Crystal Palace progressed through to the fifth round of The FA Cup and earned their first win in four games thanks to a first half Wilfried Zaha goal that condemned Stoke City.
Palace were comfortable in victory throughout the contest, but faced late scares when both Joselu and Phil Bardsley went close for Stoke.
Zaha's first half goal was magical and the result could have been much more secure had Joe Ledley and Fraizer Campbell in particular not missed golden opportunities to extend the lead. But how did each Palace player perform?
Goalkeeper and defence
Wayne Hennessey - 6: Alan Pardew showed his faith in his Welsh international goalkeeper by starting him yet again following a month which has seen him make two crucial errors. Hennessey was rarely called into action by Stoke's forwards until the second half when he had to hold on to a driven free-kick by Phil Bardsley, while also keeping out Peter Odemwingie and Peter Crouch. A clean sheet will give Hennessey a huge boost in confidence as he looks to remain as Palace's first choice goalkeeper.
Joel Ward – 6: Ward's bursts forward to support Zaha were caught out twice by Xherdan Shaqiri in the first half and had the winger made the most of the space he was allowed by Ward, it could have been a very different outcome. The full-back improved in the second half and has recently made a habit of attacking the right-hand channel inside of Zaha and he almost scored from this position, however his shot whistled just past the post from 25-yards.
Scott Dann – 6: Joselu was poor in the first half which meant Dann was rarely called upon to prevent the Stoke striker. Peter Crouch came on as a second half substitute and and his aerial ability gave the Palace central defender a tougher task but coupled with Damien Delaney, he passed the test.
Damien Delaney – 6: Similarly to his defensive partner Dann, the Palace captain's duties were sparse in the first half as Palace dominated proceedings. Handed over the armband to Mile Jedinak in the second half when the Australian replaced Joe Ledley at half-time. Crouch was a handful but Delaney remained solid in an ever-improving back four for Palace.
Pape Souare – 5: Not the best performance from Souare, who could have been exposed more had Peter Odemwingie exploited his nervousness when running back towards his own goal. A few erratic clearances into the stands were covered up by his usual delightful crossing ability. The game marked a year since his arrival in English football and although he has improved immensely, he is still targeted by Palace's opposition as a weak link in the back four.
Midfield and attack
Wilfried Zaha – 8: A sensational solo goal in the eighteenth minute won the tie and throughout the game he showed just why he has been the only shining light during Palace's recent dip in form. The winger received a pass from Yohan Cabaye and a quick turn of pace outwitted two Stoke defenders before he calmly rolled the ball under the legs of Stoke goalkeeper Jakob Haugaard. While his attacking capabilities are there for all to see, it's his defensive work which often goes unnoticed. Pardew urged him to improve his defensive side of the game earlier in the season and he did well to track the runs of Erik Pieters, while also tormenting the Stoke left-back when going forward. An England chance surely beckons.
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Yohan Cabaye – 7: Cabaye had an excellent first half for Palace, which was capped off by the assist for Zaha's goal. He always looked likely to create a chance for Palace, while also being just as comfortable without the ball and making tackles as Stoke pressed Palace late in the first half. Was on the end of a horrible tackle by Stephen Ireland, which went unpunished by Mark Clattenburg, and eventually left Selhurst on crutches having been replaced by Jordon Mutch at half-time. Looks a doubt for the Bournemouth game on Tuesday.
Jason Puncheon – 6: Reverted back to his more familiar attacking midfield position and looked much more comfortable. Still took a while to offload a pass but his overall performance was much improved from previous weeks. Was booked by Clattenburg for dissent following Ireland's tackle on Cabaye.
Joe Ledley – 5: Missed a huge chance to double Palace's lead soon after the opener but somehow lofted his effort over the bar, albeit stretching, from about five yards out. Palace needed a bit more bite in their midfield and Ledley failed to produce this and was replaced at half-time by Jedinak.
Chung-yong Lee – 6: This was one of Lee's best performances in a Palace shirt and the winger was rewarded with a full ninety minutes having had minimal game time this season. His superb dribbling ability is coupled by an excellent work rate and Pardew could feel a bit regretful that he refused to use Lee more in his side's recent dip in form.
Fraizer Campbell – 6: Campbell was reportedly the subject of a rejected Leeds United bid just 24 hours before kick-off but managed to put in a good performance against Stoke. Came close to scoring in the second half when he improvised to flick a Souare cross towards goal, but his effort was matched by Haugaard who tipped the ball onto the crossbar. Could still depart the club on deadline day but Pardew currently appears to trust him more than the likes of Dwight Gayle and Mourouane Chamakh.
Substitutes
Mile Jedinak (Ledley, min. 46) – 6: Replaced the ineffectual Joe Ledley at half-time in a bid to match the fiesty Stoke midfield and the club captain fared well in a typically nothing-too-spectacular performance. Played in a holding role which allowed Jordon Mutch more freedom to join the attack and helped Palace to victory.
Jordon Mutch (Cabaye, min. 46) 6 – Came on at half-time in the place of the injured Yohan Cabaye and played very well. Produced a good variety of passes and would have scored had Marouane Chamakh's cut-back in the final few minutes not been intercepted.
Marouane Chamakh (Campbell, min. 81) N/A – Fraizer Campbell limped off with cramp late in the game and was replaced by Chamakh who is still returning to full fitness. The striker's only real contribution was to attempt to supply Mutch with a simple tap-in but Philipp Wollscheid prevented the score from being doubled.