September 20 2010

Selhurst Park

Four points out of six in two home games broke Palace's losing sequence. Jamesey's not complaining.

"Where were you on Tuesday?" said Patricia, my favourite stewardista.

She was referring to my non-appearance for our game against Portsmouth on a monsoon-like evening (Sept 14). "I hope you brought a sick-note," she went on, "or you could reporting to me in the chief steward's study."

This form of banter went on for a while as it usually does when I am unaccountably absent from a game and, on this occasion, I had to admit that, although I had travelled down to Selhurst, the dreadful weather and a chest cold, pointed me towards home to listen to the game on Palace Player.

Yes, as I confessed to Patricia, I just couldn't be arsed!

Well, it was, perhaps, poetic justice that I missed our second and best victory (4-1) of the season so far, against a forlorn and troubled Pompey and our new loan signing, James Vaughan, banged in a threesome.

So, was this a flash in the pan, or a Burley bounce-back and the first sign of a regenerated Eagles team?

Saturday's game (Sept 18) would give us a pretty good idea when we played host to Burnley, relegated from the Wadsodosh-ship last season but still retaining a strong squad of the players who got them there.

Unlike the Pompey wash-out, the weather was kind and early autumn sunshine illuminated the pitch for most of the time.

The first half was pretty even, in this supporter's view, and Palace played some attractive football, the like of which, we are beginning to know and like.

The second half, however, was nearly all dominated by the Clarets and, although we had our chances, our bacon was well and truly saved by some truly unbelievable stops from the Argentine colossus, Julian Speroni. It is very worrying to know what will happen when Julian almost inevitably departs to the top division. He will be impossible to replace.

Anyhow, having said that, we held out for a 0-0 draw which sounds disappointing for a home game but in the circumstances (Burnley are a first-class outfit and we are still recovering from the traumas of the past seven months) it is a pretty creditable result.

Regrettably I will miss our next three games and I am especially disappointed to be be absent from our home match against Queens Park Rangers (Oct 2). The return of Colin (it's OK to call him Colin now he is not our manager) and his high-flying Hoops should make for a very interesting afternoon.

For various reasons, I haven't been to my lovely Greek islands for nearly eighteen months, and the stunning isle of Samos awaits the arrival of Jamesey and the Missis for a little serious lotus-chomping.

Email Jamesey with your comments to jevans3704@aol.com

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