pecking order, to reach the FA Cup’s fourth round for the first time in their 139-year history. The Silkmen trailed to Cardiff striker Nat Jarvis’ close-range second-half finish, but Matthew Barnes-Homer struck twice in the final five minutes. He turned home Jack Mackreth’s cross and, with home celebrations still in full swing, converted a penalty to snatch an unlikely win.
Lincoln 1-0 Ipswich – third round replay 2017
Lincoln were National League leaders and on the rise when they clinched a place in the fourth round for the first time in 41 years. The Imps knocked out Ipswich, then in the Championship, thanks to Nathan Arnold’s stoppage-time winner. The Imps, who had drawn 2-2 at Portman Road, went on to beat Brighton, top of the Championship at the time, 3-1 in the fourth round and won 1-0 at then Premier League side Burnley in the fifth round to become the first non-league team in 103 years to reach the quarter-finals.
The Bees are just 12 places below the Exiles in the football pyramid, but four successive defeats had derailed their promotion bid in recent weeks.
They looked full of confidence, however, as they took the game to their hosts on a bitterly cold south Wales afternoon.
Newport thought they had done enough to earn a place in the third round for the first time since 2021 as Shane McLoughlin put them 1-0 up in the 44th minute.
Bryn Morris hit a post with a free-kick before that goal and Omar Bogle was denied a second late on, but Barnet dominated possession all afternoon.
Nicke Kabamba saw one effort cleared off the line by Ryan Delaney and was also denied by goalkeeper Nick Townsend before Collinge headed in from close range to snatch a late draw.
“We deserved at least a draw, our performance was very strong,” said Brennan. “To come here and only give them one corner, that shows our dominance in possession – without having that killer punch. But we got it in the end with a deserved equaliser.
“Danny Collinge was immense, I thought he was the best player on the pitch – a real leader and he deserved that goal.
“The biggest thing for us was to stop the rot and show that character. We didn’t come here for a draw, we played expansive football and showed tons of bravery and we got our rewards.
“I’m delighted for the travelling fans. We’ve had a tough few weeks, but we kept going, kept believing in our philosophy and played some really good football.”
County manager Graham Coughlan was frustrated to see the win snatched away at the death, but he admitted Barnet were the better side.
“We are still in the cup,” said Coughlan. “We had chances to put the game to bed but we didn’t, they were better than us and we got out of jail.
“They put us under pressure and started the game right – their mentality was right and ours wasn’t.
“We had a long week, while they had the week off; they were fresh and we weren’t, but they also looked after the ball better than us.
“We kept turning the ball over and giving it away. We were very flat and tired and paid the ultimate penalty at the end of the game.
“It was a real stern test and we won’t be that bad when it comes to the next game at their place. We weren’t good.”
Nathan Newall and Kennedy Digie scored in the final 17 minutes to send the hosts through.
Jordan Thewlis wanted a penalty after being felled in the first half and Jake Day hit the post for the hosts in the first half.
But Alfreton had to wait until the second half to open the scoring.
Newall struck after 73 minutes when he found the top corner from just outside the box.
Digie wrapped up the win with three minutes left when he headed in Billy Fewster’s corner.
The winger was absent for Erik ten Hag's side at Old Trafford, with the manager simply stating he was injured.
But ahead of Friday's FA Cup clash with Everton, the club revealed Antony had been training on Wednesday, putting concerns to rest over any lingering problems.
Antony netted in his first three Premier League games for the Red Devils following his arrival at the start of the campaign, although he has not scored again since then.
The Brazil international's most recent goal came against Everton, and he will hope to be involved against the Toffees this week.
However, it appears former Everton loanee Donny van de Beek is set for a spell on the sidelines.
In just his second league start of the season, the midfielder was on the receiving end of a brutal challenge from Bournemouth defender Marcos Senesi.
Ten Hag was unable to disclose the extent of the issue in his post-match comments, acknowledging: "We need to wait 24 hours. But it is not looking very good."
The loss meant Arsenal were eliminated at the third-round stage of the competition for only the second time in 26 seasons.
Arteta was back on the bench after a bout of coronavirus forced him to miss arguably their best performance of the season in the 2-1 defeat to Manchester City last weekend.
But he was not happy with what he saw at the City Ground, with substitute Lewis Grabban getting the winner for Forest, who were also the last team to beat Arsenal at this stage of the FA Cup.
Speaking after the game, Arteta told ITV Sport: "We are out of the competition and we have to apologise.
"When you have nine players out, that's a big explanation, but still I don't want to use excuses.
"The team we put out, I expected them to play better and to compete better than we did.
"When you don't do that in a cup against any opponent, you're out.
"What we've done today is nowhere near the standard required."
The 34th-minute withdrawal of left-back Nuno Tavares after a very sloppy start was the first indicator of potential frustration on Arteta's part.
Yet he opted against criticising the youngster, putting it down to a desire to simply change the level of the team.
Asked if it summed up his frustration, Arteta added: "No, it was a decision you have to make in certain moments to try improve the performance of the team, and that's what I did."
Arsenal will look to get this defeat out of their system as soon as possible, with an EFL Cup semi-final first leg against Liverpool and a north London derby trip to Tottenham on the horizon.
The holders were poor for much of normal time, which looked to be coming to an end with Smith Rowe sent off for a foul on Sean Longstaff.
However, the VAR advised referee Chris Kavanagh to revisit that decision, which was overturned, allowing Smith Rowe to make the most of his reprieve by punishing a wasteful Newcastle side with a 109th-minute goal.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang's simple strike added a second and, while there is concern for Arsenal over Gabriel Martinelli, who suffered an ankle injury in the warm-up, Mikel Arteta's men will be thankful to have kept their defence alive following a below-par display.
A double for Eddie Nketiah helped fire Mikel Arteta's men into the fourth round with a 3-0 victory earlier this month.
But Arsenal were subsequently charged by the Football Association (FA) for failing to control their players after they surrounded referee David Coote protesting for a penalty in the first half.
Arsenal appealed the charge but have now seen their appeal turned down, and will have to pay out the financial sanction.
"Arsenal FC has been fined £40,000 after its players surrounded a match official during the FA Cup tie against Oxford United FC on Monday 9 January 2023," read a statement from the FA.
"Arsenal FC denied an allegation from the FA that the club had failed to ensure its players conducted themselves in an orderly fashion during the 34th minute, and the club also requested a hearing.
"An Independent Regulatory Commission subsequently upheld the allegation and imposed the club's fine.
"Its written reasons for these decisions will be published in due course."
This is the second financial penalty Arsenal have been hit with in January, having also been fined for their conduct against Newcastle United in a Premier League encounter.
On that occasion, the Gunners were also cited for failing to control their players in response to a no-penalty call from the officials in the closing stages of a 0-0 draw.
Gunners players mobbed referee Andy Madley in the 95th minute of the stalemate on January 3, convinced they should have been given a penalty.
Granit Xhaka's cross struck the arm of Jacob Murphy from a few yards away, and Madley opted against awarding a penalty.
Arsenal players reacted furiously, surrounding the official, while head coach Mikel Arteta vented his frustration on the sidelines.
A statement from the Football Association on Friday confirmed their punishment.
It read: "Arsenal have been fined £40,000 for breaching FA Rule E20.1 during their Premier League fixture against Newcastle United on Tuesday, January 3.
"Arsenal admitted they failed to ensure their players conducted themselves in an orderly fashion during the 95th minute. An independent regulatory commission imposed the club's sanction during a subsequent hearing."
Arsenal are also awaiting confirmation of another sanction relating to the FA Cup, having been charged for the same offence after players reacted in a similar fashion to another penalty claim against Oxford United.
The latest figures from the World Health Organisation (WHO) put the number of confirmed cases at 86,927 in 59 countries, with 2,976 people killed.
Sporting events have been affected as countries take measures to contain the outbreak, with Swiss Super League and some Serie A fixtures having been postponed this weekend.
Matches in England have not yet been disrupted but, with 23 confirmed cases of the disease in the UK as of early on Sunday, there are growing concerns that competitions could be impacted.
Arsenal head coach Arteta insists there is no great anxiety within the club but accepts the players' families, particularly those from abroad, are worried.
Arteta also made it clear the club are following advice from authorities as they prepare for Monday's FA Cup fifth-round meeting with Portsmouth on Monday.
"[We are] not anxious," he said. "Obviously, we read the information, it's all the time in the media.
"Our families are concerned. We have a lot of foreign players with foreign families in different countries so it's something that is on a daily basis.
"The club and the authorities are in contact every day. We are following all the instructions from the club doctor.
"So far, the protocols we have been doing are enough but obviously don't know to what stage it is going to develop.
"We've seen in other countries the difficult decisions they have to make around it to protect the situation, so we have to wait and see and be guided by them."
Arsenal endured a difficult week as they exited the Europa League following a shock 2-1 home defeat to Olympiacos on Thursday, which saw them lose the last-32 tie on away goals.
Arteta is now hoping for a long run in the FA Cup to bring some positivity to the Gunners' season.
"It's really special," he said of the competition. "It's probably one of the nicest games and days of the season when you play the final day in England, at Wembley, nice weather and an incredible atmosphere.
"And you know, it's a trophy that's been very much linked with our history. So, we want to continue to be attached to that, knowing that on Monday night in Portsmouth, it will be tough."
The Arsenal manager worked under Guardiola at Manchester City before taking charge at Emirates Stadium in December 2019, and is now in the middle of a title race in the Premier League with his former mentor.
Speaking at a press conference ahead of Friday's game between the Gunners and City and the Etihad Stadium, Arteta said he was inspired by Guardiola, and compared his impact on football to that of Johan Cruyff.
"I feel gratitude, first of all, because he inspired me as a player, and he inspired me and gave me the opportunity as a coach," the Spaniard said.
"I wouldn't probably have had the career that I had as a player, the understanding of the game or the purpose that I had as a player if he hadn't been at that time at Barcelona.
"And I wouldn't be sitting here and having that willingness and that love for coaching if we hadn't crossed in my life and he hadn't given the opportunity that he gave me. That's it."
Arteta spent three years as a player in Barcelona's C and B teams before leaving for Rangers in 2002, while Guardiola was a part of the Blaugrana's first team at the same time.
"I was looking at him and I just wanted to do it what he was doing," Arteta explained. "And I loved the way he played and the way he was transmitting on the pitch and his understanding what was happening on the pitch. It was an inspiration, since I was 18 years old."
Guardiola helped turn Barca into a dominant force as a head coach, before successful spells at Bayern Munich and City, and Arteta said he has picked up a lot from working with him closely.
"I think the influence that Pep has had on football in the past 20 years, it's just incredibly powerful," he said. "He changed the game, like Johan did in the past... we have been inspired by a lot of things that he's done.
"Everyone has to build his own career and his own pathway. A career is not for six months, or a year, or two years. Let's see and let everybody develop the way that they should."
Saka was withdrawn in the second half of a victory at the Kassam Stadium on Monday that set up a fourth-round tie at Manchester City.
Arsenal face fierce rivals Tottenham in the Premier League on Sunday and the sight of Saka limping off was a concern for the leaders.
But Gunners manager Arteta revealed the England winger is "fine" ahead of the short trip to do battle with Spurs this weekend.
Arsenal outclassed League One side Oxford following a lacklustre first-half display, Mohamed Elneny opening the scoring before the in-form Eddie Nketiah helped himself to a clinical quickfire double.
Vieira came into the starting line-up as one of seven changes made by Arteta and whipped in a brilliant free-kick for Elneny to break the deadlock with a header, then set up Nketiah for the second goal.
The midfielder has endured a frustrating start to his Gunners career due to injury, but Arteta is in no doubt he will prove to be a shrewd signing.
Arteta told ITV Sport: "He has the quality. He is a really creative player, and he can decide games in the final third. He made a difference."
Nketiah has scored four goals in as many games since the World Cup in the absence of the injured Gabriel Jesus, taking his tally for the season to seven.
Arteta said of the striker's form: "It is what we want from every player. I am delighted. You have to be scoring goals, and he is doing it."
He added: "We have only one [striker]. And to cope for that many months until Gabby's back is not easy. We have to make the most out of the players we've got."
Arteta worked under the tutelage of Guardiola as his assistant from July 2016 until departing to replace Unai Emery as Arsenal head coach last December.
Earlier this month, Arteta had an unhappy return to the Etihad Stadium as the Gunners were beaten 3-0 by City when the Premier League returned from its coronavirus hiatus.
He has a chance to avenge that defeat before the end of the campaign after the teams were drawn to face one another in the FA Cup semi-finals, with Arsenal overcoming Sheffield United and City defeating Newcastle United to make the last four.
Arteta recognises the challenge Arsenal face but acknowledges to win the biggest prizes Arsenal have to overcome the best teams.
"We have spoken a few times in recent weeks. Facing them again in the semi-final is a tricky one but look at the level of the teams who are involved in the competition," Arteta said.
"If you want to win the title, you have to beat the best teams and if we want to do that we have to beat City."
Arteta may no longer work under Guardiola but says he is still able to seek his counsel.
"Yeah, he's a person that I have huge respect and admiration [for] and we talk about a lot of things," he added.
"When I need advice or I want him to support me he's always there and willing to help me. For me it's great to have someone like him around."
Since leaving City for Arsenal, Arteta has sought to blood the youngsters within his squad.
Bukayo Saka has particularly flourished under Arteta, while big things are expected of academy prospect Folarin Balogun.
Both youngsters are out of contract in June 2021, with Saka linked to the likes of Borussia Dortmund and Liverpool, while Southampton are said to be monitoring Balogun's situation.
But Arteta is confident of tying both players down to long-term contracts.
"I am not worried because I know that the club is doing their best to try to keep them," he added.
"Hopefully we can have some good news about them very soon. They know my opinion on them and how much I like working with them, the intention that I have in the future with them.
"I see them really committed and hopefully we can find the right agreement for both parties and move on, because I think there's a great future ahead of us with these kids."
Mitch Pinnock cancelled out Emile Acquah’s early opener but second-half goals from Tom White and Ben Whitfield secured a 3-1 victory as the Bluebirds secured their place in the draw for the second round.
“I’m really pleased with everyone,” said Wild. “It was a real graft and I thought we looked a bit tired after the game on Tuesday, which is why I made the changes at half-time.
“That gave us a bit more life and energy and it was a really good performance and a really solid performance.
“Yes, the second and third goals were fortunate but that comes from putting teams under pressure and making them do more and I’ve just said that to the players in the dressing room.
“We played winning football once we were 2-1 and 3-1 ahead and that’s when we were at our best. We pressed, we drove with the ball, we defended properly and we didn’t mess about in dangerous areas.
“Northampton are in a rut at the moment but they’ll come out of that rut because they have some top players and we all go through periods during the season when things don’t go our way.
“Northampton had an outstanding season last year and they beat us up home and way so to come and get a result, I’m really pleased.”
Northampton have now lost their last four FA Cup first round ties and are six without a win in all competitions.
Manager Jon Brady said: “We just didn’t defend our box properly at the start of the game and that allows them an easy goal and an easy start.
“We work our way back into the game, we create one or two good chances and then we get the goal and going into half-time I feel we’re in the ascendency.
“Will (Hondermarck) misses that one on the line just before half-time and then we start the second half well but their second goal takes the wind out of us and that shouldn’t happen.
“It’s not happened to our teams before and we gift them the third goal. We’re just giving away too many easy goals at the moment.
“It might have been a different story if we take those chances and we should have been at least 2-1 up, I don’t know how Will’s not scored, but it’s too easy for teams to score against us.
“The way we’re starting games is killing us and we’re giving ourselves a mountain to climb.”
Corr, who took temporary charge when manager Mark Bonner was dismissed on Wednesday, said the club was already in talks with prospective new coaches.
He will take training again on Monday, but said: “I spoke to Ben (Strang, Cambridge director of football) after the game. He’s had a couple of informal conversations and formal interviews will start next week.
“I’d imagine if the process moves quickly, the new manager could be in place for the Charlton game next Saturday.”
The U’s blew Fleetwood away with three goals in six first-half minutes from Danny Andrew, Elias Kachunga and Fejiri Okenabirhie, before substitute Gassan Ahadme wrapped up the scoring in the second half.
Corr said: “Fleetwood haven’t started well in the last couple of games, so we talked to the players about the importance of a fast start and the game was probably done after 15 minutes, even though I was still nervous in injury time.
“I thought our front four were unplayable at times today.”
Andrew opened the scoring in the seventh minute, curling in a free kick from 22 yards after Kachunga had been fouled by Bosun Lawal.
Four minutes later Kachunga was on target himself, following up to score when Sullay Kaikai’s shot rebounded off the post. Then in the 13th minute the impressive Kaikai set up Okenabirhie, who ran clear and finished confidently.
Brendan Wiredu put Fleetwood’s best chance wide from close range before the U’s missed a penalty in the 29th minute – Ahadme’s tame effort easily saved by Fleetwood goalkeeper Stephen McMullan after a foul on Kaikai by Lawal.
Ahadme made amends in the second half, converting Paul Digby’s 83rd-minute cross to complete the scoring.
Fleetwood’s leaky defence has now conceded 10 goals in three games and manager Lee Johnson apologised to the traveling fans for what was a meek performance.
Johnson said: “It was a crazy 15-minute spell at the start where the details were horrific in terms of our play. I picked a team that I believed could get on the front foot but we were out of sorts.
“I didn’t see that coming and 10 goals in a week is not acceptable. We’ve missed a massive opportunity to advance in the cup because I think Cambridge were beatable.”
Johnson bemoaned his side’s habit of conceding early goals. He said: “It’s been a problem all season and all we can do is get our heads down, fight, and do the basics right.”
Bodin fired the U’s in front in the 15th minute with a fine first-time finish from Stan Mills’ right-wing cross.
And he sealed their progress by firing past goalkeeper Craig Ross at the second attempt from Cameron Brannagan’s pass seven minutes from time.
The Magpies responsed well to going behind early on and had several opportunities to level.
Oxford keeper Simon Eastwood saved from Jayden Mitchell-Lawson and Kane Ferdinand, while Mitchell-Lawson and Reece Smith fired efforts wide.
Alan Devonshire’s men had the U’s defending desperately at times, before the third-tier outfit finished strongly.
Substitute Josh Murphy saw an effort deflect wide and Bodin had a header saved before he made the game safe with his second goal of the match and fourth of the season.
Goals from skipper Ricardo Santos, Paris Maghoma, Will Forrester and substitute Dion Charles, who also had a penalty saved, earned Evatt overdue success after five previous knockouts, including three with the Trotters.
The four-time cup winners had not enjoyed victory in the competition since 2019 when, as a Championship club, they beat Walsall 5-2.
Solihull, who finished with 10 men after captain Jamey Osborne’s stoppage-time dismissal, never threatened to inflict more misery on Evatt or his club.
On-loan teenager Tommy Simkin saved from Maghoma, who also hit the bar, and Dan Nlundulu before Ricardo headed in Aaron Morley’s 39th-minute corner.
Maghoma made it 2-0 in the 51st minute after James Clarke cleared off the line from Jon Dadi Bodvarsson.
Wanderers keeper Nathan Baxter, a one-time teenage Moors loanee, made a rare save to deny Richard Stearman after 58 minutes.
Forrester netted his maiden Trotters goal after 69 minutes and though Charles was denied by Simkin from the spot, he atoned three minutes from time.
Wales international Brooks scored one goal and provided two assists as the Cherries racked up their biggest FA Cup win against a Football League side since beating Bristol Rovers 6-1 in the 1927-28 season.
Both teams made five changes from their weekend line-ups but that did not stop Bournemouth making light work of their Championship visitors to move into the last 16 for only the third time since 1989.
Andoni Iraola’s Premier League side stormed into a 3-0 lead with less than a quarter of an hour gone as Swansea’s defence completely capitulated on the south coast.
The Cherries took the lead in the seventh minute when defender Lloyd Kelly came up from the back to find himself unmarked to hook Brooks’ free-kick into the roof of the net.
Three minutes later Brooks broke free down the right before pulling the ball back for Alex Scott to make it 2-0.
Kyle Naughton hit the post for the visitors before Luis Sinisterra scored Bournemouth’s third goal with a confident finish into the far corner after Swansea goalkeeper Andrew Fisher had passed the ball straight to Scott.
The irrepressible Brooks had to wait until 10 minutes before half-time to get the goal he fully deserved after keeping himself onside to latch onto Dominic Solanke’s slide-rule pass before side-footing past the helpless Fisher.
Top-scorer Solanke, who had already fired wide from another Brooks free-kick, grabbed the home side’s fifth a minute before half-time after more dreadful defending from the visitors.
Sinisterra played in a teasing low cross from the left wing and Solanke was left with the freedom of the penalty area to side-foot his 14th goal of the season from 10 yards out.
Liam Cullen was unlucky not to reduce the deficit in first-half stoppage-time as his shot was acrobatically tipped over the bar by Bournemouth’s stand-in goalkeeper Mark Travers.
It was the first time the Cherries had been 5-0 up at the interval since beating non-league Margate 11-0 in an FA Cup first round tie in 1971.
Iraola rested Solanke for the second half but his replacement Kieffer Moore could have made it 6-0 within seconds of coming on after narrowly failing to get on the end of James Hill’s floated cross.
Moore came close again 15 minutes from time when his effort from midway inside the Swansea penalty area was deflected behind for a corner, while Milos Kerkez also slotted wide as the hosts failed to add to their tally.
The only negative for Bournemouth, already missing several key defenders, was losing defender James Hill to injury after he landed awkwardly midway through the second half.
The Southern League Premier Division South side were playing in the first round for the third time and looked set to be heading out following Fejiri Okenabirhie’s opener and Olukayode Osu’s own goal soon after half-time.
Joint manager McClurg was left ruing a penalty appeal which was turned down midway through the second half for a challenge on sub Ben Harris, whose goal two minutes from the end proved in vain.
“If it’s down the other end, it’s a penalty. That’s how I see it,” McClurg said afterwards.
“Ben’s gone through and he’s been taken from behind, it’s clear as day. Even the fourth official’s agreed with me and then changed his mind.
“We said we wanted a performance, and every single one of them has given us that. I’m extremely proud like Carl (Withers, his fellow joint manager) is and all the management team.
“I am choked about a couple of decisions, the goals, the penalty, there’s a chance at the end. I’m actually really choked about things but I’m so proud of the lads.
“Football comes down to moments. I want to focus on all the lads and what they gave us, all the efforts that have gone into this, but I really thought this would be the time that Bracknell got into the second round so I’m quite emotional about it.
“I’m sure the whole town is proud of what of what we’ve achieved. I felt it was there for us today, but that’s football.”
Cambridge boss Mark Bonner felt his side had nearly thrown the victory away despite looking comfortable at 2-0 up.
“If you want the magic of the cup you’ve got to get through the first few rounds, so we’re pleased to have done that, but the second half was ridiculous,” Bonner said.
“The way the game finished was ridiculous as well. We got away with one, really.
“They had chances to do it and they’ll think they should have done it. They probably should have done in the end because we gave them so many moments.
“We were really comfortable up to the second goal. Obviously we had lots of the ball, created lots of chances, could be a bit more clinical, but we were happy enough with the first half.
“In the second half we get an early goal and you just say ‘right, let the game roll away from them and take the game,’ but we got scruffy and scrappy.
“Every time we made changes we kept getting worse, so it was a horrible end, but just get through and have the opportunity to play another game.”
Rovers captain John Marquis converted James Gibbons’ cross to give the home side the lead within five minutes, as Thomas cleverly played the full-back into space.
The lead lasted eight minutes as winger Junior Mondal rifled in from outside the penalty area with the visitors’ first shot on goal.
A superb individual goal from Thomas, as he slalomed past three players, in the 18th minute was then followed by an assist as the 24-year-old set up Jevani Brown for Rovers’ third three minutes later.
Antony Evans netted from the penalty spot in the 40th minute after being brought down by Jacob Gratton.
Goalkeeper Shane Bland then produced a string of second-half saves and substitute Connor Simpson curled into the top corner for Whitby after Evans had lost the ball to Mondal after 59 minutes.
An own-goal by Harrison Beeden, near-post finish from Harvey Vale and Aaron Collins goal with 13 minutes left wrapped up the win for the Sky Bet League One side.
The Sky Bet League One side provided a moment of quality to take the lead after 27 minutes when Fejiri Okenabirhie exchanged passes with Adam May before firing unstoppably into the top corner.
It ended a streak of 16 consecutive fixtures in which the U’s had failed to score in the first half.
Bracknell, 94 places below their opponents in the pyramid, looked to have ruined any hopes of a comeback three minutes after half-time when a dreadful mix-up at the back resulted in Olukayode Osu putting through his own goal.
The Southern League Premier Division South side saw strong shouts for a penalty waved away after 67 minutes following Zeno Ibsen Rossi’s challenge on Ben Harris, with assistant manager Lee Riddell sent off for his protests.
The visitors did set up an intriguing finale three minutes from the end as Max Herbert’s cross was fired in by Harris from close range.
