Last updated on .From the section FA Cup

Derby County boss Phillip Cocu claimed Wayne Rooney played a pivotal role in his side's shock FA Cup third-round win at Crystal Palace.

Chris Martin's close-range strike gave the Championship side victory at Selhurst Park as Palace had captain Luka Milivojevic sent off.

Rooney was highly influential in the tie from a deep-lying midfield role.

"Rooney influenced the game a lot because you could see his experience," Cocu said of the ex-England captain.

"I think he did very good; he played a more controlled position.

"A big part of the success today is the combination between him and Tom Huddlestone - it was a pleasure to watch."

The Rams weathered some early Palace pressure and seized the advantage with the opening goal from Martin just after the half-hour mark.

Jayden Bogle's quick feet took him past Palace full-back Jairo Riedewald, and his cross was met by Martin, who stole in front of Gary Cahill and poked the ball past goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey.

A deflected effort from Palace midfielder James McCarthy brought a smart reaction save out of Derby goalkeeper Kelle Roos shortly after half-time, while Bogle headed wide from a glorious position for Derby shortly after.

Milivojevic was dismissed after referee Michael Oliver consulted a pitchside monitor following a video assistant referee (VAR) check.

The Palace captain had originally been shown a yellow card after a tussle with Derby midfielder Huddlestone.

Derby could have added a second late on when Martyn Waghorn struck the post and Rooney then saw a low effort saved by Hennessey.

'Quarterback' Rooney gets one over Hodgson

This was Rooney's first appearance in the FA Cup since he played for Everton - two years ago to the day in January 2018 - in a 2-1 loss to Liverpool at Anfield.

The 34-year-old former Manchester United and Everton man rarely stretched his legs beyond a canter, but he was the heartbeat of Derby's creative threat. Rooney had 77 touches in the match - more than any Palace player.

In a deep-lying midfield role, Rooney arrowed pinpoint passes to the willing runs of team-mates as he made 35 passes in Palace's half - the most of anyone in the Derby side.

Explosiveness and attacking swagger has characterised the bulk of Rooney's career, but this was a display embodied by poise, temperament and guile.

When tempers frayed between both sets of players after a clash between Huddlestone and Milivojevic in the second half, it was telling that Rooney tried to intervene as peacemaker.

Palace boss Roy Hodgson would have been all too aware of Rooney's talents from his time as England manager, but his side failed to nullify the Derby player's influence.

Man of the match - Wayne Rooney (Derby)

Wayne Rooney sometimes dropped behind Derby's centre-backs to play searching passes, but dictated the game from deep to devastating effect

'We took the initiative' - what they said

Derby boss Phillip Cocu: " I think in the last eight or nine minutes, we can do better because we made a few decisions where we did not do the best.

"The influence of Wayne and Tom is important because they're senior players and they need to teach the younger guys.

"Overall it was an excellent team performance. We tried to take the initiative even though it was an away match.'

Crystal Palace manager Roy Hodgson: "In the first half, we were nowhere near as good as we needed to be.

"It wasn't the performance I was looking for, we started better in the second half and then got a man sent off. Playing without a man makes things difficult.

"As far as the incident is concerned, I think it was a harsh decision. The ref has gone by the letter of the law. I don't think Tom Huddlestone has made a meal of it, to his credit. There's not much I can do about it."

The fourth-round draw will be made live on BBC One on Monday ahead of the Arsenal v Leeds United tie. Coverage starts at 19:30 GMT.