Crystal Palace made a mockery of the suggestion that Premier League clubs have been hampered by a week off as they breezed through to the fifth round of the FA Cup with a 2-0 victory over Hartlepool.
The fourth round had started with Championship side Middlesborough knocking out Manchester United on penalties before Chelsea and West Ham both had to come from behind, and play extra-time, against Plymouth and Kidderminster.
Even Manchester City went behind against Fulham before coming back to win. No such troubles for Patrick Vieira’s men, however, who were quick out of the blocks against their League Two opponents.
There were just four minutes on the clock when Marc Guehi opened the scoring before Michael Olise doubled their lead mid-way through the first half.
They could have won this by four or five had it not been for Pools’ goalkeeper Ben Kilip, who made a number of excellent saves in the second half.
Seventy-one league places separated the clubs before kick-off but Hartlepool had won the only previous two FA Cup meetings between the teams, in 1978 and 1993.
The 6,000 travelling fans more than made their voices heard throughout the 90 minutes but their most important contribution was alerting stewards to a medical emergency in the 53rd minute.
Play was stopped for around seven minutes while medics worked on the Pools supporter, who was then taken to hospital.
Never giving up is part of the DNA of this football club, epitomised by their manager Graeme Lee, whose wife Gemma has defied the doctors who gave her just 12 months to live nearly two years ago after she was diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumour.
And next week will mark four years since Hartlepool avoided liquidation after a supporter started a Just Giving page to pay off a £48,000 tax bill.
Things look brighter now, but an unlikely upset was not to be. The club returned to the football league after a four-year absence last season and maintaining their third-tier status, the club are four points above the relegation zone, is the overwhelming priority.
Palace were on the front foot from the first whistle and took the lead when an un-marked Guehi met Olise’s free-kick to side-foot the ball past Pools’ goalkeeper Ben Kilip.
David Ferguson, who had conceded the set piece for a trip on Olise, had the chance to equalise almost instantly when he met Jamie Sterry’s cross at the back-post but his header was straight at Butland, who was able to make a routine save.
Joel Ward met Kilip’s goal-kick on the right wing and his header was flicked on by Conor Gallgagher to Olise, who turned past Timi Odusina before firing into the near post.
Olise has had to be patient for his chance since his £8million summer switch from Reading while injuries have also limited his game time.
But the 20-year-old now has three goals and three assists in his last five games and is starting to show why he is so highly thought of by his manager.
The forward was back causing havoc as the game re-started and he should have had a second assist but Jean-Philipe somehow hit the post from two-yards when it looked easier to score before Tyrick Mitchell blazed over the re-bound.
Olise should then have had another goal but a fine double save from Kilip kept the score at 2-0. The Pools ‘keeper was a busy man and he made another excellent save to prevent Mateta from scoring.
Hartlepool did their best to stay in the game and Bryn Morris forced Butland into a smart save with a fierce shot in the 72nd minute.
Palace had another chance to make it 3-0 shortly after but it was not Mateta’s day, as yet again Kilip denied him with an excellent save.
At the other end, Sterry’s curled shot took a deflection and fizzed just wide before another Palace chance went begging.
Kilip, by far Hartlepool’s best player, made low stop to keep out Olise, who will probably feel he should have had his first Palace hat-trick.
Will Hughes was the next to be denied, this time by the leg of Sterry, who blocked his goal-bound effort just in front of the line. Kilip then made yet another save to deny Odsonne Edouard from close range.
But two goals were enough to confirm Palace’s place in the fifth round. Vieira won this competition four times as a player with Arsenal and is just three games away from another final.