August 1 2007

Ben Watson

Crystal Palace continued the unbeaten pre-season run with a 1-1 draw against Belgian Champions Anderlecht, writes Simon Pophale.

It was a welcome return home to Selhurst Park and playing a Champions League team and national champions certainly seemed like an attractive fixture. However, the paltry crowd of 5,232 told its own story. Friendly matches in midweek are just not attractive, no matter the opposition.

Peter Taylor used the match to again play almost 2 separate teams in each half. This time, he changed from a 1st half 4-3-3, to a 2nd half 4-4-2. Anderlecht came with a team that seemed to be totally different from the one advertised in the match programme.

However, there were some star names in their line-up, with players like Silvio Proto, Walter Baseggio and their new signing Cyril Thereau, who cost £2 million from Steaua Bucharest.

The first chance of the match fell to Dougie Freedman, who put the ball wide after a pass from Clinton Morrison on 5 minutes. Anderlecht came into the game and Roland Lammah was making life difficult for Danny Butterfield on the right hand side with a series of crosses that Flinders did well to cut out, while one cross intended for Thereau was superbly cut out by Leon Cort on 10 minutes.

Shefki Kuqi went on a 20 yard run on 20 minutes but his shot ended up flying harmlessly wide. On 25 minutes, we found ourselves a goal down after good work from Lammah again on the right saw the ball being slipped through to Thereau who beat Flinders from close range.

We nearly hit back immediately after Freedman and Kennedy swapped a chain of passes, but Kuqi's shot from a Tony Craig cross was saved by Proto. Mark Kennedy blasted a shot over and Walter Baseggio hit the bar with a dipping shot from the edge of the area, but chances were at a premium and at the break we were still behind.

The 2nd half saw a raft of changes by Taylor as 6 substitutions we made. Anderlecht also made a change, bringing on Daniel Zitka from Silvio Proto in goal.

Immediately, Anderlecht had us on the back foot as Bassegio hit another shot from the edge of the area, but this time substitute Julian Speroni tipped the ball over for a corner.

David Martin was brought on at half time to bring some width into the midfield and it was his run on the left that led to a corner on 53 minutes.

Stuart Green swung the ball over and Soares headed it back into the area, it hit an Anderlecht arm and we were awarded a penalty. Zitka's first job was to pick the ball out of the net as Watson blasted the ball past him to equalise.

Green was involved again three minutes later as his cross was met by Scowcroft, but the ball drifted over. Taylor made more changes, bringing on Jose Fonte for his first start since his move from Benfica and also giving Victor Moses another chance to show what he can do.

Everytime he got the ball he ran at Anderlecht with no fear and although he didn’t manage to force any saves from Zitka, the excitement generated every time he got the ball shows that he has great potential. Hopefully we will get a chance to see more of it as the season progresses.

The game drew to a close with neither keeper being forced into any more saves but whether Taylor learnt anything from the match is debatable. Yet, a creditable draw against a Champions League team is not to be sniffed at.

Palace:Flinders (Speroni 45) Craig (Hughes 45) Hudson, Cort (Fonte 63) Freedman (Martin 45) Morrison (Green 45) Watson, Kennedy (Moses 63) Soares, Butterfield (Lawrence 45), Kuqi (Scowcroft 45).