Holders Crystal Palace suffered their worst FA Cup shock at Macclesfield | Football news

FA Cup holders and Premier League club Crystal Palace were beaten 2-1 by six leagues lower, Macclesfield Town.

Minos Macclesfield Town reached the fourth round after beating holders Crystal Palace 2-1 in the biggest upset in FA Cup history.

Macclesfield are in the sixth tier of English football, five levels below their Premier League rivals, and took the lead on Saturday when captain Paul Dawson headed in Luke Duffy’s cross in the 43rd minute.

Isaac Buckley-Ricketts scored in the 60th to make it 2-0, prompting wild celebrations.

After a scramble in the penalty area, the ball passed to Buckley-Ricketts, who came through from the Manchester City academy, and he deftly tipped the ball with the outside of his right foot past goalkeeper Walter Benitez.

Macclesfield is coached by John Rooney, who started and ended his playing career as a midfielder at the club and is only in his first season in charge. He is the younger brother of former England and Manchester United star Wayne Rooney.

Jeremy Pino curled a last-minute free kick over the wall to leave Macclesfield reeling six minutes into stoppage time as the home fans chanted “Silkmen! Silkmen!” was chanting. – Nickname of the club.

Macclesfield played a Palace side whose frustrating afternoon ended when United States central defender Chris Richards committed a foul in the final minute of stoppage time to give Macclesfield possession.

The modest 5,900-capacity stadium at Moss Rose in north-west England – fans ran onto the field at the final whistle while Dawson and Duffy were carried aloft.

The FA Cup is known as the biggest cup competition in the world, with a long history of monster killings.

Macclesfield, relegating the holders, sit on the cusp of those achievements and with Palace enjoying a successful campaign in the English top flight this season, they were challenging for the Champions League qualification places.

Macclesfield are currently 14th in the National League North, 11 points above the relegation zone – two leagues below the professional level in English football.