Six Premier League clubs advanced to the next stage of the FA Cup with Chelsea, Newcastle United and strugglers Sheffield United the most impressive winners in the third round.

Chelsea were held scoreless for the first 58 minutes by second tier Preston North End at Stamford Bridge on Saturday (Sunday NZ time), but produced a blistering late finish to win 4-0.

Armando Broja broke the deadlock with a glancing header, which opened the floodgates.

Two goals within three minutes, another header by Emiliano Tiago Silva and a superb freekick by England international Raheem Sterling, killed off any hope of an upset.

Enzo Fernandez added the fourth goal for Chelsea, who visit another second tier side, Middlesbrough, for the first leg of the League Cup semifinal on Wednesday.

Newcastle, who have slipped to ninth in the Premier League after seven consecutive defeats across all competitions, won 3-0 at fierce regional rivals Sunderland.

Swiss striker Alexander Isak grabbed a double after a first-half own goal by Sunderland’s Daniel Ballard at the Stadium of Light.

Newcastle manager Eddie Howe said the “win means a lot’’.

“This fixture is hugely important and the most important thing is our confidence was back,’’ he told a post-match press conference.

“ It’s been a frustrating time for us and our injuries are still a big problem, but physically we look stronger. That extra gear was back. And we’ve not just won the game but kept a clean sheet.”

Premier Leaguers Bournemouth trailled 2-0 at halftime against second-tier Queen’s Park Rangers, who struck twice in as many minutes just before the interval through Sinclair Armstrong and Australian-born Scottish international striker Lyndon Dykes.

But Bournemouth got an all-important first goal through Marcus Tavernier three minutes after the restart and went on to win 3-2 after subsequent scores by Wales’ towering targetman Kieffer Moore and Dutchman Patrick Kluivert.

“Even at half-time, we all believed we could score two or three goals,” Bournemouth manager Andoni Iraola told BBC Sport. “Luckily for us it finished well but we suffered, especially in the first half.

“We didn’t play with the required intensity and had no choice but to play much better in the second half, with more urgency and more direct attacking.

“Luckily I think we did that really well. We had the chances, we got the goals and deserved the win.”

Aston Villa needed an 87th minute by fullback Matty Cash to win 1-0 at Middlesbrough and break a run of eight consecutive third round exits.

Boro – managed by former Manchester United and England midfielder Michael Carrick – had defended superbly to hold out the Premier League’s second-placed team.

But Cash – a Poland international dubbed the Polish Cafu by Villa fans after Brazil’s legendary right back – scored after his shot was deflected past Boro’s Australian keeper Tom Glover.

It was a cruel blow for Glover, who had earlier made a brilliant finger tip save from Villa skipper John McGinn.

The former Melbourne Victory shot stopper – omitted from the Socceroos’ Asian Cup finals squad – was only playing because regular No 1 Sieng Deng was on African Cup of Nations duty with Senegal.

Premier League entertainers Brighton trailed at Stoke City after a 16th minute own goal by Seagulls defender Jan Paul van Hecke.

But Pervis Estupinan equalised for Brighton in added time at the end of the first half and captain Lewis Dunk fired them into the lead with a second half header.

Another Lewis, Baker, got Stoke back on level terms with a 63rd-minute penalty, but the second tier side lost 4-2 after two late goals by Brighton’s in-form attacker João Pedro.

Sheffield United, struggling in last place in the Premier League, won 4-0 away at fourth-tier Gillingham. A William Osula double put the Blades ahead 2-0 at halftime and James McAtee added a brace in the final 10 minutes.

The biggest third round upset saw sixth tier non-league club Maidstone United knock out third tier Stevenage 1-0.

A penalty by Sam Corne just before halftime saw the Kent side reach the fourth round for the first time since the club was reformed in 1992.

Maidstone’s stunning of Stevenage followed their second round upset of League Two fourth tier side Barrow.

It ended Stevenage’s hopes of another glorious cup run after they eliminated Aston Villa last year.

Elsewhere, there were high-scoring wins for Coventry against Oxford United, 6-2, and for Blackburn Rovers against the other university town team, Cambridge United, 5-2, while three ties resulted in replays after 1-1 draws.

FA Cup third round results (home teams first)

Coventry City 6 Oxford 2, Maidstone 1 Stevenage 0, Millwall 2 Leicester 3, Wimbledon 1 Ipswich 3, Sunderland 0 Newcastle 3, Blackburn 5 Cambridge 2, Gillingham 0 Sheffield United 4, Hull 1 Birmingham 1, Newport 1 Eastleigh 1, Norwich 1 Bristol Rovers 1, Plymouth 3 Sutton 1, QPR 2 Bournemouth 3, Southampton 4 Walsall 0, Stoke 2 Brighton 4, Watford 2 Chesterfield 1, Chelsea 4 Preston 0, Middlesbrough 0 Aston Villa 1, Sheffield Wednesday 4 Cardiff 0, Swansea 2 Morecambe 0.