The visit of
Ian Holloway’s former club, Blackpool, ended honours even at 2 – 2 following an
eighty ninth minute equaliser from Nouha Dicko. The game did not start well for
Palace as the team were lacking the recent attacking exuberance and fluency that
had so personified recent performances. This was a laboured first half showing
lacking the exhilaration that has propelled Palace to the top of the league
with such style in recent weeks. On thirty seven minutes Blackpool scored the goal
their control of the play deserved through Aston Villa loan player Nathan Delfouneso.
Palace failed to deal with a ball into the box and Delfouneso bundled the ball
into the net to give Blackpool a halftime lead.
It could
have been worse but Blackpool failed to find the clinical finishing to go with
their neat football in the build up play. Palace was on the back foot and
looked as ordinary as they have all season. The band of Blackpool fans were
quick to gleefully point out the score and what Holloway had left behind.
Despite diligent performances from Blake, Delaney and Garvan, the Jedi and KG
lacked their regular sparkle. Work was required from Holloway at halftime in
the form of a team talk to inspire the lads. Reminding the tangerine dreamers
of what they had lost in the meantime.
It worked
because following a solid defensive performance from Peter Ramage, becoming
mister reliable in Paddy McCarthy’s absence; Palace returned in the second half
a different team. The comeback kids had returned. Far more attacking
penetration came from the flanks and Palace was unrecognisable from their first
half performance. The directness and cutting edge was back in their play that
has been so effective in recent weeks. Bolasie had the beating of his man and
on fifty two minutes the Palace surge at the start of the second half paid off.
Zaha returned a Bolasie shot with a cross created by a wonderful piece of
footwork, planting the ball on Garvan’s head for the equaliser.
The
turnaround was complete when goal machine Glenn Murray got in on the act. Planting a header into the corner of the net past Matt Gilkes for his
eighteenth goal of a very productive season. Fresh from a brace against former
employees it was impossible for him not to influence the game with such
service. Inventive wing play from Bolasie and Zaha and creative midfield work
from influential substitute Moritz meant in an open game chances were coming at
will. A chance was laid on a plate for Murray and he should have made it 3 – 1 when Bolasie, freed by Moritz,
beat four players and with a marauding run, that took him the length of the
field he played the defence splitting cross to Murray only for Gilkes to make
the save. The save was crucial because it was Blackpool’s influential
substitute Nouha Dicko’s turn to impact the game.
Blackpool
were never out of the match. Even when Palace led Blackpool broke well and
looked dangerous with fast, incisive, passing through the midfield into the
final third. On eighty nine minutes this speed of passing allowed Wes Thomas to
break to the by line and get his cross away allowing Dicko to smash in a last
minute equaliser. He went wild! Running to the travelling supporters at the
other end of the field, he revealed to all his six pack and pecks despite freezing
December temperatures. Obviously delighted he got booked but this raised the
temperature and soured tempers on the benches. Holloway did not take well to a
glare from one of his former colleagues. Whoever it was glaring at Holloway
they would do well to remember the good times.
The identity
of the glarer remains known only to Holloway and although the tangerine dream
is fading at least it was real, filling the minds of all those wearing
tangerine with irreplaceable happy memories. Football is a game of changes and
at least Holloway left Blackpool in the right way, acknowledging his affection
for the club and its supporters. Sadly the same cannot be said for the certain
ex Palace manager currently employed on the East Lancs Road. He still refuses
to acknowledge his former clubs supporters in any fashion shape or form,
playing with our emotions despite the feelings that ran so deep for him.
Still Holloway
is in charge now and he is doing a fantastic job. We find ourselves in second
place going into the Christmas period. One defeat since August, away to Leeds. Games over Christmas against leaders Cardiff, Forest, Huddersfield, and
Wolves means things are certainly on the up. Next week we travel to Birmingham
looking to continue our three game mini unbeaten run. We do this in the
knowledge we are in excellent shape with a manager in Ian Holloway who can hold
his head up high as a fantastically experienced, underrated manager. He knows
how to treat supporters and has achieved a lot in the game he can be proud of
at Plymouth, QPR, Leicester City, Blackpool and so far in his role at Palace.
No comments:
Post a Comment