Marc Guehi confronts own Crystal Palace fans after historic FA Cup defeat to Macclesfield FC as Oliver Glasner slams Eagles flops

Looking to earn a safe passage to the fourth round of the competition they won for the first time last season, Palace were the heavy favourites before a ball was kicked at Moss Rose Stadium.

However, Glasner’s Premier League side - 117 places above their National League N/S opponents - soon found themselves 1-0 down when captain Paul Dawson headed home just seconds after having his head bandaged following a clash with Palace defender Jaydee Canvot.

Hoping to quickly turn the game on its head, the visitors made three substitutions at half time, with January signing Brennan Johnson, Will Hughes and Tyrick Mitchell introduced after the interval.

But Palace were soon trailing by two goals when Macclesfield forward Isaac Buckley-Ricketts - a former Manchester City academy player - showed quick instincts to prod the ball home just after the hour mark.

Palace threatened a dramatic comeback in Cheshire when Yeremy Pino found the back of the net with a superb free-kick on the 90th-minute mark, but the holders ran out of time as Macclesfield produced a shock for the ages.

Macclesfield's famous victory was the first time a non-league side has defeated the FA Cup holders since Palace themselves beat Wolverhampton Wanderers in 1908-09.

And immediately after the full-time whistle sounded around a bouncing Moss Rose Stadium, with home supporters flooding the pitch to congratulate the Macclesfield charges, Guehi was captured approaching the Palace fans in the away end.

Bearing the brunt of the Palace’s faithful’s frustration, the England international cut a composed figure as he calmly listened to supporters’ thoughts before television cameras cut away to Macclesfield’s celebrations.

Guehi, who is being strongly linked with a host of clubs including Manchester City, Arsenal and Liverpool ahead of his contract expiring in the summer, played for the full 90 minutes against Macclesfield.

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While Palace boss Glasner was also calm when speaking about his side’s surprise loss, the Austrian did not mince his words at the same time.

“Congratulations to Macclesfield for winning,” said Glasner. “We missed any kind of quality today. I haven’t seen anybody who could win a dribble. 

“Conceding another set-play goal [for the opener], losing the header, no timing in the header. We know this, but we have to do better. The second goal was a more slapstick goal. 

“And on the other side, if you can’t create clear chances, we didn’t have really maybe one or two right at the end, but everything else is just a lack of quality, what we’ve shown today. And that’s why we lost and we deserve to lose. Honestly, I have no explanation for what I have seen today.”

It was an emotional victory for Macclesfield, newly-reformed in 2020 after the old Macclesfield Town were wound up in the High Court, following the tragic death of former player Ethan McLeod last month.

McLeod - who was just 21 years old - was killed in a car accident while travelling back from his side’s match at Bedford Town on 16 December, where he was an unused substitute.

In an poignant post-match interview, Macclesfield captain Dawson dedicated his side’s win to McLeod, whose parents were in attendance at Moss Rose Stadium.

“That was for him,” Dawson said. “A big team performance. We’ve dug in really well, and that was for Ethan.

“I haven’t really mentioned much in the changing room. I didn't want to put the extra pressure on the lads. I had a nice message off his dad last night and I was like, do I send it to the lads, or do I tell them before the game. But I didn't really want to put that little extra bit of pressure on them with everything we've been through, so I thought I'd leave that till after the game.

“It was tough. You know, his parents are here today, young Ethan, so we need to go and see them as well. 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 pitchers up in the changing room. That 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.”

Macclesfield will find out who they will play in the fourth round of the FA Cup when the draw is made on Monday, 12 January at 6:35pm.

Meanwhile, for Guehi, Glasner and Palace, they will hope to put an end to what is now a nine-game winless run in all competitions when the south Londoners travel to Sunderland in the Premier League on Saturday, 17 January.