June 13 2004

Tommy Black

Take a look at the fourth and final part of Simon Pophale's review of last season.

May

We had, traditionally been poor on the first of the month this season. However this was it, relegataion-threatened Walsall at home and the stakes were high. Victory for Palace would see us into the play-off spots. Defeat and Walsall would keep themselves alive until the next week. A draw, was bad all round.

In a game where the stakes were so high, chances were few and far between. However, with two minutes left, sub Tommy Black, went down a la McGoldrick against Blackburn in 1989 and the referee pointed to the spot. Up stepped AJ and even though the spot kick was saved, the ball came straight back to him and he sent us into raptures but more importantly, into the play-offs.

With results going our way, we were fourth. A draw against Coventry would be enough. Thousands of us made the trip up to the Midlands on the last day, hoping for the miracle to happen. There were thousands too, myself included, at the beamback at Selhurst for one of the biggest games in the club's recent history.

It was clear, however, that the players had a collective fit of nerves as the first five minutes saw Mo Konjic score the opening goal for Coventry and it was only a matter of time before Michael Doyle made it 2-0. Clearly trying to impress their new manager Peter Reid, Coventry controlled the game for the first 45 minutes. With Wigan also winning and Ipswich too, we were now in 7th, out of the play-offs.

However, football is a game of two halves and this adage rang never more so true than in this game. We came out fired up and as soon as Dougie Freedman came on, we began to dominate proceedings. Dougie took all of five minutes to get on the scoresheet and from then on it was all Palace.

How Calum Davenport cleared Julian Gray's shot off the line is still anyone's guess, and with only a few minutes to go, there was a deathly silence at Selhurst Park that was about to admit defeat. A gallant try, but too little, too late were going to be the headlines.

Then, the Sky cameras panned to where the Palace fans were sitting, and seeing the frenzied jumping up and down of the red 'n' blue army, something had happened. The jumping and shouting had now hit block B of the Holmesdale as the unthinkable had happened, Brian Deane had scored for West Ham!

The final whistle blew at Highfield Road but now all that we had to hang on for was the end at Wigan. It duly arrived and what looked impossible only five minutes before had come to pass. We were in the play-offs.

It transpired that we would have to play Sunderland the coming Friday at home, before visiting the Stadium of Light the following Monday. We had already beat them at home only weeks before, so the ball was in our court.

That Friday night was one of those nights, which Selhurst had become famous for. Reminiscent of the League Cup game two seasons before, this was going to be an electric night. Although at half time, the 0-0 scoreline did not look like it was going to be disturbed.

However in the first minute of the second half, Marcus Stewart scored from the spot to put the Mackems one up. What happened next was typical of our season. Shipperley beat keeper Mart Poom only two minutes later with a header, then Danny Butterfield sent us all crazy scoring 10 minutes later. However with time running down, Kevin Kyle scored a dramatic equaliser with only five minutes left to make it 2-2.

Enter AJ. The 31 goal forward, who had been quiet most of the evening, sprinted away down the left and cut in to send a shot which Poom couldn't keep out and we were in front again. As the final whistle blew, it was like we had won promotion, not just the first leg. We had a priceless lead to take to Sunderland.

It would be needed, as for 40 minutes, we dominated proceedings in the north-east. But five minutes appeared to change our whole season, first Kyle then Stewart scoring totally against the run of play. As the second half ticked on, we kept attacking, but to no avail.

DOWIE threw on all three subs for a change of fortune, but as time is running down, it seems that the dream really is over. However a 90th minute corner finds the head of Darren Powell, and the defender, who nearly left in March to join Reading, forced extra-time with a goal.

The next 30 minutes went by without many incidents, as both teams headed for penalties. The Sky Cameras chose this moment, to pan into the crowd to focus on a seriously nervous Guntrisoft, biting his nails. He had every reason to. Sunderland missed their opening kick and we converted all of our next four, to leave Shaun Derry with the task of sending us into Cardiff. He missed.

Sunderland then managed to miss their next one as well. Up stepped Wayne Routledge to have his shot saved by Poom. Next up, Jason McAteer, who had not only set up both goals, but was also instrumental for Sunderland and indeed the tirade launched at Julian Gray, when our man was sent off a few minutes before the end of normal time, could not endear him less to us. The fact that he missed as well brought the house down.

The cheers from that miss were only bettered moments later, once Michael Hughes had stepped up to beat Poom and send us to Cardiff. From being 4-3 down and one man down, we came back to beat the odds. Only West Ham stood in our way now of the most unlikely of dreams to come true.

So on to "that" day in Cardiff, which will go down in Palace folklore as one of the best days ever. Forget the Championships of '94 and '79, this was for real. No one was giving us a chance. West Ham fans were wearing "Play-off winners 2004" shirts BEFORE the game. Even the radio stations were putting our chances down. Undaunted, 32,000 of us made the trek from London to Cardiff, believing in the dream that IAIN DOWIE, a former West Ham player, had given us.

On what has a beautiful hot day in Wales, the first half was a close-run event. Bobby Zamora was sent clear by Carrick only to shoot straight at Vaesen, while when Michael Hughes chipped Stephen Bywater, Tomas Repka cleared off the line.

The second half was another tight affair, but with us attacking now towards our own fans, hope sprang eternal. Despite West Ham having the better of the early second half exchanges, it was down to Andy Johnson to make the decisive contribution to the game, in a season where he had been at the forefront of the revival.

AJ took the ball wide on the left and sent a shot, which Bywater could only parry into the path of the on-rushing Shipperley, who couldn’t miss from three yards. We went mad, because now West Ham had to chase the game and our defence was strong.

How they had to be as well, West Ham had the ball in the net twice in five minutes, both to be denied for offside. Fate was dealing its last, most fruitful hand as Carrick went down hopeful of a penalty, which on any other day would have been given. Not today.

As the clock ran down, the last five minutes were absolute hell. Not even a stamp on Hughes right at the death which sparked a 10-man argy-bargy could not detract from the concentration of the team. West Ham was desperate, it was clear.

The final whistle blew and for the next 25-30 minutes, all I can remember is crying my eyes out, watching us ascend into the Premiership as 32,000 South Londoners went absolutely potty. It was the greatest scene, red and blue everywhere, with no claret in sight. It is something that will live with me forever.

Inspired by DOWIE, the scenes at the end showed just how much this result meant and the 'family' feeling between all of us, supporters and players alike, although it's doubtful we could still believe what we'd just witnessed.

The journey, which we had taken, ended not in Cardiff, but in our promotion, however unlikely it may have seemed, into the Premiership. Going back to that Annie Lennox song, the words could not have rung more true:

And all will turn, to silver glass

The lights on the water

As grey ships pass

Into the West.

Maybe a subtle change to them could read:

And all will turn, to Silver glass

The lights from the Millennium

As Palace pass

Into the Prem.

Return of the King? You'd better believe it.