Fulham 2 – 2 Crystal Palace: Cold Gayle Blows out Fulham’s Premier League Status!

Fulham said farewell to the Premier League with a spirited 2 – 2 draw against Crystal Palace on a crisp, windy, early summer Sunday afternoon by the Thames. Another brace from Palace’s Dwight Gayle capped a good week for the striker following up his two goals against Liverpool at Selhurst Park the previous Monday evening. He has now taken his goal tally for the season to seven goals from five starts and a handful of substitute appearances.

Eagles’ fans were in a jolly mood and ended their season jovially singing about survival and gently mocking the opponent Fulham fans about their status as a relegated club. With an eye to the future one key change to Crystal Palace’s starting line-up came in goal when Wayne Hennessey was handed his debut in place of season ever present and Player of the Year Julian Speroni who’s future maybe in doubt long term despite some very consistently excellent performances, as Palace have been linked to relegated Norwich City goalkeeper John Ruddy.

Palace took the lead on twenty eight minutes when Gayle diverted the ball home from a Joel Ward cross after he was played in by an excellent one touch layoff from Yannick Bolasie. New Keeper Wayne Hennessey’s distribution was very good despite the obviously nervous start given the difficult task of filling such big shoes left behind by Julian Speroni. Quick well thought out distribution pass kicks from Hennessey played in Ince and Bolasie on both flanks with great regularity. Following the goal Palace went close to a second when a Thomas Ince crossed free kick was met by a Scott Dann header which was saved by David Stockdale.

Fulham, already relegated decided to go with youth up front in the form of Cauley Woodrow (19yrs) and Chris David (21yrs). They went close when Fernando Amorebieta’s header was saved by Hennessey. They did equalise when Hugo Rodallega lay off was perfectly into the path of Woodrow who curled the ball accurately into the corner of the net on sixty one minutes. Palace retook the lead when Dwight Gayle brilliantly curled a free-kick home with less then ten minutes to go that looked like the winner. Almost immediately Palace could have wrapped up the match and the season when substitutes Puncheon and Murray combined for Murray to hit the crossbar as Gayle missed the chance for a hat-trick as the rebound hit him and bounced wide.

Palace paid for this profligate miss and their sloppiness in closing out the game as Dutchman Chris David scored for Fulham slamming home a brilliant shot from distance with their last kick in the Premier League for now to make the final score 2 – 2 in this entertaining if relaxed end of season affair. What a campaign that sees Crystal Palace finish in 11^th position. With Tony Pulis picking up Premier League Manager of the Season Award whilst also being nominated for the LMA Award won deservedly by Brendon Rodgers. A season met with great satisfaction by all around Selhurst Park from the management, owners, and players through to fans, recovering from a dreadful start to end in relative comfort with the achievement of denying Liverpool the title with an amazing draw.

With Tony Pulis most likely to be in charge for next season 2014/15, it promises to be one of progress as Tony Pulis is not the kind of manager to stay around without signs of relentless and sometimes ruthless progression. Part of this progression may involve evolving the goalkeeping position. If this is in fact the case and there is a change of goalkeeper then a word for longstanding Argentine custodian Julian Speroni. After ten seasons and five Player of the Year Awards, his latest last Tuesday, he has been a fantastic servant to the club and is one of Palace’s best ever keepers, up there with John Jackson and Nigel Martyn. He remains the best ever keeper I have seen at Selhurst Park. He will be unlucky not to be included in the Argentinian World Cup squad for Brazil, it is their loss if he does not go. If and when he does leave Palace next season, I for one like all Eagles fans will wish him well wherever he ends up playing his football.

 

Thanks for reading my Palace Blog this season, Burchy’s Palace Blog will return for another Premier League campaign in 2014/15!!     

 

Crystal Palace 3 – 3 Liverpool: Gayle Force Rocks Reds Title Bid!

Three goals in the final eleven minutes of the season at Selhurst Park potentially destroyed Liverpool’s title challenge as they blew a comfortable 0 – 3 lead in a match they needed to win. In a pulsating atmosphere under the lights at Selhurst Park on an early summers evening the ground was jumping and the Palace faithful were ready to celebrate one of the most successful seasons in their clubs’ history. The players emerged to a cacophony of noise, banners and a ticker tape display at the Holmesdale Road End as Palace songs of celebration filled the Selhurst air.

Despite the atmosphere of celebration in the air and a relatively even start, it was Liverpool who took the lead when Joe Allen peeled away from Joe Ledley at a corner to score at the back post. Allen was not picked up, it was poor marking that allowed Allen to meet Gerrard’s corner planting a header past Speroni into the bottom corner. Palace pushed on and despite Liverpool claiming a penalty when Bolasie challenged Johnson, Simon Mignolet was forced into action to make excellent saves from Jason Puncheon and Mile Jedinak just before halftime.

In the second half and needing to win Liverpool charged out of the blocks and seemingly had control of the game. Sturridge was superbly denied by Speroni when he tipped his shot onto the post only for Suarez to wildly slice wide the rebound in front of an open goal. Liverpool did make it 0 – 2 when a Sturridge shot deflected off a defender to trickle agonisingly out of Speroni’s reach and into the net. The game seemed over with more goals possible on fifty five minutes when Suarez netted Liverpool out of sight to make it 0 – 3 with his thirty first goal of the season.

The match changed with eleven minutes remaining when a Damian Delaney pile driver took a deflection to find its way into the top corner to make it 1 – 3. Substitute Dwight Gayle then took advantage of sudden Liverpool uncertainty as Bolasie surged down the wing roared on by a raucous and vivacious Palace crowd. When he found Gayle with a neat cut back his cool finish was greeted by jubilation in the crowd as the deficit was cut to 2 – 3.

Two minutes later Selhurst was sent into raptures. Liverpool had thrown away a three goal lead to seriously dent their title hopes! Substitute Glenn Murray combined perfectly with Gayle he chested the ball into his path allowing Gayle to comprehensively blast the ball home past Mignolet to make it 3 – 3 and leave the home fans delighted and Liverpool fans comprehending the end of their title challenge. At the end of the game the Palace sides’ achievement was celebrated during a deserved lap of honour. Yet with Speroni throwing his gloves to the fanatics with no new contract signed, and Pulis’s managerial stock never being higher it could be a summer of uncertainty as a result of great success in SE25 before the next Premier League campaign of 2014/15.

The season ends next Sunday with a trip to relegated Fulham. Crystal Palace’s season awards night takes place on Tuesday evening and whilst revenge maybe on the cards for Fulham’s 1 – 4 victory at Selhurst in early November that saw an end to Ian Holloway’s tenure, it will be interesting to see who takes home the Player of the Year gong out of Speroni, Ward, Delaney, Puncheon, Jedinak, and Chemakh. Although all are worthy of the gong, for sentimental reasons alone in case he is not at Palace next season I hope Jules wins it!