Macclesfield, Jan 10: Sixth-tier underdogs Macclesfield pulled off one of the most astonishing results in FA Cup history on Saturday, defeating defending champions Crystal Palace 2-1 to reach the fourth round.
Playing five levels below their Premier League opponents, Macclesfield took the lead in the 43rd minute when captain Paul Dawson powered a header from a Luke Duffy cross past goalkeeper Walter Benítez. The underdogs doubled their advantage in the 60th minute as Isaac Buckley-Ricketts, a product of the Manchester City academy, calmly finished from close range after a scramble in the box, sparking jubilant celebrations among the home fans.
“I can’t believe it—we never imagined we’d be in this position,” Macclesfield coach John Rooney told BBC. “We were brilliant from the first minute, and I thought we deserved the win. I couldn’t be prouder of the lads.” Rooney, in his first season as manager and younger brother of former England and Manchester United star Wayne Rooney, started and ended his playing career with the club.
Crystal Palace threatened a late rally when Yeremy Pino curled a free kick over the wall in stoppage time, but Macclesfield held firm. A miscue by Palace’s U.S. defender Chris Richards in the final minute only cemented the minnows’ triumph. As the final whistle blew, fans rushed onto the field at Moss Rose, the club’s 5,900-capacity stadium, carrying Dawson and Duffy aloft in celebration.
The FA Cup has long been synonymous with giant-killings, from Hereford United’s shock win over Newcastle in 1972 to Palace’s own upset of Liverpool in the 1990 semifinals. This weekend continued that tradition, following Friday night’s remarkable result in which second-tier Wrexham ousted Premier League Nottingham Forest.
“It’s immense. This club means the world to me,” Dawson said after the victory. Palace manager Oliver Glasner admitted his team had no answers. “We deserved to lose,” he said. “You don’t need tactics for these games—just pride and effort—and we missed everything today.” Palace captain Marc Guéhi later addressed the traveling supporters in a gesture of solidarity after the shock defeat.
Elsewhere, Sunderland edged Everton on penalties after a 1-1 draw in an all-Premier League clash, while Wolves thrashed fourth-tier Shrewsbury 6-1, highlighted by a hat trick from Jørgen Strand Larsen. Leicester, last crowned FA Cup winners in 2021, defeated Cheltenham 2-0. Saturday’s later fixtures feature Manchester City hosting Exeter, Newcastle taking on Bournemouth, Tottenham facing Aston Villa, and Chelsea visiting Charlton.In transfer news, Bournemouth confirmed the sale of Ghanaian forward Antoine Semenyo to Manchester City for a reported £65 million ($87 million). Semenyo expressed his gratitude to the fans with a full-page farewell in the Bournemouth Echo.
Saturday’s results once again showcased the FA Cup’s enduring magic, where dreams of lower-league sides can come true and Premier League heavyweights are never guaranteed victory. (AP)
