Monthly Archives: March 2008

Draw With Blackpool Leaves Us With a Mountain To Climb

Neil Warnock, , , , ,

Call it a personal thing, but when we don’t beat the team which was promoted through the play-offs I tend to think we’re underachieving. And despite what Neil Warnock claimed were two certain penalties we were denied a victory against last year’s league one play-off winners, Blackpool.

Today also saw the debuts of loan signings Scott Sinclair (from Chelsea – he was also booked for a supposed dive which Warnock disputed), Kyel Reid (West Ham) and Nathan Ashton (Fulham – he was substituted at half-time after taking a knock in the first half).

Unfortunately we now only have five games left, and three of those are away against teams in the top six. These games are at Hull (April 26th), Watford (19th) and Stoke City (next Monday night, live on Sky). It isn’t the run-in you want when you need points to break into the top-six.

Crystal Palace 0-0 Blackpool [BBC Sport]

Draw at Hillsborough: Who’s More Gutted?

Neil Warnock, , , , , ,

Kind of typical late Saturday afternoon if (like me) you can’t get to a lot of games. Sky Sports News on, Soccer Saturday with all the updates. As is seemingly usual, we’re one of the last results to come in.

It’s about ten to five, I’ve given up on us coming back from 2-1 down when we’re taken to Hillsborough.

The sorrow in Scott Minto’s face is clear to see. We’ve equalised, thanks to Matt Lawrence. The bitter ex-Charlton man can’t believe it. Almost worth dropping two points for. I suspect that Neil Warnock – in front of the Wednesday fans who hate him – quite enjoyed that too.

Our other goal was scored by Ben Watson from a free-kick. For anyone who missed it on the ITV Championship Goals programme this morning let me tell you, it was a peach! It really showed what he is capable of from set-pieces. Hopefully we’ll see plenty more to come from him.

Sheffield Wednesday 2-2 Crystal Palace [BBC Sport]

A Return to the Sash

new kit, , ,

It had been rumoured for a few days, but today came confirmation via The Croydon Guardian that the club will return top playing in white shirts with a red and blue sash coming across from the left shoulder.

Personally I would have liked to have had red and blue stripes at home and this as the away kit, as then I would have happily bought both kits (yes, I know, I’m 32 years old, I should know better), but at least it is a traditional Palace kit, and I for one like it. I’m looking forward to wearing it, and hopefully seeing us be successful in it.

By the way, you don’t know how much I appreciate being able to refer to the word sash without any kind of sectarian connotations. Wunderbar!

Eagles Go Back To Sash [Croydon Guardian]

Barnsley Beaten, Play-Offs a Point Away

Neil Warnock, , ,

After yesterday’s 2-0 win at home against Barnsley we’re now just a point off the play-offs again. It seems we’re coming into form at a good time, with Neil Warnock praising our, “great team spirit and a will to keep our own goal intact.” Both of our goals came in the second half, with the scorers being Tom Soares and James Scowcroft.

Can we continue on this run and manage to be in the top six at the season’s end? Let’s hope so.

Finally, in a footnote that might only interest me, Jon Macken again proved what a duff buy he was by returning and somehow not scoring against us. On top of that he was also booked and substituted. Magnifico!

Crystal Palace 2-0 Barnsley [BBC Sport]

Drawing With the Best

Neil Warnock, ,

Some good viewing on Sky Sports News last night for those of us who were watching scores coming in (I can’t listen to the radio feeds, the combination of lulls in action followed by heart-stopping terror isn’t a good mix in my experience). Thanks to Victor Moses’ 55th minute equaliser we managed to get a 1-1 draw at West Brom, meaning that in our two games with them this year they haven’t been able to beat us.

Arguably with three points available for a win we’d have been better off winning one and losing one to West Brom, but in this case a draw means that we’ve been a match for the team widely considered to be the best in division (they currently sit fourth, but if they win their two games in hand they’ll be top again – providing they don’t get too caught up in a cup run I think they’re the one certainty to go up this year).

Neil Warnock summarised the game by saying, “To come to a place like this, a super stadium, the crowd gets behind the team, and to cope with that and the pressures of the situation can only stand them [the squad] in good stead. I think it’s excellent for them. I think the West Brom fans knew they were in for a game, so it was good tonight.”

West Bromwich Albion 1-1 Crystal Palace [BBC Sport]

The End For Dougie At Palace?

Transfers, , ,

Tucked away almost unnoticed last week was the possible end of an era, as Dougie Freedman signed on loan with Leeds United until the end of the season. Earlier in the week Freedman was against the move, saying he wanted to finish his career with Palace.

It seems a slightly odd move for someone who certainly wasn’t out of the first-team picture (Dougie came on as a substitute for the last half-hour against Cardiff City last Tuesday). Hopefully it is just a temporary move and Dougie can come back and finish his career here as he apparently wishes to do.

Freedman agrees terms with Leeds [BBC Sport]

Colchester Beaten, Safety Assured

Neil Warnock, ,

As nice as it was to actualy be at Selhurst Park on Tuesday night, I have to say I do prefer being able to report on a Palace. Thankfully another of these came yesterday, as beat Colchester United 2-1 at Selhurst Park.

Our goals on this occasion came from a Phil Ifil own goal, and a winner from Ben Watson about fifteen minutes from time. Kevin Lisbie had equalised for Colchester and had another potential equaliser ruled out for offside late on.

Neil Warnock stated how far the club had come over the course of the season following the game. “I’m going to crack open a bottle of champagne tonight because now we’re safe,” he said. While we’ve now reached 53 points we can hopefully look in a different direction again, as we’re just three points behind sixth-placed Hull City, although we are also behind sixth-placed Plymouth and seventh-placed Ipswich as well.

Crystal Palace 2-1 Colchester United [BBC Sport]

Freezing But Full of Hope

First Hand View, , , , , , ,

Crystal Palace vs Cardiff City, 4th March 2008

On a rare trip down South I was lucky enough to take the opportunity to get to Selhurst last night. Well, lucky if you don’t mention that it was absolutely freezing cold in SE25 last night, and probably more so if (like me) you were in the upper tier of the Holmesdale. I came away with a desperate need to thaw out, but also optimistic about our future.

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One of the Better Days

Neil Warnock, , , ,

Combine a few injuries and suspensions, a player falling out of favour, a forced injection of youth and a trip to a usual bogey ground and what would you expect? Well in fairness you probably wouldn’t expect a 1-0 victory at Preston North End.

A side which featured Victor Moses in place of the suspended James Scowcroft and ahead of the disgraced Shefki Kuqi got a winner with a 76th minute header from Clinton Morrison. The performance led Neil Warnock to say, “It’s probably one of the best team performances of the season. Everyone was very good in their own right.”

Preston North End 0-1 Crystal Palace [BBC Sport]