Toon Nil

November 20 2004

Iain Dowie

Patrick Kluivert and Craig Bellamy sink Iain Dowie's men with two late goals at Selhurst Park.

Palace were boosted by the return of Fitz Hall and Andrew Johnson, and Newcastle were without Alan Shearer due to a calf injury.

Newcastle had the first opportunity of the game, when Laurent Robert shot well wide of the goal after 3 minutes.

Ex Manchester United defender Ronny Johnsen picked up a yellow card, after clattering into Andrew Johnson a few minutes later.

Joonas Kolkka, scorer of one of Palace's goals against Liverpool last week, cut in from the left on 14 minutes, ghosting past two Newcastle defenders before unleashing a shot which went just wide of Shay Given's goal.

Minutes later Craig Bellamy, who continued to moan at the officials throughout the match, almost scored when he received a through ball from Aaron Hughes, and chipped a ball over Gabor Kiraly but it went just over the bar.

Oliver Bernard picked up a yellow card for a foul on the lively Johnson. It was Johnson who almost put Palace in front shortly before the break, when he connected with a Emmerson Boyce cross, but his instinctive shot was brilliantly saved by Given.

In the second half Newcastle began to pressurize the Palace defence, and picked up numerous corners along the way.

Substitute Robbie Elliott picked up Newcastle's third yellow card of the afternoon for a foul on Johnson when he was threatening to shoot outside the box.

Newcastle continual pressure, finally paid off on 79 minutes, when Bellamy passed to Kluivert, who beat Kiraly with a backheeled shot.

Danny Granville picked up a booking, after bringing down Bellamy on the edge of the box. Robert almost made it 2-0 to the visitors from the resulting free kick, which crashed against the bar.

Dowie threw on Lakis and Freedman in the dying minutes, and pushed Fitz Hall further up the pitch, but Palace were caught out and Bellamy was put through to score and make the result safe for Newcastle.

Crystal Palace 0

Newcastle Utd 2

Kluivert 79, Bellamy 88

Crystal Palace: G Kiraly, E Boyce, F Hall, T Popovic, D Granville, W Routledge, B Watson, A Riihilahti, J Kolkka, M Hughes, A Johnson.

Subs: J Speroni, D Freedman, M Leigertwood, W Andrews, V Lakis.

Newcastle Utd: S Given, A Hughes, T Bramble, R Johnsen, O Bernard, K Dyer, L Bowyer, J Jenas, L Robert, P Kluivert, C Bellamy.

Subs: R Elliott, J Milner, D Ambrose, S Ameobi, T Caig.

Referee: M Halsey

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