Two
individual errors and a piece of brilliance from Aaron Cresswell at the end of
the first half cost Palace the game at Portman Road on Tuesday night. Injuries
had a hand in the result as the influential Jonathan Parr was replaced by Jazz
Richards midway through the first half after having a positive effect on Palace’s
play. When Jonny Williams limped off at half time Palace had failed to turn
domination of possession into goals. Crystal Palace’s goal drought now
stretches five games, and the team have now not scored since the 2 – 2 draw
with Leeds United back in March.
KG Dikgacoi
replaced Mile Jedinak who is suspended for two matches in the only change from
the Barnsley game. Palace started the game well enough, dominating possession,
and never really looking threatened by what seemed a poor Ipswich team. Before
his injury Jonathan Parr got down the Ipswich left hand side well in support of
Yannick Bolasie and the talented and industrious Jonny Williams in the Palace
attack. Yet the pattern of the entire game and the result changed in Ipswich’s
favour in a mad, error strewn, seven minutes for the Palace back line before
the break.
On thirty
seven minutes Palace goalkeeper Julian Speroni made a rare mistake. In failing to
control the ball and clear his line, he was dispossessed by Ipswich Town’s
Frank Nouble who put the ball into an empty net to give the hosts a lead
against the run of play. Five minutes later and Ipswich scored two goals in a
minute to put the game beyond Palace. Town’s second goal was a moment of
brilliance and a thirty yard strike from Cresswell that Speroni could do
nothing about. The third however was another defensive mistake that cannot be
legislated for at this level of the game. Peter Ramage slipped at the back to
allow Nouble a free run in on goal to score his second and Ipswich’s third
goal.
The hosts
could barely believe their fortune. 3 – 0 up at half time Ipswich had barely
been in the match, but defensive mistakes had gifted them two of their three
goals. At such a crucial stage Palace had the stuffing knocked out of their
performance. As this was a side with already fragile levels of confidence. A
brilliant Aaron Cresswell strike was the only unpreventable goal from the Palace
viewpoint. Given Ipswich’s precarious position in the Championship before kick
off the score line was more than welcome from the hosts point of view,
especially considering a desire to put right the 5 – 0 Palace win in the
reverse fixture in November.
Palace went
out in a more attacking fashion in the second half but Ipswich had very little
to do to see out the result. Kevin Phillips replaced Jonny Williams at half
time, and when Wilbraham replaced Joel Ward on sixty nine minutes Palace had
three central strikers in a front five. Ward played well but was replaced as
Palace’s need to get into the match increased. Ipswich responded by shifting to
a back five with three defensive players across the back, nullifying Palace’s
threat. This was another poor Palace performance. Even when Phillips hit the
post during an insipid second half display Palace did not look like breaking
their current goal drought.
Despite
Palace dominating possession for long periods of the game Ipswich was not made
to work hard enough for this victory. Palace failed to turn any of their eleven
corners into goals and the score line reflected Palace’s wastefulness in
possession. Palace build up play was again neat and tidy but lacked a cutting
edge. Bolasie and Williams were very much involved in first half play.
Wilbraham and Phillips worked hard and were industrious without affecting the
result in the second half.
Going into
the last four matches of the season and it appears individual mistakes are
creeping into the play and changing games in a fashion that cannot be
legislated for. A goal drought at exactly the wrong time of the season also
does not help given the momentum of the clubs around Palace in the Playoff
positions. Exactly how costly the combination of these two factors will be on
Crystal Palace’s season may depend on how quickly Ian Holloway can sort them
out on the training field. Unfortunately Palace seems to have lost momentum and
confidence at the wrong time of the season!
Fortunately
with Playoff rivals up next at Selhurst in the shape of the Foxes of Leicester
City the team have the opportunity of a response. By beating Leicester Palace
could put a big dent in the prospects of another Playoff rival. The prospect of
three points would also go some way to removing some of the lingering doubts
surfacing over Palace’s place in the Playoffs.
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