Crystal Palace 0 – 4 Birmingham City: Not Such a Good Friday As a Second Home Defeat Brings Palace a Case of Easter Blues!

Losing 0 – 4 at home was not the way Palace hoped to kick off the busy period of football that marks the start of the Easter celebrations. After the humiliation on the South Coast a fortnight ago this was not the response Eagles fans were looking for from the team when they arrived at Selhurst hoping to forget Brighton. In fact for those supporters who were spared actually going to the Ammex this result against Birmingham City was a rerun of the whole awful horror show.

Danny Gabbidon came in for Peter Ramage at centre back, and Dean Moxey came in for Jonathan Parr at left back as Ian Holloway made changes in defence. Kevin Phillips replaced the suspended Wilfried Zaha and played up front with Glenn Murray as new signing Aruna Dindane was not match fit. The changes at the back was a response to the harsh and very unfair criticism given the season as a whole, levelled against the defence in the wake of the Brighton defeat. Indeed only Delaney and Richards kept their places.

The changes did not have the desired effect. The back four looked disjointed. Palace had success early on getting behind Birmingham with Williams linking up well with Bolasie but Birmingham soon spotted the danger. By doubling up on Palace’s Welsh international Jonny Williams they stemmed Palace’s attacking threat as Murray and Phillips found themselves isolated up front. Palace could not exploit the extra space created by Williams allowing Birmingham’s own wide men to get into the game. Excellent Birmingham youngster Nathan Redmond and ex Manchester United player Ravel Morrison exposed Richards and Moxey in the fullback positions at will.

A combination of Redmond’s trickery and skill and Nikola Zigic’s agricultural attacking play led to Birmingham taking the lead on twenty four minutes against the run of play. Despite a suspicion of hand ball in the build up, Redmond’s neat run across the box was not closed down allowing him to shoot neatly past Speroni. Palace needed a response instead they faded out of the match. The new centre back partnership of Delaney and Gabbidon struggled with Birmingham’s aerial threat. Zigic was possibly lucky to avoid censure for some industrial challenges including kicking Delaney in the head. It was Zigic’s presence from a corner that led to a Delaney own goal putting Birmingham 2 – 0 up at the break.

At half time Holloway tried to respond. Stephen Dobbie who had missed the Brighton game because they are his parent club replaced Jazz Richards. For fifteen minutes Palace carried more threat. Dobbie protected the backline as Holloway went to three at the back. Mile Jedinak and KG Dikgacoi looked tired from international endeavours which begged the question as to why Moritz or Dobbie were not considered for a starting place. This would have utilised the full depth of the squad as the midfield would have looked fresher in the face of a Birmingham onslaught. Peter Ramage was a miss.

For a while after the break Palace showed the slick build up play with pace that had symbolised their attacking play all season at home. Dobbie tested Butland and Phillips screwed a shot wide. Had they scored at this point or the situation been different it may have been a different game. That at least offers hope of some kind of a recovery for the rest of the run in, but Palace was not on their game and got punished. Birmingham thoroughly deserved the victory. Palace clearly missed the Manchester United bound Wilfried Zaha but the excellent Welsh international Jonny Williams looks like becoming a more than capable replacement.

The third goal was the sucker punch and drained any remaining life out of the Eagles. Ravel Morrison neatly finished off a cross from Mitch Hancox just after the hour. Five minutes later Shane Ferguson put the gloss on the score line with a fantastic free kick to make it 0 – 4. The result crowned Birmingham’s best away performance of the season and conversely was Palace’s worst performance of the season. Off the back of the Brighton defeat Palace have now conceded seven goals in two matches at the worst moment for their promotion hopes.

It has been an excellent season and any true Palace fan would have taken this position at the outset of the campaign.The fact remains there needs to be a response from the team to the way they have folded in the last two games. To me there seems to be an imbalance in the team between defence and attack. The defensive and fitness qualities present earlier in the campaign seemed to have disappeared. They need to be rediscovered. The return from injury of Owen Garvan and Joel Ward could prove timely if prospects of automatic promotion disappear and we will need to rediscover some form for the Playoffs.

How Palace respond to the difficulties of the last fortnight in the next week may well decide the fate of this campaign. Two quick matches at Blackpool on Easter Monday and against Barnsley next Saturday must be met head on with a strong response that will define the character of the current Crystal Palace side. While perspective and holding your nerves at this stage of the season is key it is results that remain the most important factor. For this reason with the possible exception of Hillsbrough in 2010 the game against Blackpool is the most important of the new owners’ tenure moving forward. It is without doubt the most important of Ian Holloway’s time in charge.

   

Brighton 3 – 0 Crystal Palace: Derby Day Pain in Rain for Palace!

Perspective is sometimes something difficult to grasp in the midst of a heavy derby day defeat. Especially in a Championship run in when the prospect of automatic promotion remains very much on the line. Yet perspective must be maintained as it remains crucial as a supporter to hold your nerve at this point of the season, even in the face of derby disappointment. Playing twenty four hours after Watford, Hull City, and Cardiff at the top of the league meant it was known to Palace before kickoff that victory would sent them in to second place. Reality of defeat at the Ammex, painful and disappointing though it is does mean not much has changed in the race for second place.

Brighton scored two goals in the final five minutes of the first half on Sunday. A back post header from Leonardo Ulloa and a stoppage time free kick from David Lopez put Brighton 2 – 0 up at the break. Yet the score line at half time flattered the hosts given the even run of play in the first half. Palace was unlucky to find themselves two down but was punished for not taking their chances in the preceding forty minutes. The goals gave impetus to Brighton’s second half display but had earlier chances from Parr, Murray, and a mistake from Brighton’s defender Upson been taken by Palace then maybe the game could have been different.

The hosts ultimately gained the upper hand because this was a poor Palace performance where the team and individuals within it were clinically punished for making mistakes. KG Dikgacoi unnecessary challenge on Will Buckley gave Lopez, a free kick expert, the chance to punish Palace with pin point accuracy doubling the lead. The first goal came from another unnecessary challenge on the left allowing easy delivery for Ulloa’s header. Could this result have been down to complacency given Palace’s excellent record over Brighton, especially on the South Coast over the last twenty five years? The Seagulls fans certainly revelled in the result!

In the second half Ian Holloway tried to change things. He made a double substitution bringing on Andre Moritz and Kevin Phillips for Jonny Williams and Yannick Bolasie. Later throwing on an extra attacker in Aaron Wilbraham for Peter Ramage to try and make a difference. The atrocious wet weather conditions played a part after the break but Palace looked disjointed and did not get a shot on goal until the hour mark. In the intervening period Brighton wrapped up the match. Leonardo Ulloa scored his second goal of the match on fifty minutes effectively killing the game. The result ended 3 – 0 to Brighton.

Painful though this result is, it is not yet May. Right now Crystal Palace finds itself in a great position. In fourth place, with a cushion of six points to seventh place they are a mere three points off the second automatic promotion place. With thirty eight matches played Palace are excellently positioned for the run in and as stated at the beginning of this report, perspective is key, even if when reading this Eagles fans like me are disappointed.

The best way to look at it in my opinion is thus; with eight matches left of the regular season Palace has a real chance of getting automatic promotion. If we fail in this objective we get a second chance at the same goal through the Playoffs. How sweet in that eventuality a positive result at the Ammex would turn out to be come May! This team has been through a massive amount together already this season including having a manager walk out on them. Yet throughout everything they have remained together and strong as a unit.

If losing 3 – 0 to Brighton can ever happen at a right time this could perhaps be it. It gives Palace time and opportunity in the season to bounce back. Ian Holloway will get the team to regroup as a unit and deliver a counter punch and possibly the perfect knockout blow to the rest by winning promotion in May. March is not May after all! Come on Palace.   

Crystal Palace 2 – 2 Leeds United: Murray Hits 30 Goal Mark on Warnock’s Return!

An entertaining match against a tough, physical opponent in Leeds United was the order of the day at Selhurst Park on Saturday afternoon. Neil Warnock returned to his former club bringing his effective brand of direct football with him. Aiming to frustrate his former employers Warnock’s style got Palace to the playoffs in 2008. With Leeds his team now he produced a game that was a clash of styles. In an entertaining match Leeds would prove one of the most effective opposition to visit Selhurst Park this season.

A draw proved to be a fair result although you could not have guessed that fact given Palace’s complete dominance of the first half. Leeds’s second half performances merited something from the game, but they were helped by a poor refereeing performance. Luke Varney was influential in Leeds route back into the game. He provided the cross for Steve Morison to score Leeds equaliser, but it was arguable he should not have been on the pitch to provide the ball. Booked for diving minutes before the goal, Varney’s challenges on Palace midfielders Dobbie and Williams were so agricultural he could have been sent off.

Yet again this season the football on show at Selhurst Park was incredibly entertaining. Both sides contributed to this, with Leeds raising their game in the second half to cope with Palace’s attacking threat. This was the proverbial clash of playing cultures with Leeds direct style and combative approach against Crystal Palace’s flair and pace. This was a fast paced, open encounter that proved to be very entertaining despite eventual stalemate as the two opposing styles were cancelled out.

Dobbie and Bolasie replaced Phillips and Butterfield for palace from the Hull game, with Parr returning for Moxey in defence. This led to another quick start from Crystal Palace. Mesmerising combination play between Zaha and Bolasie on the wing and Williams and Dobbie in midfield again pressed another team back into their own half. By forcing Leeds on to the defensive Palace again made fortress Selhurst look impenetrable. KG Dikgacoi went close from a Dobbie corner looping a header wide of Paddy Kenny’s post. This was just one of a number of chances created by Palace in a dominant first half display.

Leeds only threat at this point came from set pieces as Warnock looked to have set his stall out for a draw. On twenty seven minutes the inevitable breakthrough that the Eagles dominance deserved arrived. Murray headed home a Jonny Williams cross at the back post after the young Welshman had been played in from a neat Zaha pass following some amazing skill from the fifteen million pound man. Glenn Murray’s twenty ninth goal of the season put Palace 1 – 0 up at the break.

Up until the goal Murray had been foiled on a number occasions by Paddy Kenny. The Northern Irish stopper winning his personal dual with the striker as in keeping the score down in the first half his performance would become increasingly valuable in getting Leeds a point. With Bolasie and Zaha involved service to Murray was excellent. Stephen Dobie was also excellent in the creative midfield role combining with Williams to launch many first half attacks. Varney combined with Paul Green for Leeds’s best first half chance. His shot ricocheted to Green beat Speroni but was cleared off the line by a combination of Mile Jedinak and other onrushing defenders. The Ex Charlton man remained the prime beneficiary of a lenient refereeing performance to stay on the pitch though.

Ex Millwall player Steve Morison would haunt Palace in the second half. A symbol of Leeds improved performance he converted a well worked move on fifty six minutes tucking in a Varney cross to equalise. Despite being on the back foot Leeds would punish Palace for not taking their chances before the break. On sixty nine minutes Peter Ramage misread the flight of the ball direct from a goal kick and Morison was free in the box to plant a finish beyond Speroni for 1 – 2. Palace had been undone by a long ball and for all their dominance of the match Leeds direct attacking play had produced a sucker punch.

The game should have been won a long time before Leeds led. At the start of the second half Palace should have made the advantage count. The best chance to kill the game came when Zaha screwed a cross shot wide of the post when through on goal straight after the restart. Ian Holloway would rightly remain furious with the referee though labelling his performance diabolical.

The way back into the match was a familiar one for Palace. Glenn Murray the country’s leading goal scorer in all four divisions neatly dispatched a cross field diagonal pass from Damien Delaney to score his thirtieth goal of the season. In making the score line 2 – 2 he became the first Palace striker to score thirty goals in a season since Andrew Johnson ten years ago. Johnson netted his goals in season 2003/04 the last time Palace was promoted to the top flight.

Unlike a lot of games at home this season Palace did not have everything their own way. The hard earned nature of the point makes it incredibly valuable as with twenty minutes to go Palace was trailing and potentially heading to a damaging second home defeat of the season. In averting the damage of that scenario the whole team can take confidence into the next crucial derby match away to Brighton.         

Palace 4 – 2 Hull: Hat-trick Hero Phillips Roles Back the Years!

Three goals from Kevin Phillips and a strike from Wilfried Zaha produced a stylish and emphatic 4 – 2 victory at Selhurst Park. Palace’s push for automatic promotion gained momentum on Tuesday night as they stole a march on promotion rivals Hull City. Cutting the gap on second place to two points in the process.

The first half was pretty even with three changes from Friday night’s tight victory at Derby County. KG Dikgacoi played at right back for the injured Jazz Richards, Jacob Butterfield came in for Stephen Dobbie in midfield, and Jonny Williams started in place of Yannick Bolasie. The key change was that Kevin Phillips started alongside Glenn Murray for the first time and he took the opportunity to score a hat-trick.

It took Palace until first half stoppage time to take the lead from the penalty spot. The linesman awarded a penalty for a disputed hand ball by Jack Hobbs and Phillips dispatched the penalty. Ten minutes previously Glenn Murray had missed a spot kick awarded for a foul on Williams following a neat one-two in the box with Dean Moxey. Up until the goal for Palace, Hull had looked dangerous coming forward on the break. Ex Tiger Damien Delaney dealt with the attacking threat of Hull’s dangerous Egyptian imports well. He continued his excellent understanding with Peter Ramage. KG also did very well playing out of position at right back.

Hull’s keeper David Stockdale had a busy first half. He saved Glenn Murray’s penalty very well and was unlucky with Phillips’s penalty, getting a hand to his kick. Yet early in the match he started nervously. He dropped a Butterfield free kick at the feet of Peter Ramage, only to have his blushes spared by Ahmed Elmohamady’s goal line clearance. Key to the match was Palace’s attacking impetus. The speed of movement between Williams and Zaha and the interplay was truly fantastic and a joy to watch. Jedinak’s passing brought Phillips into the game, allowing him to play an increasingly dangerous and effective role in front of goal.

Some fantastic creative play from Wilfried Zaha allowed Phillips to complete his hat-trick with two goals in two minutes at the start of the second half. He left Stockdale flat footed, scuffing a shot into the net for his second goal of the game. Brilliantly converting a Zaha cross played along the floor after a great piece of skill from Zaha. Two minutes later Phillips completed his hat-trick. A deflected shot from distance looped over Stockdale to put Palace 3 – 0 up effectively ending the game as a contest.

Hull did score two well worked consolation goals. The first, a well worked looping header from Jay Simpson with the second scored by David Meylor. At 3 – 1 the introduction of Bolasie for hat-trick hero Phillips freshened things up and led to a fourth Palace goal. A brilliant Wilfried Zaha goal capped an excellent individual performance and was a clever run and dink over Stockdale at his near post. The goal meant Hull’s goal to make it 4 – 2 was mere consolation. Indeed substitute Dobbie could have made it five and Palace was so comfortable the result was never in doubt.

This result was a surprisingly comprehensive victory. An emphatic team performance from Crystal Palace neutralised Hull’s attacking threat imposing their style of play on Hull in a fashion they could not cope with. The win cuts the gap to the second automatic promotion place to two points, and even leaves winning the title an outside possibility. The return of Neil Warnock this weekend with Leeds United will be a tough game. I liked Warnock when he was at Palace, far more so then Steve Bruce as Warnock left the club in a fashion that certainly helped the club. His return along with the Brighton game a week later will be hard matches. The games will only be enjoyable if we take the points because everyone knows both Warnock, then Brighton will want to beat us.

This is the test of whether Palace is a playoff side or is indeed capable of automatic promotion. With Kevin Phillips notching up another career hat-trick to support Glenn Murray on a quiet night for Murray, you know it will be an exciting and enjoyable end to the season whatever happens. Kevin Phillips still brilliant at thirty nine!         

Speroni Stars and Bolasie Scores in Crucial 1 – 0 Win!

Following a disappointing trip to Yorkshire and defeat at Sheffield Wednesday in the last game, Palace’s road trip continued on Friday night with a trip to Derby County. Wilfried Zaha returned to the squad and played alongside Yannick Bolasie and Stephen Dobbie in midfield. Dean Moxey was facing his old club at left back. Palace was looking for a first win on the road of 2013 and an away win was desperately needed in order to reward the travelling support and give impetus to Palace’s away form in the run in.

The game started brusquely with Zaha having the first shot of the match but then Derby came into it and Julian Speroni was tested in the Palace goal for the first time. The Eagles stopper going on to produce a man of the match performance. Speroni had to get down smartly turning a sharp Chris Martin shot around the post. Palace took the lead earlier on the thirteenth minute when Bolasie latched on to a deflected Mile Jedinak through ball to round Adam Legzdins and score what would transpire to be the winner.

What followed was a barrage of Derby County attacks. Yet Palace remained dangerous with the speed of their attacking play often concerning the Derby County defence. Mile Jedinak was unlucky not to double the lead for Palace when his powerful shot rebounded off the crossbar. Zaha had an effort cleared off the line following a fast break and good work in the build up from right back Jazz Richards. After taking the lead thanks to Bolasie’s strike, it was Speroni who came to prominence as Derby pushed relentlessly for an equaliser.

Ex eagle Chris Martin had two claims for a penalty turned down at the end of the first half for Derby. A clumsy challenge from Peter Ramage followed by claims of a hand ball was waved away by the referee. Palace also had to survive a shot that rattled the crossbar from John Brayford. Speroni came to the fore again in a personal dual with Conner Sammon, saving brilliantly when Michael Jacobs played him through midway through the second half. The introduction of Jonny Williams for Richards saw KG move to right back bringing calmness to Palace’s play. A good run and shot from Williams broke up the spell of Derby attacks and drew a good save from Legzdins in the Derby goal.

The key moment of the second half came on eighty eight minutes when Jedinak fouled Ben Davies to present Sammon with a golden chance to equalise from the penalty spot. Speroni saved the penalty brilliantly to cement his position as the man of the match. Palace’s first away win of 2013 was the first win on the road since November. Thirteen points from eighteen available has closed the gap on Watford in second place in the Championship to two points. With Hull and Leicester with games in hand then it is better to have the points on the board because in the short term the gap to second place is likely to increase.

Victory against Derby is crucial in keeping the pressure on up at the top of the table and Holloway was right to lavish praise on Palace keeper Julian Speroni. His fine form was the difference in ensuring a Palace victory. Tuesday’s match at Selhurst Park against Hull is likely to be one of the biggest games of the season and it could go some way to deciding how close Palace run Hull and Watford in the race for the second automatic promotion place. Alternatively chances of promotion may be decided by the lottery of the Playoffs.