Crystal Palace secured a place in the FA Cup final after defeating Watford 2-1 at Wembley overnight.
The Eagles got the scoring underway early from a Yohan Cabaye corner, finding Scott Dann at the near post who flicked the ball towards a waiting Bolasie.
Watford started the second-half with more intensity and were able to score from a corner of their own when Troy Deeney rose above Dann to get his head on to a Jurado cross, drawing the game level before the hour mark.
It was a short lived celebration, however, with Palace reclaiming the lead after Connor Wickham got his head to a Pape Souare cross that was sent past Costel Pantilimon.
Alan Pardew’s men now face an away trip to face Newcastle, while Watford return home to encounter the relegated Aston Villa.
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Rotating players proved a good move
Resting much of the starting XI for the midweek clash against Manchester United proved to be the correct decision for Pardew. The energy that was shown by key winger Bolasie, who did not feature in the FA Cup, was one of the key factors behind the win. The Congolese wide man was a constant threat and an issue that was not dealt with by the Watford defenders. Not only did he score the opener, but he was also a lynchpin in much of the attacking build-up from the Eagles.
The other key player was Wilfried Zaha, who did not feature in the game against Arsenal last weekend. Using his speed the 23-year-old had a chance to seal the game, but was closed down by the Watford defence after a very determined run from the halfway line into the box.
The rotation of these two key wingers over the previous two matches proved to be a key factor in the game, as they were fresh and ready to make the impact that they needed to.
Watford took a while to get into the game.
It was not until the second-half that the Hornets were able to really make an impression on the contest. They were only able to record one shot on target in the entirety of the first-half, which was easily dealt with by Wayne Hennessey.
After the break it seemed the pep talk from coach Quique Sanchez Flores worked as the visitors were able to take the game up to Palace and get the equaliser. Even after falling behind they were able to keep their heads up and had a couple of decent opportunities that fell to Deeney and former Palace midfielder Adlene Guedioura, however, they were just not able to convert those chances.
History repeats
This is only the second time that Crystal Palace have made it to the FA Cup final. Their last appearance was in 1990 and there will be familiar faces from that occasion. Coach Alan Pardew was a member of the team that faced off against Manchester United, who they will play again at Wembley on the 21st of May.
Given the way that 2016 has gone for the Eagles in the league compared to their cup performances, it is not out of the question that they could cause an upset.
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