July 22 2007

Ben Watson

Crystal Palace continued their unbeaten pre-season run as Barnet were beaten 3-2 in an exciting encounter at Underhill, writes Simon Pophale.

Peter Taylor started with a 1st team back line (Speroni, Lawrence, Craig, Cort and Hudson) while in midfield youth was preferred over experience with Watson and Soares taking the centre spots. Kuqi began up front with Freedman and Ifill rotating between being his strike partner and playing wide.

The match began in blazing sunshine; Barnet had their first shot on goal after 6 minutes, Ashley Carew testing Julian Speroni from 15 yards.

Barnet’s most threatening player was Jason Puncheon and he was making a number of good runs down the right hand side, giving Lawrence something to think about. However, despite putting in some dangerous crosses, Barnet hardly threatened in front of goal.

The same could be said of ourselves, yet on 18 minutes we took the lead, when a mix-up between 2 players on trial saw John Grele head past his own keeper.

Six minutes later we doubled our lead but in stark contrast to the opening goal, Ben Watson's sublime 25 yard pile-driver into the top corner was worth the entrance money alone. Fed by Green, Watson took a few steps before cracking shot that left Beckwith no chance.

We were in rampant mood and another mix-up led to our third on 28 minutes. Ismail Yakubu and Beckwith failed to communicate regarding a Matt Lawrence long ball and Ifill nipped in to score. He could have doubled his tally with 10 minutes of the half left, but his shot went wide of left post.

Both sides made changes to for the 2nd half as Taylor gave Scott Flinders another half, while Butterfield and Fletcher came on also. However the 3-0 lead that we took into the half seem to put the players on the back foot and Barnet started the half strongly.

Puncheon and Anthony Thomas were causing the most damage, with the former shooting wide on 51 minutes and then crossing dangerously 5 minutes later, although there was no-one there to apply the finishing touch.

On the hour, Puncheon was at it again, sending a free kick which Leary forced a fine saved from Flinders. Another Puncheon run ended with the striker shooting wide on 65 minutes as we seemed to be in cruise control.

So it was no surprise when Barnet got one back as a surging Ashley Carew run on 69 minutes saw him spread the play wide to Puncheon, before meeting his cross from 6 yards and turned the ball past Flinders.

Taylor brought on John Bostock and Victor Moses on 71 minutes as the heavens opened and under thundering skies, the 2 young players combined as Bostock set Moses through on goal but the England under-17 international shot wide with only Beckwith to beat.

Barnet then launched their final assault on our goal, with an Adam Birchall cross finding its way right across the area with no-one to finish and Flinders tipping the ball over the bar from a Birchall header.

Yet Barnet did manage to get another goal back on the stroke of 90 minutes when Yakubu headed in following a corner. Carew might have nicked a draw but his headed drifted wide as the match drew to a close.

Taylor would have been pleased with the way that the young players performed, otherwise would have learnt not too much from the match as the 1,371 strong crowd trudged back home in the rain.

Palace: Speroni (Flinders 45), Lawrence (Butterfield 45),Craig, Hudson, Cort,Green (Fletcher 45) Watson (Bostcock 71), Soares (Dayton 84), Ifill (Moses 71), Freedman (Martin 54), Kuqi.