Crystal Palace 2 - 1 Leicester City

Palace boss Warnock up for the cup

Updated: January 14, 2009, 10:06 PM UK

Neil Warnock wants to add an FA Cup final to his managerial CV, after his Crystal Palace side saw off Leicester City 2-1 in their third-round replay.

Warnock, who took previous club Sheffield United to the semi-finals of the competition six years ago, wants to go one better with Palace - who secured a winnable fourth-round trip to Watford.

''I think there will be a (Coca-Cola) Championship club there or thereabouts this year - and I hope it will be us,'' said the Eagles boss.

''A lot of good teams will get knocked out - there is a lot of pressure on the (Barclays) Premier League clubs this year, because they want to win it. Two or three more are taking it seriously.

''I wasn't bothered about the cup last year - which was a shame. But with not long to go in my career, I've told the lads I want a cup run.''

There was little evidence of the magic of the cup on show in south London - with a poor crowd, perhaps mindful of the goalless draw in the first encounter, turning out to watch two sides with supposedly bigger fish to fry.

Palace are challenging for the Championship play-offs, and Leicester currently lead League One.

But the majority of the 6,023 hardy souls who did show up were cheering in the 38th minute when Paul Ifill fired the hosts ahead.

The transfer-listed winger turned well inside the area, and his scuffed shot took a wicked deflection off Andy King's heel and wrong-footed goalkeeper David Martin.

The tie was all but settled 10 minutes after the break when teenager Sean Scannell was put through by Alan Lee and showed the Leicester rearguard a clean pair of heels before coolly lifting the ball over Martin.

''It was all about getting into the next round, but last week was so bad - at least there was some goalmouth action this time,'' added Warnock.

''I thought we were fired-up. I've told the lads that they'll soon forget the nights like this, when you make progress.''

The Eagles were good value for their win - and Leicester, who hit back at the death through Max Gradel, will not be too unhappy at having to turn their attentions solely back to their priority of promotion

Foxes boss Nigel Pearson, an FA Cup finalist with Middlesbrough in 1994, also lost his centre-half Aleksander Tunchev to a knee injury.

He said: ''The league is always our priority, but I'm disappointed nonetheless.

''I thought we gave a decent account of ourselves. The first half was even, but the first goal opened it up. But over the two games, I think we acquitted ourselves well.''