Palace progress in FA Cup

The scoreline and timing of the goals suggests a reasonable comfortable flag-to-flag victory, but Palace didn’t have it all their own way against a determined Swindon side. Thankfully, however, there was no repeat of the League Cup mishaps where Palace were dumped out by a League 2 side, Notts County, at the first hurdle.
In front of a poor crowd, despite low advance ticket prices and some awful weather, the game commenced with a bang, with both sides going closes through Jobi MacAnuff and Ricky Shakes for Swindon.
It was Palace that struck first, however, when Shefki Kuqi got on the end of Stuart Green’s corner and headed home his fifth of the season.
Swindon almost hit back insimilar fashion five minutes later but the unmarked Jamie Vincent miscued an easy header wide just as we thought the ex-player scoring effect had returned to haunt us.
Swindon had the better of the rest of the first half chances, but Palace should have had a penalty for a blatant handball from Vincent and Stuart Green produced a masterful curling free kick that was well saved.
Palace survived a scare in the second half when Scott Flinders went walkabout, but Shakes could only fire over. Green then hit the Swindon bar saw a clever chip and Kuqi headed a McAnuff cross straight at the keeper.
With Palace now dominating, it was little surprise when they furthered their lead on 70 minutes. McAnuff wriggled his way into an opening on the left edge of the box and lashed home a superb driven shot high into the net giving the keeper no chance.
Swindon pulled one back when Ifil converted a late corner to set up a finish, that was more nervy than it really should have been, but Palace weather the storm plus an outrageous four minutes of injury time, to book their place in the fourth round and the dubious reward of home tie against Preston – the side that eliminated us at that stage last season.

Palace: Flinders, Lawrence, Ward, Hudson, Cort,McAnuff, Hughes (Kennedy 69), Fletcher (Butterfield 76), Green,Freedman (Morrison 79), Kuqi. Subs Not Used: Wilkinson, Scowcroft.

Goals: Kuqi 8, McAnuff 70.

Swindon: Phil Smith, Jack Smith, Ifil, Williams, Vincent,Shakes, Pook (Sturrock 83), Timlin, Zaaboub (Jutkiewicz 69),Roberts (Brown 69), Peacock. Subs Not Used: Stewart, Nicholas.

Booked: Peacock.

Goals: Ifil 85.

Att: 10,238
Ref: K Friend (Leicestershire).


Posted by neil