Palace draw at Turf Moor

March 3 2007

Clinton Morrison

Former Crystal Palace striker Ade Akinbiyi grabs a goal, as the Eagles throw away a one nil lead to draw 1-1 at Burnley.

Injuries to several key players forced Peter Taylor to change the line-up once again. With Jobi McAnuff, and Paul Ifill still out, Taylor opted for Lewwis Spence and Dougie Freedman on the wings.

The start of the game was rather scrappy affair, but Burnley keeper Danny Coyne almost gave Palace a breakthrough when he stopped a ball from going for a corner and gifted the ball to Jamie Scowcroft, but he was unable to make the chance count.

However it only took a few more minutes before the Eagles were ahead. A large punt downfield from keeper Gabor Kiraly bounced over the head of two Burnley players and Palace's top goal scorer Clinton Morrison looped a header over keeper Danny Coyne into the back of the net.

Spence, playing his second first team game of his career, was impressing on the wing, repeating beating Mike Duff on the left.

On 35 minutes Akinbiyi had a fierce drive which was palmed over the bar by Kiraly. But it wasn't soon before the former Palace man equalised for the Clarets with a header from a Duff cross.

In the second half Akinbiyi continued to have chances to put Burnley ahead including a sliced shot on 60 minutes.

Taylor brought on Ben Watson, and Lewis Grabban to bolster Palace's attack, and Grabban came close to grabbing his first Palace goal when he sprang the offside trap but managed to drag his shot wide.

Morrison had the last chance for Palace when he collected a Danny Butterfield cross on the turn, but his effort failed to test Coyne.

Burnley 1

Akinbiyi 38

Crystal Palace 1

Morrison 15

Teams:

Burnley: Coyne, Duff, McGreal, Caldwell, Harley, Elliott, James O'Connor, Gudjonsson, McCann (Jones 80), Gray (Garreth O'Connor 89), Akinbiyi.

Subs Not Used: Djemba-Djemba, Spicer, Foster.

Crystal Palace: Kiraly, Butterfield, Hudson, Cort, Lawrence, Soares, Fletcher, Spence (Watson 66), Freedman (Grabban 63), Morrison, Scowcroft.

Subs Not Used: Speroni, Ward, Martin.

Referee: E Ilderton (Tyne & Wear).

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