Ambrose: Let's finish it

PALACE'S top scorer Darren Ambrose is desperate to finish the job against Wolves tonight and set up a mouth-watering FA Cup fifth round clash with Aston Villa.

The Eagles midfielder scored the second goal in the first meeting with Mick Mccarthy's men - a sweet free-kick curled into the bottom corner just after half-time.

It was Ambrose's first goal since the 4-2 victory over Reading at the start of December, a relative drought for a player who has found the net 14 times in all competitions this season.

"I think I worked it out to be five games without the Sheffield United match [where Ambrose was withdrawn at half-time after feeling unwell]," he said. "So its not too bad I suppose, but the way I've been scoring this season I was keen to get back up and running.

"It was my wife's fault. After I scored my 13th at Reading, she told me that was her unlucky number so no wonder it's taken me a while to get off that figure!

"Fortunately since I've stopped scoring the other lads have started banging them in."

Ambrose admits that Palace will need all that firepower to progress in the FA Cup but feels confident that his teammates can keep upsetting the odds.

"I think all season we have done a lot better than most people have expected us to," he said. "Obviously to get past Wolves in the replay won't be easy. They are a good side, but I felt that we were just as good if not a bit better in that first game.

"If we do get through then Aston Villa will be tough as well. They are one of the best sides left in the competition and that's the kind of game that you want to be playing.

"I've got to the semi finals of the FA Cup before and it is a fantastic experience to get that far. That's what we all want to do and that's what we will be aiming to do."