Minor league Exeter City have shown that the FA Cup is not to be messed with after taking holders Manchester United to a replay and forcing their manager Alex Ferguson to field a much stronger team.
The Devon side's shock goalless draw at Old Trafford and a battling display in their 2-0 home defeat in Wednesday's third round replay brought some romance back to the Cup.
The English Premier League's big guns had threatened to devalue the status of the world's oldest knockout competition by fielding weakened sides but they were soon found wanting.
Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez paid for leaving out a host of first team players as his side put in a poor performance and lost 1-0 at second division Burnley on Tuesday.
Chelsea and Arsenal went a goal down against Scunthorpe United and Stoke City a week and a half ago before their mainly second string players turned those games around.
Ferguson, who labelled the Old Trafford draw by his reserve side as United's worst FA Cup performance, acknowledged in the wake of Wednesday's victory that no third-round game was easy.
"Cup games in January are played in all different types of conditions and it lends itself to a shock," said the Scot after a late Wayne Rooney goal and Cristiano Ronaldo's early strike helped his lacklustre team earn a home tie with Middlesbrough.
"There is nothing in tablet about how a Cup game goes. It's about luck and determination. They (Exeter) have shown every small club they can make it their day."
Throughout City's adventure, manager Alex Inglethorpe has shown a poise and coolness many Premier League managers would be proud of and a move to league football may not be far away.
WEAKER SIDES
However, he also signalled his respect for the leading Premier League teams, saying they were right to play weaker sides at this stage of the FA Cup.
"Barring Liverpool, all those clubs have gone through. Whoever they have utilised in their squad they have been proved to be right," Inglethorpe said. "United had the ball an awful lot more than us but second half we made a game of it."
The undermining of the FA Cup by bigger sides is nothing new after United pulled out in 2000 to concentrate on playing in the ill-fated World Club Championship in Brazil.
But last season as Arsenal were storming to the league title undefeated and United bowed out of the Champions League early, the FA Cup suddenly became the Old Trafford club's only chance of silverware and they went on to beat Millwall in the final.
Despite winning the famous old trophy, United's season was still viewed as disappointing with the prestige and financial rewards of Champions League success outweighing any sense of history.
Inglethorpe must now prepare for a weekend trip to leaders Barnet in the minor league Conference but despite his team's gutsy performance he is still annoyed at losing to United.
"There is always a tinge of disappointment no matter who you are beaten by," he said.
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