August 27 2006

Leon Cort

Despite losing our 100 per cent record, I don't think that there would be too many people who left Selhurst at 5pm that were unhappy with the point that we gained, writes Simon Pophale.

After all, this was after Burnley had played us almost off the park in the first half and we could have nicked it right at the death. Many a manager has said that “it was an even game, so a draw would be the right result.”

Peter Taylor reverted to the starting line-up that he put out against Birmingham, with one change in Dougie Freedman starting a match for the first time.

Micheal Hughes and Marco Reich earned places on the bench, so it was with the hope that we could get back to winning ways that the first half began.

Although it was not to last long, Burnley came out of the blocks much quicker than we did and for much of the first half, we were defending an onslaught. Despite having a small squad, Steve Cotterill has made good use of the money available to him, bringing in Alan Mahon, Steve Jones and Andy Gray.

It was these players that caused us the most problems. Mahon and Jones both sent useful crosses over in the opening 10 minutes and Kiraly on one occaision was found indecisive, Mark Hudson headed over for a corner when neither, Gabbs or Granville could decide on who was going to clear the danger.

Our first chance came on 16 minutes when Freedman hit a shot wide after being set up by a deft James Scowcroft header.

Andy Gray dragged a shot wide minutes later but the danger signs were there so it was no surprise when Burnley took the lead on 23 minutes as Steve Jones sent over another arcing cross that Alan Mahon shot past Kiraly from around 10 yards.

We were on the back foot for most of the half and despite Scowcroft hitting the post on 35 minutes, we did not look dangerous. Taylor could not have been happy as our boys were back on the pitch a full 5 minutes before Burnleys during the half-time interval. Was the proverbial cup of tea thrown in the changing rooms?

Clearly, whatever Taylor said had worked wonders because with 5 minutes of the restart, we were level.

Leon Cort was fouled by Micah Hyde and the resultant free kick was swept over by Mark Kennedy and Cort gleefully looped a header over Brian Jensen into the net for the equaliser, game on!

But we lapsed back straight back into a “Jekyll and Hyde” routine and 4 minutes after we scored, Burnley hit back as Steve Jones floated over a cross which took a deflection and Kyle Lafferty beat Kiraly from close range. We had gone to sleep again and been punished by Jones. 1-2 and it looked grim again.

We have become a 2nd half team this season and as we are the best from coming from behind to win this season, so when Taylor brought on Morrison and Hughes to try to get something out of the game, hopes were high.

The boys did not disappoint, as within minutes of Morrison coming on, we got a 2nd equaliser when the ever dangerous Jobi McAnuff crossed for James Scowcroft who headed home at the far post to make it 2-2.

McAnuff could have made it 3-2 five minutes later as he beat four men on the right before bringing off a wonderful diving save from Jensen.

We huffed and puffed but despite 2 late corners, one of which saw a Scowcroft header go dangerously close, being hacked away after it drifted goalwards with Jensen nowhere, it ended 2-2.

A fair result, but Burnley gave us a real scare and we will need to play better for a full 90 minutes, something that Taylor needs to get the team to work on, or we will struggle against the better sides this season.

Palace: Kiraly, Granville, Hudson, Cort, Butterfield, Fletcher (Hughes 59), Soares, Kennedy, McAnuff, Scowcroft, Freedman (Morrison 77).

Not Used: Flinders, Lawrence, Reich. Freedman.