Kewell shows finesse as Palace fume

Crystal Palace 1 Leeds United

It has not been the most glorious of campaigns, one in which opponents have been slickly dissected with no cause for complaint. One that has sent a message echoing through the land. At every turn there has been anger and dissension, internal as well as external. But that will matter not a jot to Terry Venables this morning. At lunchtime his Leeds United side will go into the FA Cup's sixth-round draw for the first time in five years and a silver-ending to a tarnished season remains in prospect.

After requiring a soft penalty to help account for Scunthorpe in the third round, and a replay to put out Gillingham in the fourth, Leeds yesterday dispatched Crystal Palace with a moment of quick thinking, another of brilliance, and a heap of controversy.

This centred on the 41st minute when, with the game poised at 1-1 and Palace in the ascendant, Aki Riihilahti released Danny Butterfield down the inside-right channel. He crossed from the byline and chaos ensued. Paul Robinson and Danny Mills scrambled Andrew Johnson's near-post flick off the line but the ball ran to Tommy Black, at the far post, who thrashed it goalward from a yard out. The ball struck Michael Duberry's arm and deflected over the line before rebounding back off the heel of Mills. Finally Riihilahti spooned the ball over the bar.

Referee Dermot Gallagher, who otherwise officiated immaculately, was surrounded by Palace protests but they were to no avail. Gallagher decreed Duberry's handball was inadvertent and linesman Jim Devine said his view of the ball's position had been blocked by bodies.

Had Julian Gray, whose fearsome shot had earlier brought Palace's equaliser, been less timid when Black and Andy Johnson created another chance a minute after the interval the incident would have become a footnote. Instead the only subsequent score was by Harry Kewell, who capped a memorable week for himself in the capital with a superb, individual goal 17 minutes from time.

Palace, despite much meritorious play, had no further answer and the old chestnut, goal-line cameras, was thus to the fore after the game. "I've always advocated the use of technology to determine whether the ball has crossed the line," said Trevor Francis, the unhappy Eagles manager. "We are too slow in this country. It'll be 15 years before they bring it in and I'll be gone as a manager by then." Palace's chagrin was multiplied by having suffered a ridiculously offside goal in going out to Sheffield United in the quarter-finals of the Worthington Cup.

For Venables the incident was the lucky break he felt Leeds had needed for months. Given the patched-up nature of his team – his transfer-ravaged squad being further weakened by injury and suspension – he had a point, but Palace also had notable absentees.

Despite this, the Football League club played some attractive football, just as they had in knocking out Liverpool in the previous round. Gray confirmed the good impression he had made then while his fellow Highbury reject, Black, anonymous at home to Liverpool, showed he had learned from the experience. With the movement of Andy Johnson and Dele Adebola pulling Leeds out of position they were indebted to a composed display by Lucas Radebe.

An even, if scrappy first half, had yielded few clear chances – Cedric Berthelin unconvincingly denying Kewell from Leeds' best, and Andy Johnson overrunning Palace's – when Shaun Derry fouled Alan Smith 25 yards out. As Berthelin stood at the near post ponderously arranging Palace's wall Gary Kelly chipped beautifully inside the far. Selhurst was outraged but Francis admitted it was "a clever bit of play".

Francis added: "It was the type of goal that can rock you back but our reaction was superb." Indeed. Two minutes later a corner fell to Gray whose volley deflected in off Radebe.

Then came 'the goal that wasn't'. Not that it was Palace's last chance. Gray and Riihilahti both had opportunities and, with Leeds apparently settling for a draw, Palace's pressure mounted. Then Derry, bursting into the box, went down under a challenge from Mills. It looked fair from a distance but not to the Palace players who momentarily stopped to appeal. Leeds broke with Mills finding Kewell 10 yards inside the Palace half. He turned Hayden Mullins, cruised past Darren Powell and produced a shot which left Berthelin standing.

"He is a matchwinner who is playing as well as ever now," said Venables. The Leeds manager also denied claims that Kewell had told him to 'stick it up your jumper, I'm playing for my country' before scoring for Australia in midweek. "We get on fine," he said.

His relationship with the Palace supporters is not so warm. A two-times former manager, he was vociferously booed throughout. "It galls me," he said. "What's been reported about my last time here is not accurate."

For Venables' current club much now hinges upon the quarter-final draw, his first since his Tottenham days a decade ago. He said: "No one expected us to get this far and it gives us a lift with everything that has gone on."

Gary Kelly, whose goal was his first in six years added, perhaps with the club's £70m debt in mind: "The FA Cup means an awful lot to Leeds. It would be nice to get some silverware but the important thing is it is a way into Europe."

Goals: Kelly (33) 0-1; Gray (35) 1-1; Kewell (73) 1-2.

Crystal Palace (3-4-1-2): Berthelin; Powell (Akinbiyi, 89), Symons (Granville, 50), Mullins; Butterfield (Freedman, 79), Riihilahti, Derry, Gray; Black; A Johnson, Adebola. Substitutes not used: Kolinko (gk), Thomson.

Leeds United (4-4-2): Robinson; Mills, Duberry, Radebe, Harte; Kelly, Okon (Milner, 60), Seth Johnson, Wilcox; Smith (Lucic, 85), Kewell (Barmby, 76). Substitutes not used: Martyn (gk), Kilgallon.

Referee: D Gallagher (Banbury).

Booked: Leeds United: Johnson, Duberry, Kewell.

Man of the match: Radebe.

Attendance: 24,512.