Crystal Palace secured a 3-1 victory over 10-man Millwall in the FA Cup fifth round on Saturday, capitalizing on an early red card shown to visiting goalkeeper Liam Roberts for a reckless challenge on Jean-Philippe Mateta.
Roberts’ attempt to clear the ball resulted in him kicking Mateta in the face, leaving the Palace forward needing medical attention on the pitch for several minutes before being stretchered off and taken to the hospital with a head injury.
Palace chairman Steve Parish condemned the incident, calling it “the most reckless challenge on a football pitch I think I’ve ever seen.”
With Millwall down to 10 men from the eighth minute, Palace made the advantage count, going ahead through an own goal by Japhet Tanganga.
Daniel Muñoz doubled the lead with a simple finish before Wes Harding pulled one back for Millwall just before halftime.
His goal came in the 14th minute of stoppage time following the lengthy delay for Mateta’s treatment.
Eddie Nketiah, who replaced the injured Mateta, sealed the win for Palace in the 81st minute with a well-placed looping header.
Meanwhile, Preston booked their place in the quarterfinals with a commanding 3-0 triumph over Burnley.
The fixture was a rematch of their recent English second-division clash, which had been marred by controversy when Burnley’s Hannibal Mejbri accused Preston’s Milutin Osmajic of racial abuse.
