Newcastle United goalkeeper Nick Pope was the penalty shoot-out hero at St James' Park as he saved three spot-kicks to decide a tense third round tie.
Pope denied Malcolm Ebiowei, Jean-Phillipe Mateta and Luka Milivojevic at the Leazes End to help seal a 3-2 victory but it wasn't all straight-forward as both Sven Botman and Bruno Guimaraes missed kicks. But thanks to successes from Chris Wood, Kieran Trippier and Joelinton it will be Newcastle in the last 16 of the League Cup.
It was a night which always felt like it was destined for penalties as neither side really got going. United's record on penalties is abysmal at St James' Park but that changed with a victory in the shoot-out here and erased painful memories of crashing out to the likes of Leicester, Burnley and Everton by this method down the years.
READ MORE: Newcastle United fans send England message after Nick Pope's penalty heroics
Neither team could find a way through in the 90 minutes of regulation time though in a repeat of the Premier League encounter here earlier this term.
Palace earned a corner on two minutes when Dan Burn's clearance clattered off his own player. Luka Milivojevic swung the ball in but the set-play came to nothing. By the same token United looked a little nervous in the early stages as a much-changed team tried to find some rhythm.
Another Milivojevic corner found James Tomkins on the 10-minute mark but the centre-back headed over the bar. Moments later a Jean-Philippe Mateta effort flashed over the bar at Gallowgate as Palace pushed early on.
The former France Under-21 star got free down the left again mid-way through the first half but Pope flicked the ball to safety to keep the scores level. United struggled to create clear openings in the first half an hour and when Allan Saint-Maximin did get a glimpse of goal he ended up laying it off for Matt Targett on the left, only for the defender's cross to be blocked.
Newcastle's first shot on target came on 30 minutes but Elliot Anderson's effort was tame and easily gathered by Sam Johnstone. Two minutes later Chris Wood won a free-kick near the centre circle before Jonjo Shelvey tried an audacious chip from long range but the ball flew wide.
First-half frustration crept in for Anderson on 39 minutes when he was booked for taking down Jordan Ayew. And so an uninspiring first half drew to a close with the scores level.
The second half started with Wood striking the ball at the feet of the keeper and earning a corner on the right-hand side. Saint-Maximin and Targett tried to play it short but it was overhit by the left-back and the ball rolled away harmlessly for a corner.
Ayew had a sight of goal for Palace on 50 minutes but his effort was high and wide at the Leazes End. At the other end Anderson's towering header was deflected wide four minutes later as United earned another corner.
Palace's Will Hughes drove the ball at Pope on 57 minutes after Newcastle struggled to clear their lines. The game was still level after an hour with changes seemingly inevitable.
After a Targett corner was headed wide by Burn, Howe called over Bruno Guimaraes, Kieran Trippier and Sven Botman for a chat. Within minutes Howe sent all three on in a bid to inject some life into the game.
With 18 minutes to go a Trippier free-kick was whipped in from the right for Wood but he nodded over the bar. As the night wore on it felt inevitable that United were going to need their man of the moment Miguel Almiron.
And with 13 minutes to go the Paraguay skipper was summoned by coach Jason Tindall to get ready and replaced Anderson. It took Almiron three minutes to get a slice of action as he burst into the box and curved a left-footed effort at Johnstone only for the goalie to make a key save after Trippier had slipped the playmaker in.
Joelinton had a dig from 25 yards with seven minutes to go but it was watched wide by England international Johnstone. The last roll of the dice for Howe came when he threw on Joe Willock for the tiring Shelvey.
On 88 minutes Trippier's ball into the box eventually fell for Targett but he blazed over from the edge of the box. A late Bruno effort fizzed well wide and the game would be decided on penalties.
Tale of the penalty shoot-out
Newcastle
1) Wood - scored.
2) Trippier - scored.
3) Joelinton - scored.
4) Botman - Saved.
5) Bruno missed
Palace
1) Milivojevic - saved by Pope
2) Hughes - scored.
3) Ward - scored.
4) Mateta - saved
5) Ebiowei - saved.
