Darren Ambrose: Don't quit on us, boss

On the up: Darren Ambrose celebrates after scoring with a superb free-kick
11 April 2012
Crystal Palace 2-2 Aston Villa

Darren Ambrose has urged manager Neil Warnock to stay at Crystal Palace but fears the team's superb display against Aston Villa will make him an even bigger target for rival clubs.

Palace were only denied a place in the FA Cup quarter-finals after Stiliyan Petrov scored a controversial equaliser just three minutes from time.

It was another example of how the cash-strapped club continue to thrive under Warnock's stewardship - he out-thought opposite number Martin O'Neill in almost every department.

QPR are believed to be keen to make Warnock their new permanent manager and the 61-year-old is understood to be unhappy with how things have been run since Palace went into administration last month.

He had talks with the administrator, Brendan Guilfoyle, on Friday, when he was told he may be out of a job if and when new owners are found.

It was a rare face-to-face meeting for Warnock, who is believed to have grown tired of Guilfoyle corresponding with him mostly by e-mail. His future remains uncertain and Ambrose is worried the club's inspirational manager could soon be prised away.

Ambrose said: "I want him to stay and I hope the talk about QPR is just a rumour. He is a one-off and the main man here. He has kept all the players and staff together during what has been a difficult period.

"He has done such a good job here under the circumstances that clubs will be interested in him, and for Palace to get a result like we did against Aston Villa will mean even more teams will want him now.

"People will probably talk about Carlo Ancelotti or Sir Alex Ferguson being manager of the year but he is right up there with them."

The replay of this fifth- round tie will take place in nine days and if Warnock isn't in charge of Palace, he certainly has handed them a nice leaving gift.

While it is likely they have missed their chance to claim the £180,000 prize money for advancing to the last eight, they can expect another healthy pay-day from their share of the gate receipts at a packed Villa Park.

Palace certainly deserve more financial rewards to pay off another slice of their debt after making Aston Villa look so ordinary for long periods.

Warnock won the tactical battle by using Nathaniel Clyne and Danny Butterfield to mark Ashley Young and Stewart Dowing. Ertl headed the home side in front with his first goal for the club in the 24th minute and even though James Collins levelled 11 minutes later, Palace continued to be the better side.

Ambrose restored their lead with a sublime free-kick from 36 yards in the second half and then saw a header strike the crossbar.

Palace's misfortune only got worse as referee Kevin Friend and his assistant Trevor Massey awarded the visitors a corner kick in the 87th minute when the ball had clearly come off Villa substitute Nathan Delfouneso.

Petrov then headed past keeper Julian Speroni to break Palace's hearts and send Warnock into a post-match rant that could land him in trouble with the Football Association. He said: "We have a Premier League referee and we got Mr Massey laughing his head off all afternoon with the flag.

"They (the officials) wait and wait and wait to see which way to give it. It's a disgrace, he should be banned for weeks should Mr Massey. All he can do is smile."

Before the replay Palace have two more home games in the League and Ambrose admits they are of more importance to the club than the cup replay.

He added: "This game was big but the ones against Reading and Coventry are bigger. We need the points to stay up and Reading will be a six-pointer."

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