Crystal Palace boss Patrick Vieira believes his side had to endure some 'difficult times' during their FA Cup quarter-final victory over Everton.
Frank Lampard’s side started brightly at Selhurst Park, but not for the first time this season fell apart after falling behind. Palace would go on to claim a 4-0 victory.
First-half goals from Marc Guehi and Jean-Philippe Mateta put Vieira ‘s side in total control at the break. Then, following the interval, Wilfried Zaha and Will Hughes were both on target for the hosts.
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And, speaking after the game, Vieira admitted his side were under pressure from the start. However, the former Arsenal and Manchester City midfielder also went on to explain why not conceding an early goal was key to his side’s victory.
"Going to Wembley is fantastic. You can hear the atmosphere in the stadium, the fans; this is what they wanted and we wanted to give it to them,” he told ITV after the game.
"They've been fantastic in getting behind the team. It is just a step forward; there is a long way to go. This is an exciting period for us, we will enjoy it and we will enjoy today.
"We went through difficult times in the game, especially the first 15 or 20 minutes. But we didn't concede; when we scored first, we started to believe more and managed to win the game.
"The crucial point was the first 15 minutes because they were on top of us; they had momentum. We showed maturity because we went longer and played for the second ball - it got us into the game."
