During the recent dark months of administration at Selhurst Park who would have thought Dutch legend Edgar Davids would be taking his place in a Palace shirt but that is exactly what happened in this second round tie at Fratton Park.

Davids came in for his debut at left back as international clearance was received just before kick-off to ensure George Burley could name him in the side along with on loan signings Pablo Counargo and Alex Marrow.

Both sides have had well documented financial problems and the home sides line up showed the effects are still in place with Steve Cotterill only able to name four substitutes.

After a pretty even start to proceedings it was Palace who had the first real chance of the evening on the quarter hour mark when Kieran Djilali broke clear down the left and was in the box with a chance to shoot but was denied by a good save from Jamie Ashdown in the pompey goal.

Palace enjoyed a lot of good possession football in the first half an hour and Owen Garvan got on the end of a Marrow cross on the 30 minute mark but his shot went just over the bar.

A minute later a Counargo started a move in midfield by setting Wilfried Zaha free down the right and then the striker was on hand to be on the end of the cross in front of goal but his shot went just wide of the target.

Djilali was soon showing his pace down the left again as he made his way into the box and tried to curl the ball around the 'keeper into the corner of the net but he saw it go just the wrong side of the post as far as he was concerned.

A constant threat for the home side down the right was Zaha and he beat his man on 36 minutes as his cross picked out Andy Dorman on the penalty spot but the midfielder was not able to get enough power behind the shot to trouble Ashdown.

Both sides went into the break on level terms but Palace had dominated the half as a disappointing forty five for the home side only saw a shot from distance by Matt Ritchie as their main chance of note.

Zaha started the second as he finished the first as he picked up the ball just outside the box and let fly with a fierce shot which was heading for the net before Ashdown turned it over the bar for a corner. From that set piece Counargo had a fine effort with a shot on the turn but the danger was cleared.

Having not really threatned the Palace defence all evening it was to be Portsmouth who got the first goal of the evening when David Nugent collected the ball outside the box from Richard Hughes and made his way past his man before shooting low into the corner of the net past Speroni.

A change from the bench saw youngster  Jonathan Obika come on for Dorman on the hour mark.

The home side enjoyed much more of the play just after the goal and Speroni had to save from Ritchie and Tommy Smith as the south coast side looked to increase the advantage.

They should have had a second when Smith was in front of goal as a corner came over to his feet but he put the ball over the bar and a good opportunity was missed.

Palace kept pushing at the other end to get back in the game and a shot by Alex Marrow went wide of the target and a close range header from Paddy McCarthy went over the bar without troubling the 'keeper.

Nadir Ciftci came on from the bench for the home side and nearly had an impact on the game as he latched onto a ball up field and got his shot in from 20 yards out but it went inches wide.

They were soon to pay for that not going in as Palace were soon on level terms. A cross from the right by sub Kieron Cadogan was put into his own net by Ibrahima Sonka to put both teams on level terms.

For the second game running Palace found themselves reduced to ten men as Zaha was shown a red card for an off the ball incident with Carl Dickinson. Play continued but then after words with his assistant he decided to dismiss the striker.

Both sides pushed for the deciding goal in normal time but it was not to be and the game went into an extra period of thirty minutes.

The closing stages of the half saw another debutant from the Palace academy with defender Matt Parsons replacing Davids.

The first period of added time soon saw a couple of chances for the home side with Mark Wilson and Ciftci both having shots at goal but each going over the target.

Palace meanwhile continued to look dangerous on the break and Dijilali saw a shot just fall over the bar with a good effort from just inside the box.

As the first period came to a close Speroni was alert low down to his right to save a shot from Ciftci from 18 yards out.

The second half started with Obika having two good chances at goal, a neat one two saw him forcing a save from Ashdown from close range and then he had a shot from distance which went just inches wide of the 'keepers right hand post.

The home side were also pushing for the winner at the other end and Speroni saved from Ciftci and then minutes later he again shot at goal which went wide courtesy of a deflection.

As the clocked ticked down he was there again in the box to get on the end of a Wilson free kick but saw the effort go over the bar and not trouble the keeper.

This was to be the last chance of the 120 minutes as the game went into a penalty shoot out.

Penalty Shoot Out :-

Djilali   Missed

Brown : Scored

Cadogan : Scored 

Wilson : Scored 

Obika  : Missed

Smith : Missed

McCarthy : Scored

Pack : Scored

Garvan : Scored

Ciftci : Missed

Clyne : Missed

Dickinson : Missed

Barrett : Missed

Hughes : Scored

Portsmouth won 4-3 on penalties.  

Teams

Portsmouth Ashdown, Mullins (Pack 102), Mokoena, Sonko,Dickinson, Brown, Wilson, Hughes, Smith, Nugent (Ciftci 67),Ritchie (Ward 90).

Subs Not Used: O'Brien.

Booked: Wilson, Brown, Ciftci.

Crystal Palace Speroni, Marrow, McCarthy, Barrett, Clyne,Djilali, Garvan, Davids (Parsons 82), Dorman (Obika 59), Zaha,Counago (Cadogan 68).

Subs Not Used: Price, Andrew, Holland, O'Keefe.

Sent Off: Zaha (86).

Booked: Garvan, Obika.

Portsmouth won 4-3 on penalties

Att: 8,412    Referee: Dave Phillips (West Sussex).