January 28 2004

Crystal Palace

After 15 minutes at Valley Parade, relief flowed through everyone connected with Palace, because captain Neil Shipperley had broken the longest barren spell of his career.

A tidy finish ended a sequence of 18 games without a goal for a player who scored 24 for Wimbledon last season.

The last time Shipps scored (Cardiff in October), Kember was manager and Palace were slipping towards the relegation zone. More than three months and a lot of water under the bridge later everyone is hoping the Shipps arrival will finally see the goals flow.

We can only applaud the way he carried himself through the desert, ignoring the Selhurst groans and inevitable moments of self-doubt, without shirking his team duties in search of that elusive strike.

The support of team-mates and Dowie must have helped and now he and we can look forward to rest of the season, having laid a ghost to rest.

Saturday’s visit of Wimbledon should see Dowie’s men start righting another season-long wrong - Three wins and just 15 goals in 14 home games. Let’s hope so, because this team is now starting to believe in itself and the play-off places are just eight points away.

Palace’s fourth successive away win was the first time they had done that since 1986. If they can record a fifth at Sheffield United, it will be the first time since the Glaziers won 8 away in 1905!!!!!

So confidence has returned to the team, the fans, Shipps and now hopefully Selhurst Park starting this Saturday.

If you can’t make it in person, join me online for all the action as it happens!

Log on to:

Live Croydon Guardian text commentary