Sign in. It’s quick, free and it’s up to you.
An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more.
CRYSTAL PALACE REACHED the FA Cup final for the first time in nine years as Ismaïla Sarr’s double and a rocket from Eberechi Eze sealed a 3-0 win against Aston Villa at Wembley on Saturday.
Oliver Glasner’s side took the lead in the semi-final through Eze’s long-range blast before Sarr netted twice in the second half.
In the final on 17 May, Palace will face Nottingham Forest or Manchester City, who meet in the second semi-final on Sunday.
The Eagles have never won the FA Cup, losing their two final appearances against Manchester United in 2016 and 1990.
Villa, who last won the FA Cup in 1957, were hoping to make the final for the first time since 2015.
But Unai Emery’s team produced a dismal display and will have to settle for fighting to qualify for the Champions League via a top five finish in the Premier League.
Jean-Philippe Mateta had the ball in the back of the net just before the half-hour mark, but it was chalked off after a VAR check confirmed the French striker had fouled Ezri Konsa in the build-up.
There was no such doubt about Eze’s opener, however, after Sarr got in the way of Pau Torres’ pass, then collected the resulting ricochet to the right of the Villa area.
Sarr found Eze and the midfielder curled a superb strike beyond the reach of Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez.
Torres looked for an instant reply when he nodded just over the crossbar.
Konsa came closer, forcing Dean Henderson into a low save with a header of his own from a corner.
Villa piled on more pressure after the restart when Henderson made another fine save to deny John McGinn’s sharp volley, then Lucas Digne fired narrowly wide through a crowd of players.
Palace were awarded a 53rd-minute penalty after Eze was tugged down by Boubacar Kamara and Mateta stepped up to the spot after a VAR check, but his shot clipped the post and went wide.
Just as Villa started to gain momentum, Adam Wharton intercepted a pass and, after a quick touch from Mateta, Sarr fired into the bottom corner.
Henderson repelled a blast from Villa substitute Leon Bailey, moments after Mateta slid in to deny Ross Barkley.
Sarr nodded Eze’s cross off target, while Matty Cash’s attempt to claw a late goal back for Villa sailed wide.
Sarr put the seal on Palace’s impressive performance in stoppage-time, outpacing Konsa before slotting home to send the Eagles into the final.
Written by AFP and originally published on The 42 whose award-winning team produces original content that you won’t find anywhere else: on GAA, League of Ireland, women’s sport and boxing, as well as our game-changing rugby coverage, all with an Irish eye. Subscribe here.
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
You do know young are facing the same problem all over the country. It’s not just Dublin. The housing market is broken all over the country and people are angry. If you are heading for 40 and don’t own your own home you are in trouble because a mortgage of €450k(govt says its affordable) needs to be paid back over 25 years meaning payments are huge on it.
@Diarmuid O’Braonáin: your right. The rising price of materials is not helping at all. The price of land also.
The lifting of silly restrictions around town lands would help. Their forcing everyone into towns or just do nothing and get a free A rated home
Or just wait for a free home.
@Stephen: Exactly. They want everyone living in identical semi Ds or boxy cramped apartments. Now they won’t let you even own it. The councils are in cahoots with developers, only making large sites zoned for residential bit-by-bit that only large development companies can afford. Meanwhile I’ve seen small sites within LAPs, surrounded by houses, refused planning because the land was zoned agricultural. Small sites zoned residential are very very rare and are usually not very good. And you can forget about outside towns; you have to have a “genuine need”, be from the area (5km of the site) or living there 7 years and working there too despite the fact that the “locals only” rule is illegal under EU law. The council controls zoning. They can buy large tracks of agricultural land for cheap next to towns (or use government owned land), split them into smaller plots, service them and sell them on with planning guaranteed for reasonable development at cost.
@Stephen: Ireland is the least densely populated nation in the EU yet we have the highest land prices. There should be a tax on land hoarders.
All those empty buildings in Dublin and other town centres should be taxed (not just property tax but a ‘derelict’ tax) Thus the market would be larger with more land/buildings changing hands.
More supply will mean lower prices.
Then you think of the Billions spent on the hospital by Leo. I wonder how many houses could have been built for two Billion?
While I’m on a roll…..
3. Move all government offices and functions out of Dublin city centre and remove ALL parking spaces from government / public service employees – Thus driving a move towards reducing pressure on Dublin housing and infrastructure.
@Pete Lee: Ok, you lost me here. So no schools or hospitals to allow their empolyees to park there as long as they are in Dublin city centre. I assume Rotunda midwifes are all supposed to cycle to work?
Thousands of council residential property’s empty, awaiting refurbishment!!! Outsourcing that work if the councils can’t or won’t do it would be a massive dent. There just does not appear to be an appetite for it. Question is why?
@Tony Harris:
Very good Question!
Yet the excellent Peter McVerry Trust has a useful scheme whereby unloved dilapidated single houses owned privately around the country are brought back into use by clever funding arrangements with the owner and working closely with Local Councils with housing requirements.
Tradesmen hired to carry out the work are paid market rates for their services.
So, whose feelings do the Councils not want to hurt by tackling something very urgent, given the overhang of dilapidated council-owned units and nationwide shortage of homes?
It’s another Question that could be put to our housing minister if anyone is interviewing him tomorrow.
Nearly 90% of council funding comes from central government – all of it with strings attached. Dilapidated properties often don’t get repaired because the DOE wont fund them. Fire damaged council houses often wait years for the relevant private insurance company to fund re building or repair. Changing this has not been a DOE priority. One of the many ways government operates to slow the supply of decent housing to the populace in favour of creating demand for the private rental and purchase sectors at prices people cannot afford to drive supply. I hate SF but accept that they will win the next election as they are committed to ending the new absentee landlord support policies of FFG and the continuing transfer of wealth from the creators (workers) to the takers ( vulture capitalists.)
Ideology. That’s it. It’s a question of will.
@Darren Priest: 100%. Materials, zoning, labour market – all smoke and mirrors. You look at the global response to covid and see how many World governments made radical decisions to confront that crisis. Housing is in crisis here, if powers that be wanted to put the shoulder to the wheel they would.
Padraig Pearce gave his life that Irish men & women would be able to run their country, our current politicians are a joke, financial interests are running this country.
@trebloc01: they don’t see us as the citizens of our own country. They see us as “customers” to be drained. Regina Doherty even referred to welfare recipients as customers when talking about the public service card. They don’t hide it. Recently at an FG meeting the only problem they saw with housing crisis is that they’ll lose votes. Wasn’t even a leaked quote, it’s just what they think.
The writer is probably right though. In the end, this will probably be a two-horse FG-SF race where the voters will be speaking for the country!
As for FF, that man is driving it into the ground
1. DA GOV – allows the funds because they build or promote house building
2. Why are FDI / etc. not encouraged out of Dublin – thus Demand reductiion
It’s cheaper to buy than to rent . A situation that is daft .buying a house is a guarantee of some financial independence in your old age . The old party system has only worked for the benefit of overseas funds , who also get special tax allowances.
I don’t blame the funds from exploiting the situation, but I do blame the voters for persisting with weak governments.
It’s time for a leap in the dark
Population increasing at faster pace than infrastructure. Check stats for pop in 1998. You have your answer. And the prices per kilometer for Houston to Connolly underground is Irelands reality. Deal with it.
@John O Connor: The lack of investment in infrastructure is a choice by successive Govts. It’s not a way of life to just be accepted
Sign Rory Hearn’s petition here:-
https://my.uplift.ie/petitions/stop-investors-buying-our-homes
Referendum on Housing petition here:-
https://www.change.org/p/irish-referendum-on-family-home-special-status
38 amendments to the Constitution to date but the Housing Referendum is still undone since the 1974 Kenny Report. Housing must be taken out of the control of others and placed firmly in the control of the citizens. It is fundamental for a decent Irish society .. nothing less will solve the problem of Political failure to deliver affordable homes.
Simple solution, don’t rent them! Simples
@Mickomacko: so where do you live?
have your say