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.
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