Match report as Crystal Palace reach FA Cup quarter-finals after 2-1 home win over Stoke; Premier League side avoid upset by Championship team after Jairo Riedewald scores 82nd-minute winner; Josh Tymon had levelled for Stoke after Cheikhou Kouyate had given Palace lead in second half
Tuesday 1 March 2022 23:42, UK
Crystal Palace are into the FA Cup quarter-finals after substitute Jairo Riedewald scored a late winner to give them a 2-1 victory over Stoke at Selhurst Park.
The Dutchman's first goal of the season helped the Premier League side avoid an upset against Championship Stoke to move into the last eight of the competition.
Cheikhou Kouyate gave the home side the lead in the 53rd minute, but Stoke responded just five minutes later as Josh Tymon tapped home Romaine Sawyers' low cross.
The visitors nearly took the lead in the 79th minute after Liam Moore's chip was cleared off the line by Joachim Andersen.
But three minutes later, Palace found a winner through Riedewald who was quickest to react to Stoke goalkeeper Jack Bonham's punch as he slotted home to the relief of the Selhurst Park crowd.
A pre-match light show proved to be the most exciting thing about the opening 45 minutes as both teams failed to register a shot on target.
The two sides had made nine changes between them - Palace with five and Stoke with four - and it showed as the match lacked any flow or momentum.
But the game finally sparked into life eight minutes into the second half as Palace took the lead through Kouyate - although it was a scrappy goal befitting of the game at that point.
After a short corner, the ball fell to Jean-Philippe Mateta, whose scuffed shot deflected off of Tommy Smith in a crowd of bodies and landed fortunately to Kouyate, who lashed home.
Palace's lead only lasted five minutes though, as Stoke then scored with their first shot on target.
Following some neat work from Sawyers to beat Will Hughes and get in the Palace box, the midfielder played a clever low ball across the box that found Tymon unmarked at the back post to bring Stoke immediately level.
Palace then needed a superb clearance off the line from Andersen to deny Stoke the lead after Jack Butland's punch from a free-kick fell to Moore on the edge of the box, but his chip was heroically flicked over by the Dane.
There were no such heroics for Stoke though, after Bonham's punch from substitute Conor Gallagher's cross fell to the onrushing Riedewald who slotted home.
Palace boss Patrick Vieira, who has won the competition five times as a player, is now only three games away from potentially winning it as a manager.
Crystal Palace manager Patrick Vieira:
"I think it was a difficult game for us. We didn't play our best but we managed to go to the next round and that was important.
"I wasn't really happy with the way we performed. I think we didn't play well at all and I was really disappointed by the performance.
"I was really disappointed with the way we played because we didn't use the ball well enough, didn't create enough chances and didn't defend well as a team, so if we want to go further then we'll have to play better.
"It's a really exciting moment [to be in quarters] but it's still one step before Wembley. But we are pleased and happy to go to the next round.
"It can be an exciting season and I think we are in a position that is really exciting for us and we don't want to throw it away."
Stoke manager Michael O'Neill:
"The result was harsh on us. The first goal is not a corner so the official's got that one wrong.
"I think we had the upper hand in the game. I felt at that point we were the better team but we had a great response and scored a great goal ourselves.
"We were unlucky not to go ahead when Moore's shot was cleared off the line. It's a great piece of defending by the lad.
"I felt we looked the team more likely to win the game. There was a lot of things in the performance we were pleased with but ultimately, we've been saying that a lot recently, and we lost the game."
The draw for the FA Cup quarter-finals will take place on Thursday just before Everton vs Boreham Wood, which kicks-off at 8.15pm, with the draw being conducted by England manager Gareth Southgate at Wembley.
Crystal Palace return to Premier League action on Saturday at 3pm as they travel to Wolves. Stoke face Blackpool in the Championship also at 3pm on Saturday.
