Match Facts
- Date – 11th March 2016
- Venue – Madejski Stadium
- Attendance – 23,110
- Referee – Mike Dean
- Bookings – Gunter, Cooper, Hector, Jedinak, Zaha, Bolasie
- Sending off – Cooper
- Goals – Cabaye (pen, 86), Campbell (90)
- Star Eagle – Cabaye (8.8)
Match Review
Crystal Palace booked their place in the semi-finals of the FA Cup thanks to a late penalty from Yohan Cabaye and a goal from Frazier Campbell as Alan Pardew’s men are one step closer to booking a date in the FA Cup final.
The league form since the turn of the year has been a problem for Palace, but in the FA Cup they have thrived and victories against Southampton, Stoke City, and Tottenham Hotspur prior to the Reading was an indication that Palace can beat anyone on their day.
For the trip to Reading it was a case of the Eagles being the favourites, a tag that does not quite align with the club often. The hosts were not to be pushovers and that showed in the team selection by Pardew. It was the same team that faced Liverpool other than Wayne Hennessey returning after injury to replace Alex McCarthy.
The exciting Wilfried Zaha and Yannick Bolasie started as a front three along with Emmanuel Adebayor and behind them was Yohan Cabaye, who had an excellent game in the middle of the field.
The game took a little while to get going, it was a bit frantic and edgy from both sides, but once Palace got into their stride they created a host of chances in the first-half which the Reading keeper Ali Al Habsi was equal to.
Winger Bolasie had a few chances after cutting into the box, the first occasion he dragged his shot wide of the near post, and then the second was saved by Al Habsi.
It was the movement of the front three which were causing Reading problems, and when Adebayor was put through with only the keeper in front of him, the former Tottenham striker could only fire straight at the stopper.
For all Palace’s imaginative play, Reading were still holding their own, and on loan Benfica player Ola John had a great chance to put the Royals ahead. After Hennessey spilt a cross, John probably should have squared but instead opted to shoot from a tight angle and luckily for Hennessey, the ball hit the side netting.
It was turning into one of those games where the Premier League side had the majority of the chances but could not put them away, and just before half-time Joe Ledley had a glorious chance to score. A shot from Bolasie fell to the Welshman but he blazed his shot over from close range.
The second half started with Palace unlucky not to be in front, but the Championship side were still in the contest, and had a spell in the second period where they looked to press home a goal after some sustained pressure. Winger John had a great chance to put Reading in front, but his header at the back post was saved well by Hennessey.
Palace held firm, and captain Mile Jedinak had a fine header saved from Al Habsi yet again. There was a sense Palace were going to score sooner or later, and they did with just five minutes left to play.
Last weekend, Palace fell foul to a dubious penalty decision but this week we were awarded what seemed to be a fairly soft penalty. Defender Jake Cooper put his arm across Bolasie as he was chasing down a through ball and the Congo international went down. Referee Mike Dean awarded a penalty and handed Cooper his second yellow card.
Cabaye stepped up and fired straight down the middle, Al Habsi getting a hand to it but the ball nestled in the corner of the net to give Palace a crucial advantage.
Just as the game was petering out, Zaha, Adebayor and substitute Campbell combined excellently resulting in the late substitute to score the second for Palace and seal what was a very tough cup tie.
Palace booked their place in the last four much to the delight of the travelling away fans, who now wait the draw on Monday evening with baited breath to find out who the red and blue will take on at Wembley.
TEB Verdict
For all the disappointment of the Eagles form in the league, it was terrific to witness a spirited effort by the Eagles in the FA Cup once again. There is something special about reaching the semi final stage of the competition for the first time since 1994/95. It is another chance for Palace to paint Wembley red and blue once again.
Player Ratings (courtesy of Who Scored)
- Wayne Hennessey (7.3) – Returning from injury, the Welshman looked a little shaky as he dangerously spilled a cross but he did make a crucial save late on.
- Joel Ward (7.4) – A night for defending, as Ward rarely showed his attacking play but he dealt with what he faced well.
- Scott Dann (7.9) – Another good performance, assured on the ball and a leader at the back.
- Damien Delaney (6.9) – The partnership works so well, and Delaney was again solid. Caught for pace a few times, but generally mopped up well.
- Pape Souare (7.9) – Struggled to get forward in the first-half, but in the second he was much more dangerous by putting several crosses into the box.
- Mile Jedinak (8.0) – Captain’s performance as the Aussie showed his strength in the midfield. Had a good battle with one time Palace target Michael Hector.
- Yohan Cabaye (8.8) – The Frenchman was excellent, his set pieces were on point and calmness on the ball allowed our flair players to go and express themselves.
- Joe Ledley (6.3) – Good showing from the bearded genius, added experience to our midfield. Replaced by Bakary Sako (6.4) on 79 minutes who did not have enough time to show what he could do.
- Wilfried Zaha (7.5) – Lively and always willing to take players on but he has to watch his temper as teams will always look to wind him up.
- Yannick Bolasie (8.0) – It is great having Bolasie back in the squad, he really adds an extra dimension, and last night was a constant threat. Replaced by Frazier Campbell (7.0) on 90 minutes who scored with virtually the last kick of the game to send the Eagles to Wembley.
- Emmanuel Adebayor (7.4) – Had a good chance to score in the first-half but did not take it. His touch was superb and also his hold-up play which allowed other teammates to get into the game. Sublime pass for the second goal
Unused substitutes – Alex McCarthy, Martin Kelly, Jason Puncheon, Dwight Gayle, Jordan Mutch
Match Statistics
The Who Scored man of the match was Yohan Cabaye (8.8) while Yannick Bolasie (6) had the most shots. Jordan Obita (5) made the most tackles and Wilfried Zaha (7) had the most dribbles.
- Team rating: 6.51 – 7.42
- Total shots: 10 – 23
- Shots on target: 3 – 9
- Possession: 49% – 51%
- Pass success: 67 – 68
- Dribbles: 11 – 16
- Aerials won: 19 – 33
- Tackles: 17 – 10
- Corners: 3 – 15
- Dispossessed: 9 – 7
