United's opponents in the FA Cup semi final were Crystal Palace, who held them to a 2–2 draw in extra time at Villa Park. With bad blood between fans of the two clubs still boiling over the Cantona incident more than two months earlier, a more serious cloud hung over the replay (also at Villa Park) as a Palace fan had been killed in fighting between fans of the two clubs outside a Walsall public house just before the game. During the first half, Roy Keane suffered ankle injury due to a rash tackle by Palace's Darren Pitcher, and resisted Ferguson's offer to substitute him at half time, when he needed stitches. Just into the second half, Keane's injury was aggravated by another Palace tackle, this time from Gareth Southgate. He reacted by stamping on Southgate and earned himself a red card. Keane was then attacked by Palace's Darren Patterson, who was also sent off. It seemed likely that Keane would miss the rest of the season and the FA Cup final (which United reached by winning the semi-final replay 2–0) but ultimately he was back in action for the final, having already served his three-match ban for bringing the game into disrepute.
