Macclesfield etched themselves into the FA Cup history books by pulling off arguably the greatest giantkilling of all time, as they stunned Crystal Palace, the holders, in front of a disbelieving and delirious Moss Rose crowd.
Despite 117 places in the English football pyramid separating the sides, Palace became the first holders to crash out to non-league opposition since 1909. Palace were a shadow of the side that romped to Cup success last season – the club’s first major trophy – despite including three of that Wembley lineup. They were picked apart by an inspired Macclesfield, spearheaded by Paul Dawson, their captain. His header set the upset in motion before half-time, with Isaac Buckley-Ricketts scoring a scrappy second on the hour mark.
A Palace defence including the England defender – and Manchester City target – Marc Guéhi looked listless and confused dealing with second-half balls sent up into the low sun, as Macclesfield basked in their moment.
It was the Silkmen’s first appearance in the third round since their rebirth in 2020 – although the club’s former iteration, Macclesfield Town, had Cup pedigree, upsetting higher calibre opponents in Bolton and Cardiff.
Rooney, who broke through as a player at Macclesfield with one of his first games a substitute appearance against Everton in a third round tie in 2009, embraced fellow ex-Blue Francis Jeffers, his assistant manager at the end. Another former Evertonian, Rooney’s brother, Wayne, smiled on from the gantry.
