Palace too strong for Foxes

Ifill: Put Palace in front

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Crystal Palace will meet Watford in the fourth round of the FA Cup after a 2-1 win at home to Leicester City.

The Championship club took the lead in the third-round replay late in the first half through winger Paul Ifill.

Substitute Sean Scannell increased Palace's lead early into the second half before Max Gradel grabbed an injury-time consolation for Leicester.

Palace got their first sight of goal 10 minutes in when Victor Moses played in Alan Lee, whose angled shot flew wide.

Lee came even closer to breaking the deadlock moments later when he met Danny Butterfield's cross with a header which sailed narrowly over the crossbar.

Foxes blow

Leicester were dealt a blow after 20 minutes when centre-half Aleksander Tunchev departed on a stretcher following an accidental collision outside his own area, and Moses limped off 10 minutes later to be replaced by Scannell.

Foxes striker Steve Howard squandered their best chance of the first half when he looped a header onto the roof of the net from Joe Mattock's cross.

And it was Palace who went ahead in the 38th minute when Ifill turned his marker inside the area and saw his shot deflect off Andy King's heel and send Foxes goalkeeper David Martin the wrong way.

The tie was all but settled 10 minutes after the break when Scannell was put through by Lee and showed the Leicester rearguard a clean pair of heels before coolly lifting the ball over Martin.

The visitors kept going, however, and Julian Speroni got down well to keep out Ashley Chambers' fierce drive before skipper Matt Oakley prodded wide of an open goal.

And their endeavour was rewarded with the last kick of the game in stoppage-time when Gradel swept home Chambers' cross.