Roy rocked by Robins

PALACE IN FOUR-GOAL HUMILIATION

ROY HODGSON’S decision to play a reserve side backfired embarrassingly at Ashton Gate.

The former England manager held his head in his hands as his Premier League strugglers’ defensive frailties were cruelly exposed by Championship opponents.

Hodgson rang the changes and there were 10 new faces in his lineup compared to the one that went into battle in last weekend’s 1-0 defeat to Newcastle.

Wilfried Zaha was absent, but it looked as if his team-mates could do without him as they ripped into City early on and Lee Chung-yong rattled the crossbar.

Chances came and went for Bakary Sako and Sullay Kaikai as the Eagles toyed with the hosts.

The City defence struggled to cope with Palace’s pace and it was no surprise when Sako expertly put his side ahead in the 21st minute, thumping a low shot beneath Luke Steele.

But Palace were clearly lulled into a false sense of security and City striker Matty Taylor took advantage after Patrick van Aanholt’s kamikaze defending in the 34th minute.

Taylor, only playing after a successful appeal against his red card in the 3-0 defeat by Leeds at the weekend, latched on to Van Aanholt’s weak header back to Wayne Hennessey and finished from close range. It went from bad to worse for Palace in the 39th minute when Hodgson’s defenders were unable to deal with Hordur Magnusson’s long throw and substitute Milan Djuric wellied the loose ball past a helpless Hennessey.

Palace briefly threatened a comeback after the break, but it proved a false dawn as Lee Johnson’s side ran riot in scintillating fashion.

First, Joe Bryan put clear water between the two sides on the hour with a rasping shot from the left-hand side of the penalty box that beat Hennessey, finding the top corner.

Then Callum O’dowda trumped Bryan’s effort with a stunning 20-yard volley in the 66th minute.

That rubbed salt into Hodgson’s wounds and earned City a place in the last eight of the competition for the first time since 1989.