Report & Highlights: Palace through to fourth round after win over Stockport

Summary

• Five changes to the side which faced Chelsea, with Riad starting

• 4 - GOAL: Eze fires Palace in front with a well-taken finish

• 10: Stockport threaten with Olaofe going on a surging run

• 21: Guéhi hits the side netting from close range

• 23: Camps has a strike from distance that’s easily held by Turner

• 32: Olaofe has a chance to level, but Turner gathers it

• 41: Wootton heads over for Stockport

• 45: Eze nearly picks out Muñoz with a ball across the face of goal

• HT: Palace 1-0 Stockport

• 55: Early second-half pressure sees a flurry of set-pieces for Palace

• 61: Lerma’s bullet header is straight at Addai in the Stockport goal

• 65: Olaofe almost converts after a Palace mix-up at the back; Turner denies him

• 70: A surging run from Nketiah can't quite yield a decisive shot

• 79: Nketiah’s diving header is wide after a Guéhi flick on

• 88: Lerma fires over in a one-on-one with Addai

• 90+6: Devenny almost adds a second right at the death

• FT: Palace 1-0 Stockport

A week on from the draw against Chelsea in the Premier League, Palace welcomed League One Stockport County to Selhurst Park in the FA Cup third round proper.

Manager Oliver Glasner shuffled the pack as he made five changes - handing starts to Matt Turner, his first at Selhurst Park as a Palace player; Chadi Riad; Nathaniel Clyne; Daichi Kamada; and Eddie Nketiah.

The quintet replaced Dean Henderson, Maxence Lacroix, Tyrick Mitchell, Cheick Doucouré and Jean-Philippe Mateta, who all started against Chelsea.

Centre-back Chadi Riad lined up in front of the Selhurst faithful for the first time since sustaining a knee injury against Norwich City in the EFL Cup back in August 2024.

Spurred on by the crowd in full voice, Palace were on the front foot early on and nearly took the lead through Ismaïla Sarr, though the No.7’s effort was blocked by the recovering Stockport defence.

Momentum was with the boys in red and blue and they duly took the lead four minutes into the game. Ebere Eze found space on the edge of the box and delightfully picked out the far corner on his right foot, beating an outstretched Corey Addai in the Stockport goal.

It was some way for the midfielder to notch his sixth goal of the campaign, and his first in the calendar year 2025.

Stockport were not disheartened after conceding, however, and displayed good resilience to find their footing early on. Isaac Olaofe went on a surging run down the right hand and managed to drill a cross across the face of goal that was turned behind.

Halfway through the first-half, a well-worked corner routine almost saw Palace double the lead. Chris Richards met Eze’s ball in and headed it back across into the path of Marc Guéhi - the captain met it on the volley from close range, but he could only find the side netting.

The visitor’s first attempt on goal came moments later, with midfielder Callum Camps trying to catch Turner out with an effort from over 30-yards out, but the American international easily smothered it.

Turner was called into action once more to deny the visitors half an hour in. Kyle Wooton headed a ball back across into Olaofe, following a good Stockport move from inside their own half, though Turner redacted quickest to gather the ball before he could get any meaningful contact on it.

Just before the interval there was a chance apiece for both sides, Ibou Touray whipped in a ball from the left-hand side for Stockport and found skipper Wooton in space inside the box, but he cleared the bar with his header.

Meanwhile, Eze’s fancy footwork saw him skip past a challenge and race towards the byline. He drilled a ball across the box which, if it wasn’t for Addai’s hand, would’ve perfectly picked out Daniel Muñoz who was steaming in at the far post.

Though the Eagles were a goal to the good at the break, there was still more to come in the second-half - with both sides eager to get the next goal of the game.

Palace threatened early on with a flurry of set pieces in the opening 10 minutes of the half. A couple of corners and a free-kick caused problems for Stockport, as Nketiah and Richards got on the end of them, but couldn’t test Addai.

A free-kick on the right-hand side from Kamada was floated into a packed box near the hour-mark and found Jefferson Lerma who rose highest. His header, which had incredible power behind it, was unfortunately straight at the ‘keeper.

The Hatters were nearly level shortly after Lerma’s header was saved, as Olaofe capitalised on a mixup at the back. A misplaced pass was pounced upon by the striker, though he dragged his effort wide of the mark.

Nketiah had two chances to add a second with 20 minutes remaining. The first was a surging solo effort where he ultimately couldn’t get a shot away, and the second a diving header which was narrowly over the bar following a Guéhi flick on.

In the dying embers of the allotted 90 minutes, Kamada picked out his midfield partner Lerma with a pinpoint pass on a breakaway. The Colombian midfielder managed to sit the goalkeeper down, however he unfortunately dragged his shot over the bar on his weaker left foot.

Despite numerous attempts at a second coming and going throughout the game, including a double-chance for second-half substitute Justin Devenny right at the death, the Eagles saw out the remainder of the game to get themselves into the pot for the fourth round.

There, they drew Doncaster Rovers away – with matches due to be played the weekend of Saturday 8th and Sunday 9th February.

Palace: Turner (GK), Guéhi, Riad, Richards, Muñoz, Lerma, Kamada, Clyne (Schlupp, 77), Eze, Sarr (Devenny, 64), Nketiah.

Subs: Matthews (GK), Mitchell, Lacroix, Kporha, Doucouré, Mateta.

Stockport: Addai (GK), Knoyle (Mingi, 84), Touray (Gardner, 77), Camps, Olaofe (Andrésson, 77), Southam-Hales, Collar, Pye, Connolly, Wooton (Diamond, 76), Bailey (Norwood, 62).

Subs: Hinchcliffe (GK), Hughes, Fiorini, Rydel.

As it happened