Northern Ireland forward Jamie Donley was a surprise inclusion in the Oxford United side who were knocked out of the FA Cup by Sunderland at the weekend.
The 21-year-old, who linked up with the Championship outfit on loan from Tottenham Hotspur last month, returned to action earlier than expected after spending five weeks out with a shoulder injury.
He joined fellow Northern Ireland internationals Brodie Spencer and Ciaron Brown in the Oxford starting line-up as the Black Cats, skippered by Trai Hume, squeezed through to the fifth round with a narrow 1-0 victory at the Kassam Stadium.
Elsewhere in the competition Ruairi McConville was part of the Norwich City side who defeated Isaac Price’s West Brom 3-1 at Carrow Road, but there was disappointment for Paddy McNair as Hull City went down 4-0 at home to Premier League giants Chelsea.
Meanwhile, 19-year-old winger Kieran Morrison was an unused substitute as Liverpool cruised past Brighton and Hove Albion 3-0 in the fourth round at Anfield.
It was a memorable day for former Linfield and Irish FA JD Academy graduate Ceadach O’Neill, who was also an unused substitute after being selected for the Arsenal senior squad for the first time as the Gunners disposed of Wigan Athletic 4-0 at the Emirates Stadium.
Ex-Portadown and Larne striker Lee Bonis scored his 12th goal of the season in Chesterfield’s 1-1 League Two draw at home to Harrogate Town. His afternoon was cut short though after he was sent off for a second bookable offence just shy of the hour mark.
In the Championship Terry Devlin was in the Portsmouth side who are now just one point above the relegation zone after losing 1-0 at Fratton Park to Sheffield United, their 13th league defeat of the season.
It was Devlin’s 16th start in Pompey’s last 17 matches, and he believes he is currently in the form of his life despite his club’s perilous position in the Championship.
“I feel I’m probably in the best form of my career so far,” he told the Portsmouth News. “But it doesn’t really matter if the team isn’t winning.
“I would like the team to be winning first, however I just have to keep doing my bit and keep ensuring I’m on top of my game.
“I just feel I have been doing well, gaining confidence from it and learning wee things every game and staying on top of it, being a good pro and making sure I’m ready.”
In League One Conor Hazard returned to action after a three-week lay-off with an ankle injury to keep an eighth clean sheet of the season as Plymouth Argyle ran out easy 4-0 winners at Blackpool.
Northern Ireland U19 international striker Michael Brammeld, who is on loan at Banbury United from MK Dons, made his debut for the non-league side in a 1-0 win over Bury Town at the weekend.
In the Women’s Scottish Cup Laura Rafferty came on as a substitute as Rangers progressed to the next stage of the competition with a resounding 8-0 win at Partick Thistle, while Gemma McGuinness hit a brace for AFC Bournemouth in their 3-1 County Cup victory over Winchester City.
Finally, before their senior call-ups to their clubs' respective FA Cup squads, Ceadach O’Neill was on target for Arsenal’s U18 side against Birmingham City and Kieran Morrison scored his eighth of the campaign for Liverpool U21s in a 4-3 win at West Brom.
