Devenny downs Doncaster as Crystal Palace sail through to FA Cup fifth round

With the wind swirling, the rain beating down and an opposition brimming with confidence and roared on by a full house, this had all the hallmarks of a tricky evening in the FA Cup for Crystal Palace.

But it is perhaps testament to the turnaround in Palace’s season that Oliver Glasner’s side navigated this test fairly routinely, albeit not without a spirited showing from Doncaster Rovers, who can exit the cup with their heads held high. Their attention now turns to pushing for promotion from League Two after Palace set up a mouthwatering south London derby with Millwall in the fifth round.

Goals either side of half-time from Daniel Muñoz and Justin Devenny were enough to book Palace’s place in the next round, and Glasner will point to several other positives and reflect on this as a successful night’s work in south Yorkshire. Doncaster played their part in a compelling tie, but there could be no arguments this was the right outcome.

With Ben Chilwell making his Palace debut from the bench in the second half and Adam Wharton coming through his first start since October unscathed and looking very much the part, there was lots for Glasner to savour. Then again, the gulf between the two sides in the pyramid – almost 60 places – means the result has to be taken with a pinch of salt.

But this night and atmosphere felt ripe for a shock pre-match. That Palace neutralised it and prevented Doncaster from causing an upset means it is another tick in the box for their mid-season upturn. “I’m very pleased with the performance,” Glasner said post-match before turning his attention to the next round. “I could feel the excitement in the dressing room from the staff. It’s a big rivalry [against Millwall] and it’s important for all of us. For me personally it’s too far away, it’s three weeks away.” With so many big Premier League sides exiting already, it feels like Palace are now automatically in the conversation for the Cup.

Wharton and his midfield partner Will Hughes were particularly excellent. With Doncaster certainly not holding back and attempting to make a real game of it, the control Wharton and Hughes provided was decisive. They helped add a measure of calm to proceedings which can often go missing on nights like these.

The first goal always felt vital. Doncaster had half-chances to get it, with Luke Molyneux coming close. But just after the half-hour mark, a clever free-kick from Palace found Jean-Philippe Mateta unmarked, and while he struck the post, Muñoz was on hand to tap in the rebound  and put the visitors ahead.

It was a crucial moment. It didn’t take the wind out of Doncaster – far from it. But with a goal advantage, Glasner was able to introduce Chilwell at the break and he invigorated Palace’s performance. Mateta and Devenny then spurned big chances to double the lead and, as Doncaster began to stir into action again, it was hard not to wonder if there was still life in the tie.

Daniel Muñoz celebrates after opening the scoring. Photograph: Scott Heppell/Reuters

That question was emphatically answered soon after. Hughes produced an inch-perfect through ball that found Devenny, and he scooped the ball over Teddy Sharman-Lowe to double Palace’s advantage and put the tie beyond doubt. It restored control for the visitors just at a time when things were threatening to get wild.

Doncaster didn’t fall away, and they continued to press until the very end. But they must now focus on their endeavours in League Two. “I’m really proud of the players and the performance,” Grant McCann, the Doncaster manager, said. “It was always going to be a difficult game against a very good team. The town can be proud of its players.”

Long before full time, the chants from the travelling support – who had unfurled a banner pre-match letting the FA know how they felt about this tie being played on a Monday evening – about their local rivals had begun. In just a few weeks, they will renew rivalries for real with an FA Cup quarter-final on the line.

In a year when the tournament already feels wide open given the high-profile casualties in recent weeks, the stakes couldn’t really be much higher.