Soccer-Sheffield United cause major Cup upset at QPR

LONDON, Jan 4 (Reuters) - Sheffield United pulled off the first major shock of FA Cup third round weekend when the third-tier English side triumphed 3-0 at Premier League outfit Queens Park Rangers on Sunday. Rangers, struggling near the foot of the Premier League table, had more misery heaped on them at their Loftus Road home, with a second-half double from winger Jamal Campbell-Ryce sealing the emphatic victory for League One's sixth-placed team. Yet on the weekend when the minnows of England's lower leagues traditionally go hunting for the Premier League Goliaths, Crystal Palace, under new manager Alan Pardew, comfortably sidestepped any possible embarrassment with a 4-0 stroll at little Conference side Dover Athletic. Another Premier League team Sunderland also prevailed 1-0 against the Championship's Leeds United, a goal from Patrick van Aanholt ensuring the result mirrored that of the teams' famous 1973 Cup final. (Writing by Ian Chadband, editing by Pritha Sarkar)