Non-league Macclesfield produced one of the greatest FA Cup shocks of all time by knocking out holders Crystal Palace in a stunning 2-1 upset at Moss Rose. Eight months after Palace lifted their first major trophy by defeating Manchester City at Wembley, the Premier League side became the first FA Cup holders to lose to non-league opposition since Wolverhampton Wanderers in 1909.
Macclesfield, of the sixth tier, started the day 117 places below the Eagles in the English football league pyramid. But inspired by goals from captain Paul Dawson and Isaac Buckley-Rickett, and overseen by coach John Rooney, the younger brother of former England and Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney, they overturned the odds in a hugely emotional day for the Silkmen.
Thousands of supporters flooded onto the pitch at the sound of the full-time whistle as Macclesfield became the first sixth-tier team to beat Premier League opposition. In terms of league position, and the 117-place gap between the sides, it is the biggest-ever FA Cup upset in the history of the oldest cup competition in the world.
Macclesfield's victory also came less than a month after young forward Ethan McLeod was killed in a car accident at the age of 21, with tributes paid to the former Wolves academy graduate before the match. McLeod's parents were guests at the Moss Rose stadium, with captain Dawson dedicating his side's victory to a player who was part of the Macclesfield squad that knocked out Slough Town in the second round.
"That was for him, that was for Ethan," Dawson said. "It's been a really tough time and we've all stuck together through it. It's never, ever gonna get easier. We've still got pictures up in the changing room. Those will never go. It has been really tough. But Ethan, I think he'd be looking down today and he'll be proud of us as well."
John Rooney's side, who are 14th in National League North, took the lead when the bandaged skipper Dawson, who worked as a motorway supervisor, planted a back-post header into the far corner shortly before half-time. Palace, who named a starting lineup that included England internationals Marc Guehi and Adam Wharton and the £26m Spain winger Yeremy Pino, were disjointed throughout on an artificial pitch and Macclesfield doubled their advantage in the 61st minute when Buckley-Rickett flicked in. To manager Oliver Glasner's growing frustration, Palace could not find a way back into the match until Pino curled in a free-kick in the final minute of normal time. Macclesfield faced six minutes of stoppage time, in a nervy ending for the sold-out Moss Rose crowd, but John Rooney's team held on to claim a memorable victory in front of his older brother Wayne, who was on punditry duties for the BBC and looked to be on the brink of tears at full time.
