"We've been playing well in the League lately, but without any breaks," he told the Cambridge Evening News. "We got one this time when Palace missed an early chance, and we went on to put on an excellent performance throughout the side.

"It was a great Cup tie, full of action, and we could have won by more - we had a lot more chances than they did. Jason Kavanagh came in to give us that bit of experience at the back, and I decided to play John Taylor for the same reason. I wasn't sure he'd last the pace, but he did brilliantly.

"Last season our Worthington Cup run helped to give us the confidence to win promotion, and this display can have a very important influence on this season."

To the Sun he commented: "A club like Cambridge is always looking at its finances and a decent cup run will be a big help. We want a big club down here because there would be a tremendous atmosphere."

McFarland also added a telling comment about Trevor Benjamin, who will have caught the scouts' eyes with another important goal against opposition from a higher division: "Trevor Benjamin will one day leave this club to play at a higher level but maybe we can put that decision off for a month if we do well in the cup.

"I feel sorry for Steve Coppell because of his circumstances but a good cup run would not have masked his problems."

Palace's Australian midfielder Craig Foster admitted to the Sun: "To go out against a team from a lower division is desperately disappointing. We had three or four good chances but never tucked them away while Cambridge played to their strengths."

United were the first team to get through to round four of the FA Cup and when asked which team he would like to face next, McFarland chose the biggest: "Arsenal would do for me," he said. "Now is the time for us to cash in.

"I imagine there would be a bit of a dilemma about switching the match if we were drawn at home. But it would a very nice problem to have. And I think everybody knows where I would prefer to play such a match."

Skipper Paul Wanless, who capped a super performance with a brave header for the second goal of the night, also wants a big club next. "We can beat anybody at the Abbey," he told the CEN. "I'd like a big club now, and if we have to go away, how about Liverpool? I've always wanted to play at Anfield."

However player-coach David Preece is mindful of the effect an extended cup run had on last season's form and hopes for the opposite: "A team in our division or lower is what I want," he said. "I believe the Cup run will do us good in the League, so I want to keep it going as long as possible. We showed what we can do tonight when we get the whole team playing. That consistency will get us out of trouble in the League."