Ronald Zubar stuns Palace to keep Wolves alive

Mick McCarthy's first steps in professional football involved cleaning the clods of earth from between the studs of Neil Warnock's boots at Barnsley in the 1970s. After this arduous afternoon, the Wolves manager could be forgiven for looking back at those inauspicious days with rose-tinted fondness. Warnock's Crystal Palace ensured the FA Cup provided no respite to the home side's Premier League troubles and it took Ronald Zubar's stunning volley in the 84th minute to rescue a replay. McCarthy insisted last week that Wolves "could actually win the FA Cup", although that did not stop him making seven changes to the team that lost 2-0 to Wigan last time out. After 121 seconds that optimism looked misplaced when Darren Ambrose curled in an early corner, Alan Lee rose unchallenged to power a header home. Palace, understandably, then settled the better. The visitors' composure, though, disappeared with Claude Davis, who was carried off in a neck brace and an oxygen mask with what appeared a serious neck injury. From that point Wolves improved, with David Jones twice shooting straight at Julián Speroni when well-placed. On the third occasion, Jones made no mistake, neatly volleying home from 12 yards, his first Wolves goal since April 2009. Warnock was far from amused – the goal came, eventually, from a slightly dubious centre-circle free-kick. Warnock's players may have also caught the tail of the manager's anger, and they responded immediately at the start of the second period. Ambrose had fizzed a free-kick just over the bar late in the first half, but from a second set-piece, he scudded the ball low past Wayne Hennessy to restore Palace's lead. From then on it was an onslaught. McCarthy threw on Geoffrey Mujangi Bia, Wolves' new signing from Charleroi, who diverted a cross on to the bar with his first touch in English football. Christophe Berra then kneed over from no more than a yard, but Zubar finally found a way through six minutes from time, spectacularly hammering home his first Wolves goal to ensure a replay.