Aaron Bower was there to report for us.
Grant McCann, Donny manager, also spoke: ““I am proud of the players. They are in a good run of form, we knew it would be a tough game for us. This gave a flavour of what this club is amount. We ultimately feel this club is a Championship club and it is our job to move us through the leagues.”
Oliver Glasner spoke to the BBC: “We scored nice goals, we could have decided it a bit earlier perhaps but many positive aspects - Adam Wharton back and playing 60 minutes and also debut for Ben Chilwell.“If we can keep this until the end of the season would be okay for me! It is important now to start winning at home and next we play Everton who have been doing well with David Moyes.
“I am told [Millwall] will be a big derby. The game happened a few years ago? But it is good playing at home and it will be a great game for our fans. They will be very aggressive but playing at home to a Championship side means we have to win. I want to go to Wembley.”
Some reaction, from Will Hughes, who had an excellent game, speaking to the BBC.
“It was a good night all round. I think we’ve always got a chance and the gaffer’s told us that many times. We’ve taken all the cup competitions seriously and how we approach the game and I think that’s shown this season and it’s another chance to go far.
“We had such a poor start in the league, it was disappointing but we’ve bounced back really well. It shows a lot of character and we’re in a good position at the moment results-wise and perfomances. We’ve just got to keep that up.”
Meanwhile, that double-post has set off quite the hoops debate.
Bobby Dunnett: “I can’t stand a striped/hoopy shirt with all one colour on the back. Whilst I don’t share his preference for blue shorts, I’m grateful to Steve Parish for (amongst other things) ensuring Palace have not had such a design since he took over.”
Kevin: “Stripes are vertical, hoops horizontal. No-one calls Celtic ‘the stripes”
Joe Pearson: “Their socks definitely have hoops. Just sayin’”
Full-time: Doncaster Rovers 0-2 Crystal Palace
No shocks here. Two sharp goal, from Munoz and Devenny, did for Donny. Palace take on Millwall for some south London fun in the fifth round. Doncaster gave their all but were never quite able to land a blow.
Updated
90+4 min: Palace have seen this one out in the style you might expect from Oliver Glasner. He continues to impress, having ridden out that difficult start to the season. Chilwell, and Franca, the late sub, continue to run hard, and that’s to the approval of their manaager.
90+2 min: A consolation for Gibson? No, denied by Turner’s alert keeping. The ball’s never quite fallen for Donny’s forwards.
90 min: The final Palace sub, Caleb Kporha, once of Welling, almost scores with his first touch after Mateta’s pass but is robbed at the moment of truth.
88 min: Esse sees glory when he is confronted with Sharman-Lowe out of his box, but the goalie has left a forest of legs behind him. So it’s cleared.
87 min: Jack Senior and Mateta clash. There’s been a rolling battle there.
84 min: Chilwell and Lerna combine to clear. Plenty of defensive work being put in.
82 min: All credit to Donny, they’re having a real go at this. This does matter. Some fans have left, others are still urging on their men. Grant McCann looks in danger of boiling over.
81 min: Doncaster corner, second ball in, and there’s a scramble. Palace can’t get it clear. Molyneux does well again and then Bailey shimmies and jabs the ball at goal. It’s saved by Turner who did well when he was unsighted.
79 min: Jamie Sterry, shiner and all, is replaced by Tom Nixon. Sterry has run himself into the ground.
76 min: Another sighter for Molyneux, and he fails to hit the target. He’s had a fine game, and is putting a rusty Chilly through his paces.
Updated
74 min: Molyneux, a classic winger, once of Sunderland, spins and shoots. Just over. Something of the Stewie Downing about him.
72 min: The Doncaster drums get back up and running. It’s only 2-0, stranger things have happened, right?
70 min: Harvey Mayne gets in touch: “You obviously thought Kevin Watson’s hoops comment was so great it was worth including twice (half time and 66 minutes), but I would argue that they are stripes, not hoops, as the back of the shirt seems to be solid red.”
Thanks for checking up, Harvey.
68 min: Some ref rage when Turner scoops the ball from behind the line to prevent a corner. This leads to a revealing of the global conspiracy that all referees are against Doncaster Rovers. Stands to reason, man. Those feeling they are the victims of this pact are further annoyed when Palace zip the ball around to the sound of “olé”.
66 min: How is Ben Chilwell getting on? Quite well. Doncaster have been more of a threat down his flank.
Kevin Watson gets in touch: “Watching but not really enjoying this game, as a neutral I typically root for the underdogs, but doubly so for teams still wearing shirts with hoops. Are there many left? “
Reading and QPR come to mind.
Updated
64 min: Seems Sterry’s problem is not his thigh but his “eye”. Big shiner incoming, and a lump over his brow.
63 min: Good runout from Wharton. Will he face Everton at the weekend?
61 min: Two Palace subs, Devenny off, as Esse comes on, and then Wharton for Lerna.
Billy Sharp departs, and then Joe Ironside comes on.
60 min: Doncaster keep on the attack. Good spin from Molyneux, and then Sharp shoots. Not enough power, sadly.
59 min: The ref there: Michael Oliver?
58 min: Kari Tulinius gets in touch: “Doncaster may never have featured in the top flight, but they’ve achieved the rare distinction of being the namesake of a footballing rarity. Surely I’m not the only one who thinks of scoring straight from an opposition penalty as ‘doing a Doncaster’?”
56 min: Holmesdale massive are in full voice for Palace. I once played a game of “guess the footballer” with them on a trip from the north. Good fun.
Goal! Doncaster 0-2 Crystal Palace (Devenny, 55)
Mistake by Olowu, and Hughes dinks the ball up and Devenny lobs the ball in. A beauty. Poor Donny.
Updated
54 min: Grant McCann urges on his troops. They’re in this game now.
53 min: Doncaster on the charge. Wharton has to turn and lash the ball away after Sterry’s excellent ball in. Sterry looking lively but he’s probably running on empty. He seems to have taken a thigh knock. Let’s see.
51 min: Chances at both ends. Mateta is robbed as he makes a lovely turn and then Molyneux lashes the ball. That’s blocked, too. At last, some action.
48 min: Chilwell could have been useful at Euro 2024. But no.
47 min: Chilly is playing his first football in a while. He last played in September, last started in March. Donny also made some subs. Jack Senior and Jordan Gibson replaced Rob Street and Ethan Ennis.
We are back
46 min: Ben Chilwell is coming in for Palace. Jack Senior on for Mitchell.
Kevin Watson gets in touch: “Watching but not really enjoying this game, as a neutral I typically root for the underdogs, but doubly so for teams still wearing shirts with hoops. Are there many left? “
Half-time: Doncaster 0-1 Crystal Palace
That Munoz strike divides two matched teams. It took a moment of elite improv to separate them.
45+2 min: Street concedes a free-kick, losing his head in making such a challenge there. .Kamada takes and there’s an almighty ruckus on the line before the ball is cleared.
45 min: Two minutes are added on. Both teams up their efforts.
44 min: Oof, Donny go close. Molyneux cuts in and shoots. Better from them.
43 min: Some comedy keeping from Sharman-Lowe, and tbe ball bounces clear. There’s a shot but the ball is volleyed wide.
41 min: Oliver Glasner’s turtle-neck is under wraps. He looks cold in Doncaster. His team are doing OK, such an improvement of early in the season.
39 min: Sharp, at last, gets to spin in the box, after Street’s approach play. He shoots straight at Guehi after shaking off Guehi.
37 min: Doncaster try to fight their way back. They win a corner, but as it’s taken there’s a flag on the play.
35 min: Kamada has a shot blocked. Palace really dominant now.
34 min: Doncaster need to step this up, Palace beginning to stroll.
32 min: Lovely chorus of “Yorkshire, Yorkshire “ from the home fans.
31 min: The Palace, the Palace, the Palace fans are in full voice now. Woah oh woah oh.
Goal! Doncaster 0-1 Crystal Palace (Munoz, 30)
Clever, and instinctive. Kamada jabs the ball low, Mateta shoots, off the post and back to the lurking Munoz who thwacks in from a yard out.
Updated
29 min: Does Guehi have an injury? He stepped out and looked a bit ginger in releasing the ball. Palace win a free-kick further up the field.
27 min: Neither team looking to commit, Devenny has been lively, at least.
25 min: Mateta is the target of passes by both Wharton and Hughes. Neither get there.
23 min: Considering Mateta is on the field, Palace really have created next to nothing. It’s been poor overall, one to make those watching question their choices in life.
Updated
21 min: Donny free-kick, and it will be sent into the box…well, except it’s weak, though at least ends up with Molyneux. Palace still clear the danger.
18 min: Grant McCann is fuming there was no booking. Ennis comes back on. Slower than he was before.
17 min: Wharton, with socks rolled down, looks very comfortable. Munoz and Ennis end up in a tangle and that looks like a grim foul. He’s not booked. No VAR but Ennis is down.
16 min: A Palace corner is conceded after Anderson reads the danger. Good catch by Sharman-Lowe.
14 min: Richards has to head away after some nice weaving from Molyneux. The ball hung in the air but the defender got there first. Doncaster do look dangerous.
12 min: Nice move from Devenny, and then Munoz plays in Hughes. Sterry charges across and puts in a tackle.
Updated
10 min: Yeah, it’s been no classic so far…but here’s Billy Sharp, released by Maxwell, who lays up Ennis but the power on the shot can’t beat Turner.
8 min: Palace favouring the long throw, and the dead-ball. They have a free-kick now, Hughes chipping in, and Tom Anderson heading away with vigour.
6 min: Kamada, who has struggled at Palace, is sent away down the right but can’t beat his man. Doncaster’s backline is a bit makeshift, it’s the time of the season when the injuries hit.
4 min: It’s Palace playing the longer stuff so far. The ball is back with Rovers keeper Teddy Sharman-Lowe, on loan from Chelsea. Is he better than Bob Sanchez? Let’s see.
3 min: Great to see Adam Wharton back for the first time since October. What a ride 2024 was. It was only last January he was a Blackburn player, and ended up at the Euros. Such talent. Hope he doesn’t end up as quiz question because it’s clear he’s got plenty to achieve with his ability and reading of the game.
Updated
Away we go in Doncaster
1 min: The Palace fans have travelled up the M1 and M18 in numbers. It looks freezing cold. Doncaster engage the old high press and forced Matt Turner to lose the ball.
Oliver Glasner’s turtle-neck jumper rather unfortunately reminds of the U-Boat captain in Dad’s Army. Don’t tell him, Pike.
“When you go as a Premier League club to a League Two club it is your responsibility to win this game,” says the real Glasner, who is aware of Doncaster’s physical presence.
Richard Hirst gets in touch: “If Palace lose tonight Fulham will be the only London Premier League side in the last 16 - glory days!”
The FA Cup fifth round draw
Preston v Burnley
Aston Villa v Cardiff City
Doncaster or Crystal Palace v Millwall
Manchester United v Fulham
Newcastle United v Brighton
Bournemouth v Wolves
Manchester City v Plymouth Argyle
Exeter or Nottingham Forest v Ipswich
2) Doncaster Rovers (1997-98)
The free market rules in English football, which means pretty much anyone with a bit of spare cash can buy themselves a club. Some teams find their perfect match, a steady hand on the tiller that unleashes a club’s true potential. Doncaster got Ken Richardson. Under his ownership, Rovers lost their league status, their main stand to a suspicious fire, and their dignity.
Personal note: I attended Belle Vue in 1999 for a pre-season match with Manchester City, featuring a teenage Shaun Wright-Phillips. The away end was essentially a grass bank.
Billy Sharp, at one point the top scorer in English football in the 21st century, starts up front for Donny. Oliver Glasner ain’t no Slot, and he’s made just three changes from Old Trafford. Matt Turner’s in goal, with Adam Wharton and Justin Devenny the other changes. Chilwell watch: he’s on the bench.
The teams
Doncaster: Sharman-Lowe, Sterry, Olowu, Anderson, Maxwell, Broadbent, Bailey, Molyneux, Sharp, Ennis, Street. Subs: Lawlor, Sbarra, Gibson, Nixon, Ironside, Kelly, Senior, Westbrooke, Crew.
Crystal Palace: Turner, Richards, Lacroix, Guehi, Munoz, Wharton, Hughes, Mitchell, Kamada, Devenny, Mateta. Subs: Henderson, Matthews, Lerma, Franca, Clyne, Esse, Chilwell, Kporha.
Referee: Farai Hallam (Surrey)
The Donny manager, Grant McCann, is a good egg.
Louise Taylor speaks to Doncaster’s hitman, FA Cup legend and journeyman.
Preamble
So then, Donny, the mic is passed by Plymouth to see if they can continue a round of shocks. The stage is set at the Keepmoat, usually host to football in League Two, where Grant McCann’s men carry the flag for Yorkshire. South Yorkshire, to be precise. McCann is in his second spell at Rovers has experience of facing Premier League clubs. He’s promised his team will have a go, and if they follow the lead of Leyton Orient and the mighty Argyle, who knows will happen? Palace, doing fine in the Premier League, might rest a few from a squad that is not the strongest. So, who knows? It’s why we’re here, right?
Kick-off at 7.45pm. Join me.
