Laura Kaminski’s side began their first game of 2024 on the front foot as they enjoyed the majority of possession inside the opening 10 minutes but were unable to test Alex Brooks in goal.
It was the visitors who had the first chances in front of goal, their first came from Georgia Walters after Niamh Murphy set her up with a well weighted pass but her effort was well stopped by Hayley Nolan.
Megan Hornby tried her luck next as she pulled the trigger on a shot from inside the box but Demi Lambourne did well to get big and get down to make the block.
Kirsten Reilly did well on the 16th minute as she picked out Molly Sharpe at the back post with a looping cross, the forward headed the ball back across the face of goal searching for Elise Hughes but she couldn’t rise high enough to connect.
Reilly cut the ball back to Isabella Sibley on the 30th minute who swung a cross turned shot towards goal but her effort sailed just over.
Nolan lifted a pass down the left and into Sharpe a minute later who charged towards the box before fizzing a cross into Blanchard inside the area but she poked her effort just wide.
Palace found themselves a goal behind only 12 minutes after the re start as they were punished on the counter. Walters hit a strong cross into the area for Hornby to poke past Lambourne in goal.
The side’s afternoon looked to get even worse nine minutes later as Blackburn were awarded a penalty kick after Lambourne brought down Walters.
But the shotstopper handed her side a lifeline as she kept out Hornby’s low spot kick.
Palace grasped the lifeline with both hands and pulled themselves level on the 75th minute as Nolan netted her second of the season. A deep corner kick from Fliss Gibbons caused chaos inside the box and the away side were unable to clear their lines before Nolan smashed the ball home from close range.
Hughes picked up from where she left off last year as she put Palace ahead for the first time this afternoon. Substitute Shauna Guyatt smacked a shot from just inside the box which the keeper could only push into Hughes’ feet for her to fire over the line.
Sharpe sealed the win on the 87th minute as she put Palace firmly in the driving seat and on their way to round five. Substitute Araya Dennis flashed some fancy footwork as she charged down the right before finding Sharpe at the back post who was able to safely see the ball home.
Palace: Lambourne, Reilly (Percival, 76), Everett, Nolan, Gibbons, Arthur (Potter, 62), Hopcroft (Guyatt, 62), Blanchard (Filbey, 84), Sibley (Dennis, 62), Sharpe, Hughes
Subs: Negri, Johnson, Cataldo, Doran
Balckburn: Brooks, Robertson (Nokuthula, 63), Silcock, Coan, Murphy, Toland, Chandarana (Doyle, 80), Shepherd (Thomas, 74), Williams, Hornby, Walters (Richards, 80)
Subs: Salgado, Seed, Knox
