Leeds stunned by fourth-tier Crawley in FA Cup upset

Updated: May 17, 2023, 05:10 am

Premier League Leeds United suffered a shock 3-0 defeat by fourth-tier Crawley Town in the FA Cup third round on Sunday.

Leeds manager Marcelo Bielsa fielded a strong line-up for the trip to West Sussex but League Two Crawley, a non-league club until nine years ago, produced the biggest upset of the round.

- Watch FA Cup LIVE on ESPN+ in the U.S.

Since the creation of the Football League's fourth tier in 1958, this is only the second time a top-flight side has lost by three or more goals to opposition from that level in this competition.

Nick Tsaroulla stunned the Yorkshire side in the 50th minute with a superb individual goal as he wriggled free of his marker and burst goalwards before drilling the ball into the far corner.

Three minutes later Ashley Nadesan doubled the advantage, breaking into the box on the right and driving a low shot which Leeds keeper Kiko Casilla failed to keep out at his near post.

The third came when Nadesan's low drive was saved by Casilla at close-range but Jordan Tannicliffe pounced to smash the ball home.

Reality TV star Mark Wright, who featured on the famous UK show "The Only Way is Essex," came on as a substitute for Crawley in stoppage time.

"We'll take anyone from the Premier League here -- we're trying to make this place a fortress," Nadesan said.

"The whole club has done everyone proud today. The first goal was a bit of a shock but to get the second goal straight after was really big."

Crawley's squad contains several players who failed to make the grade at the top level and manager John Yems was delighted with their display.

"These players have got a lot to prove to the clubs who have released them and we've showed what we can do against a really good side in Leeds," he said.

Leeds' Ezgjan Alioski said: "We are really disappointed...especially me I'm really sad, we took the game really seriously and we wanted to win and go on a run so it is disappointing.

"Crawley played the game of their lives, and congratulations, and to beat us 3-0, I still can't believe it."