November 8 2003

AJ scores deserved equaliser

Kit Symons had a solid start in his first game as caretaker Palace boss, drawing 1-1 at home to Preston.

There were few chances in a dour, goalless first half - Preston's Richard Cresswell headed Eddie Lewis' cross over, while Palace midfielder Ben Watson hit the bar with a left-foot effort.

Preston opened the scoring through David Healy after 51 minutes when he latched onto Chris Lucketti's throughball to score past on-loan keeper Thomas Myhre.

Healy later forced a good save from Myhre with a 25-yard strike and opposite number Jonathan Gould made comfortabe stops from Andy Johnson and Neil Shipperley.

With the clock ticking towards full-time, it looked like the Lilywhites would be on their way to winning their first-ever game at Selhurst Park.

But in the 83rd minute, Palace got a deserved equaliser when Johnson ran onto Neil Shipperley's flick-on and fired past Gould in goal.

Crystal Palace: Mhyre, Fleming, Butterfield, Symons, Popovic, Johnson, Freedman, Derry, Shipperley, Smith, Watson.

Subs: Berthelin, Black, Borrowdale, Routledge, Heeroo.

Preston NE: Gould, Alexander, O'Neill, Jackson, Healy, Edwards, McKenna, Lewis, Keane, Lucketti, Cresswell.

Subs: Lucas, Etuhu, Cartwright, Abbot. Lynch.

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