CRYSTAL PALACE 1, STOCKPORT COUNTY 0
Stockport County’s first trip in 18 years for a competitive assignment against Premier League hosts saw them suffer a single-goal Emirates FA Cup defeat in the third round at Crystal Palace.
A fourth-minute opener for the Eagles from England international Ebere Eze suggested County might be in for a long afternoon.
Although the Hatters did not concede again, and, to their credit, created several opportunities themselves as they strove, ultimately in vain, to stay in football’s oldest existing national competition.
Following a week of freezing, wintry weather, County – who had last met top-flight opposition away from home when travelling to Watford at the same stage of the cup in 2007 – took to the field 30 miles or so further south on a slightly milder Sunday in North Croydon, showing four changes from the starting line-up that had turned out to face Mansfield at Edgeley Park eight days earlier.
Corey Addai was recalled between the sticks while Tanto Olaofe, Macauley Southam-Hales and Ibby Touray were also brought back in – replacing Ben Hinchliffe, Sam Hughes, Ollie Norwood and Ryan Rydel. The latter quartet were named among the nine substitutes permitted for the competition, on a bench that also included County’s recently arrived teenage striker from Iceland, Benoný Andrésson.
The hosts, currently enjoying the 12th season of their longest-ever unbroken residency in England’s top flight, put out a side which comprised in its entirety starters with full international caps from countries spanning five continents – albeit not including goalkeeper Dean Henderson, who had played nine times between the sticks for County while on loan from Manchester United in 2016, and could boast two England caps from 2020 to his name, but missed out on the tie due to illness.
Palace scored early and, notably, did so after a four-minute opening spell of possession in which County failed to register a meaningful touch, before Eze collected Daichi Kamada’s ball from the left, turned on the edge of the area and drilled a low shot into the net’s bottom-right corner.
Embed from Getty ImagesSeven minutes later, the Hatters launched their first attack of note with Olaofe’s delivery from the right finding Kyle Wootton whose first-time shot was skewed beyond the far post.
With the mid-point of the first half approaching, Jefferson Lerma fired into the left side-netting, before Callum Camps tried his luck from distance at the other end, but the County midfielder’s shot lacked pace, and was comfortably gathered up by home goalkeeper Matt Turner who, five minutes later, also hung on to a 20-yard effort by Odin Bailey.
A promising move by the Hatters shortly after the half-hour mark saw Touray’s cross from the left nodded on by Wootton for Oalofe, whose header was caught by Turner. And five minutes before the break, Wootton headed narrowly over after latching on to another Touray delivery.
The Hatters almost finished the half with what would have been their inaugural corner but immediately after it had been earned in added time referee Stuart Attwell blew up for the break.
Palace began the second half enjoying a greater share of possession with IsmaïlaSarr seeing a shot blocked, Eddie Nketiah dragging one wide of the right post, and Lerma connecting with a Kamada free kick from the right to head into the arms of Addai.
Then, a few minutes after the hour, Olaofe pounced on a loose ball in the home area and broke through on goal only for Turner, at full stretch, to keep out the eventual shot by tipping it around the right post.
With 14 minutes left, a triple substitution by the Hatters saw the debutant Andrésson, as well as Jack Diamond and Rydel, introduced with a view to assisting the final push for a leveller. But by far the best late chance in normal time fell at the feet of Lerma, who had been played though on goal, and had rounded Addai, before blazing over.
In the final, sixth minute of time added on, Addai used his feet to keep out substitute Justin Devenny at close range, seconds ahead of the final whistle signalling the Hatters’ cup exit, as well as extending their winless run against Palace to 11 games in all competitions.
Goals: Eze (4) for Crystal Palace.
Stockport County (3-4-3): Addai; Knoyle (Mingi 84), Connolly, Pye; Southam-Hales, Camps, Bailey (Norwood 62), Touray (Rydel 76); Olaofe (Andrésson 76), Wootton (Diamond 76), Collar. Subs (unused): Hinchliffe, Hughes, Fiorini, Gardner.
Attendance: 21,014 (3,402 visitors).
Report: Gareth Evans.