Doncaster 0-2 Crystal Palace: Ingenious free-kick helps Eagles set up FA Cup fifth round clash with south London rivals Millwall
- Oliver Glasner’s side proved too strong for their League Two hosts on Monday
- Munoz and Devenny fired the Eagles into the last 16 on a bitterly cold night
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Who says ingenuity has disappeared from football? At a time when a debates rages that the game is becoming predictable, all hail to Crystal Palace for reminding us that spontaneity can still reap tremendous dividends.
Finding something memorable on an achingly cold night in South Yorkshire was always going to be a challenge but Palace provided it with a 39th minute free-kick that joyful and quick-witted and helped propel them beyond Doncaster; a fifth round date with Millwall awaits.
How often do you see set pieces walloped over the bar or crashed into a wall? Rarely do you see teams trying anything different but Oliver Glasner’s men had some gumption and, deservedly, got their rewards.
Daichi Kamada was the architect, fizzing a disguised pass into the feet of Jean-Philippe Mateta, who collected the ball while red-and-white hooped shirts stood frozen as if playing musical statues – before they could react, Mateta spun and cracked a shot off the post.
It deserved to go in but Palace midfielder Daniel Munoz responded quickest and bundled in from close range to give his side a lead they would never relinquish. In attritional conditions, the skill of the execution showed why this was a bridge too far for the League Two promotion hopefuls.
‘It was a really clever free-kick,’ Doncaster boss Grant McCann conceded. ‘It was just Premier League quality.’
Daniel Munoz set Palace on their way to a 2-0 win over Doncaster Rovers on Monday night
Justin Devenny’s clever finish doubled the lead for the Premier League side as they reached the fifth round of the FA Cup
Doncaster, to their credit, were full of tenacity and battled with all they had. Before the break, Ethan Ennis, Billy Sharp and – closest of all – Luke Molyneux had opportunities that reminded Palace that this would not be a procession.
But they were always on the edge and in the second period, the contest was taken away from them. Justin Devenny, a young Northern Irishman, had spurned one glorious chance but in the 55th minute, he was set clear by a beautiful Will Hughes pass and scored his second goal for Palace with aplomb.
‘We scored nice goals,’ said Glasner. ‘Credit to my staff for how they prepared the free-kick.’
To cap a incredibly satisfactory night, there were much-needed minutes for Adam Wharton and Ben Chilwell, a sense of optimism in the packed away end. Wembley, perhaps, might just be attainable.
