Southampton: Marouane Chamakh scored two goals on his return to action as Crystal Palace twice came from behind to knock Premier League rivals Southampton out of the FA Cup with a 3-2 fourth-round win at St Mary’s Stadium on Saturday.
Victory saw Palace make it four wins in a row in all competitions since manager Alan Pardew, who played in the Eagles side that lost the 1990 FA Cup final, arrived from Newcastle to take charge of the south London club.
All five goals came in a see-saw first half, with four in 21 minutes leaving the match all square at 2-2 before Morocco striker Chamakh, back from six weeks out with a hamstring injury, grabbed his second of the game to make it 3-2 to visitors Palace.
Graziano Pelle put the Saints, FA Cup winners in 1976 and losing finalists in 2003, ahead in the ninth minute only for Chamakh to equalise two minutes later.
Scott Dann’s 16th-minute own-goal restored Southampton’s lead but Palace were soon level again courtesy of recent loan signing Yaya Sanogo’s first goal for the club and before the break Chamakh put the Eagles in front.
South coast side Southampton, third in the English top flight, kicked off 19 points in front of a Palace side rejuvenated under former Saints boss Pardew.
Southampton who beat Palace 3-1 at Selhurst Park when the teams last met on December 26, took the lead with their first attack.
Palace failed to clear a corner and Italy striker Pelle seized on the loose ball to make it 1-0.
However, the Eagles were quickly back on level terms when, after a swift counter-attack, Saints goalkeeper Fraser Forster failed to hold Sanogo’s shot and former Arsenal striker Chamakh followed up to score.
But Ronald Koeman’s Southampton restored their lead in the 16th minute with Palace central defender Dann, who scored twice in the third-round win over non-league Dover, turning Ryan Bertrand’s cross into his own net.
The game’s fourth goal arrived in the 21st minute when Wilfried Zaha played in French striker Sanogo, on loan from Arsenal, who scored his first Palace goal courtesy of a deflected shot.
Relative calm ensued before, in the 39th minute, Chamakh gave Palace the lead for the first time in the match when he chested down a diagonal ball, rounded Forster and eased the ball into the net.
Following such a breathless first half, the second period failed to produce a goal and Palace advanced into the last 16.
