Everton and Fulham saw off their lower league opponents to reach the FA Cup fourth round while Premier League promotion chasers, Sheffield United, were bundled out of the competition on Friday night.
Beto and Iliman Ndiaye scored late in each half as Everton claimed a 2-0 win over Peterborough hours after the sacking of manager, Sean Dyche, with youth team coach, Leighton Baines, and club captain, Seamus Coleman, managing the club in the interim.
The match came close to witnessing a piece of history for a first ever father-son duo sharing the same field for opposing teams as Ashley Young came off the bench for Everton in the closing 20 minutes of the encounter at Goodison Park.
However, Peterborough manager and Sir Alex Ferguson’s son, Darren Ferguson, did not bring on Ashley’s 18-year-old son, Tyler Young, leaving the duo with a feeling of what could have been instead.
Elsewhere, second-half goals by Raul Jimenez, Joachim Andersen and Timothy Castagne ensured there was no fantasy Cup upset for Watford after Rocco Vata had rifled in an equaliser seven minutes after Rodrigo Muniz opened scoring for Fulham at Craven Cottage.
The upset from Friday night’s Cup action would come at Bramall Lane where Cian Ashford’s 20th minute goal was enough to send Championship strugglers, Cardiff City, a 1-0 win at Sheffield United.