Non-league Macclesfield stun holders Crystal Palace in one of the greatest FA Cup shocks
Macclesfield 2-1 Crystal Palace: The Silkmen, who are 117 places below the Eagles, became the first non-league team to defeat the FA Cup holders since 1909
Non-league Macclesfield produced one of the greatest FA Cup shocks of all time by knocking out holders Crystal Palace in a stunning 2-1 upset at Moss Rose.
Eight months after Palace lifted their first major trophy by defeating Manchester City at Wembley, the Premier League side became the first FA Cup holders to lose to non-league opposition since Wolverhampton Wanderers in 1909.
Macclesfield, of the sixth tier, started the day 117 places below the Eagles in the English football league pyramid. But inspired by goals from captain Paul Dawson and Isaac Buckley-Rickett, and overseen by coach John Rooney, the younger brother of former England and Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney, they overturned the odds in a hugely emotional day for the Silkmen.
Thousands of supporters flooded onto the pitch at the sound of the full-time whistle as Macclesfield became the first sixth-tier team to beat Premier League opposition. In terms of league position, and the 117-place gap between the sides, it is the biggest-ever FA Cup upset in the history of the oldest cup competition in the world.
It is also a win that could kick-start a new dawn for the club after years of turmoil off the pitch. Macclesfield were reborn in 2020 after going out of business and being expelled from the Football League. The historic club Macclesfield Town, formed in 1871, were wound up in the High Court after their debts exceeded £500,000.
Macclesfield’s victory also came less than a month after young forward Ethan McLeod was killed in a car accident at the age of 21, with tributes paid to the former Wolves academy graduate before the match. McLeod’s parents were guests at the Moss Rose stadium, with captain Dawson dedicating his side’s victory to a player who was part of the Macclesfield squad that knocked out Slough Town in the second round.
“That was for him, that was for Ethan,” Dawson said. “It’s been a really tough time and we’ve all stuck together through it. It’s never, ever gonna get easier. We’ve still got pictures up in the changing room. Those will never go. It has been really tough. But Ethan, I think he’d be looking down today and he’ll be proud of us as well.”
John Rooney’s side, who are 14th in National League North, took the lead when the bandaged skipper Dawson, who worked as a motorway supervisor, planted a back-post header into the far corner shortly before half-time.
Palace, who named a starting lineup that included England internationals Marc Guehi and Adam Wharton and the £26m Spain winger Yeremy Pino, were disjointed throughout on an artificial pitch and Macclesfield doubled their advantage in the 61st minute when Buckley-Rickett flicked in.
To manager Oliver Glasner’s growing frustration, Palace could not find a way back into the match until Pino curled in a free-kick in the final minute of normal time.
Macclesfield faced six minutes of stoppage time, in a nervy ending for the sold-out Moss Rose crowd, but John Rooney’s team held on to claim a memorable victory in front of his older brother Wayne, who was on punditry duties for the BBC and looked to be on the brink of tears at full time. “He has not long been the manager,” Rooney said. “I am so proud of him.”
“I can’t believe it, I can’t get my head around it,” John Rooney said. “We were incredible from the first minute. I thought we were deserved winners. I couldn’t be any prouder of the lads. I couldn’t have asked any more of them and you can see the joy in them.”
A furious Glasner congratulated Macclesfield for their victory and said Palace “deserved to lose” as he lamented the lack of “quality” in his team. Meanwhile, club captain Guehi was seen speaking to angry Palace supporters in the away end.
“I haven’t seen anybody who can, who could win a dribble,” Glasner said. “Then conceding another set-play goal, losing the header, no timing in the header. We know this, but we have to do better. Second goal was more, a slapstick goal.
“And on the other side, if you can’t create clear chances, we didn’t have really any – maybe one or two right at the end – but everything else is just a lack of quality what we’ve shown today. That’s why we lost and we deserved to lose.
“Honestly, I have no explanation for what I have seen today. I played for 19 years and you don’t need tactics in these kind of games, you don’t need a manager.
“I think if you just show what you’re capable of and have a bit of pride, then you perform in a different way, but today we missed everything.”
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments
Bookmark popover
Removed from bookmarks