Huge upset for ex-Leeds United boss as non-league minnows cause massive FA Cup shock

A former Leeds United boss has seen has side suffer a shock defeat in the FA Cup third round.

Ex-Whites chief Steve Evans has been in charge of League One side Stevenage since March 2022 and Stevenage were drawn away at National League South side Maidstone United in the FA Cup third round.

Stevenage sit just outside of the League One play-offs in seventh place whereas Maidstone are currently fifth in National League South, three divisions and 69 places below Evans' side.

Maidstone, though, pulled off the shock of the round so far in recording a 1-0 victory on Saturday afternoon as Sam Corne converted a penalty in the second minute of first half stoppage time.

Evans was gracious in defeat, saying as quoted by The Comet: "I've just been in their dressing room for them as they've been an absolute credit to the football club, a credit to themselves and I hope they get their ample rewards in the draw, I really do.

"For us, we didn’t give enough respect on the pitch, certainly in the first half. Maidstone looked the better team than us. I don't know if it's a penalty, it certainly looks a penalty but I need to look at it back.

"Second half, we gave them something to hold on to and you cannot miss the simplest of chances you can imagine that we’ve made here. You cannot imagine that we didn’t take one of six or seven. We cannot have all that dominance, all that play, all that forward momentum and all those chances.

"I can't believe we've missed four or five of them, but we have so we're paying the price. I have a little grandson who's coming up on three and I think he’d have taken one or two of them. Congratulations to George [Elokobi] and Maidstone. Good luck to them."