February 2 2010

Danny Butterfield

Danny Butterfield grabbed a hat-trick as Crystal Palace humbled Wolves 3-1 to move into the last 16 of the FA Cup.

The right-back netted the fastest hat-trick in Palace's history with his goals coming inside seven crazy second half minutes as the Eagles earned a fourth round replay win over the Premier League side at Selhurst Park.

Butterfield had previously notched just six times in seven-and-a-half seasons with Palace and bagged the perfect hat-trick with a goal from each foot and also his head.

Wolves manager Mick McCarthy had made five changes from their last Premier League match but still had plenty of quality in his line-up.

However, Palace took control of the match right from the start of the match after the original tie had ended 2-2 at Molineux.

Nathaniel Clyne, who had snubbed a deadline day move to Wolves the day before, almost set up the opener as his cross was diverted just off target by Darren Ambrose.

Nenad Milijas fired wide of the goal with a useful strike before Alan Lee was forced off to have stitches on a head wound sustained in a challenge with Jody Craddock.

Aussie midfielder Nick Carle was millimetres away from giving Palace a deserved lead in this blood and thunder cup tie with a left foot shot that whisked just past the post after a useful cross from Clyne.

Ambrose tested Wolves keeper Wayne Hennessey with a free-kick while on the hour mark, McCarthy set out to freshen his lacklustre attack by replacing Mujangi Bia and Sam Vokes with Sylvan Ebanks-Blake and Chris Iwelumo.

Two minutes later Palace were ahead with Butterfield's first goal of the season. After Butterfield won a fortuitous corner, Matt Lawrence met Ambrose's flag kick with a powerful header that Hennessey blocked into the path of Butterfield who reacted quickest to nod over the line.

Three minutes afterwards, Butterfield got the second goal of the night. Lee flicked on Julian Speroni's kick forward to Ambrose, who volleyed into the path of Butterfield and the make-shift striker slotted the ball home.

Butterfield could not believe his luck when he took advantage of slack Wolves defending to put the ball through Hennessey's legs with a left-foot finish on 68 minutes for his first-ever treble.

Karl Henry got a consolation goal for Wolves in the last minute with a sweet strike into the top corner from the edge of the box.

But it did not spoil Butterfield and Palace's night with the prize of another top flight side and money-spinning tie against Aston Villa in the FA Cup fifth round next up.

Palace: Speroni, Lawrence, Hill, Davis, Clyne, Butterfield (Djilali 88), Danns, Derry, Carle (Comley 83), Ambrose, Lee (Andrew 74).

Not Used: Manns, Scannell, Wynter.

Wolverhampton: Hennessey, Stearman, Craddock, Berra, Zubar, Foley, Mancienne (Jones 76), Henry, Milijas, Mujangi Bia (Ebanks-Blake 59), Vokes (Iwelumo 58).

Not Used: Hahnemann, Surman, Halford, Castillo.

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