December 17 2007

Clinton Morrison

Crystal Palace extended their unbeaten run to 9 matches with a last gasp victory of Sheffield Wednesday, writes Simon Pophale.

The media might have been focusing on Warnocks return to Bramall Lane after Christmas (why, oh why do Sky love to make travelling for us fans such a nightmare?!) but Warnock would have been awaiting this match with relish, as being from the “Blade” side of the Steel City, a match against the Wednesdayites would have been a battle he was relishing once again.

The same team that battled so bravely at Barnsley last weekend took the field against another Yorkshire outfit. Although, in trademark Palace fashion, we had to go behind in order to get our game going.

Frank Simek, who with Wednesdays’ first attack of the game, squared to Richard Hinds and although Speroni saved twice, he bundled the ball home at the third attempt to give the visitors the lead on 10 minutes.

Tom Soares had a shot saved by Lee Grant on 17 minutes as we tried to hit back. We exerted pressure for the opening quarter of the game, but found ourselves a goal down.

Wednesday soon found themselves having to make substitution as Simek went down injured with no-one in the vicinity of him, after catching his studs in the ground. Lee Bullen replaced the American, but Wednesday seemed to be unsettled with the enforced change.

With Wednesday looking vulnerable, we seized the initiative and we were back on terms with 10 minutes of the half remaining.

Ben Watson squared a free-kick to Danny Butterfield, whose right wing cross found the head of CLINTON MORRISON who netted his 7th goal in 7 matches. All square as we went into half-time looking like we may take something from the match.

The outcome would have been very different had Marcus Tudgay, when bearing down on goal had not squandered the chance by squaring to Wade Small, who fired over.

Warnock brought on Sean Scannell for his 3rd outing this season on 55 minutes as the 2nd half began brightly for the visitors.

Jermaine Johnson hit the bar with an audacious 25 yard effort on the hour, but chances were at a premium and as the half progressed, Warnock tried to liven things up by reverting to 4-4-2 by bringing on Dave Martin.

It seemed to have worked as well, as Martin ploughed a furrow on the left which caused the Wednesday defence no end of problems and with Scannell doing the same on the right hand side, we looked to bombard Wednesday until the final whistle.

Scannell had a 30 yard run which beat 3 Wednesday players on 73 minutes and while this came to nothing, every time he got the ball, he was winning throws, corners and generally giving seasoned professionals like Steve Watson the run-around.

As the clock ticked down on what looked to be our 11th draw of the season, MORRISON chased down a through ball and while Grant saved his first effort, Scannell lobbed the ball back with interest over the keepers head to nick it at the death.

Who says you can’t win anything with kids?!