January 1 2015

A second successive clean sheet for Julian Speroni

Crystal Palace played out a goalless draw in a turgid game at Aston Villa.

Manager-in-waiting Alan Pardew watched from the stands as the Eagles put in a solid defensive display but lacked barely any creativity.

Villa began the match well, with Christian Benteke and Alan Hutton forcing Palace stopper Julian Speroni into low saves.

They lost defender Ron Vlaar to a 15th-minute injury, to be replaced by Ciaran Clark, but it was Palace who should have gone in at the break a goal up.

Yannick Bolasie collected the ball at the halfway line and broke clear, leaving two defenders in his wake, but his lifted-shot over Brad Guzan struck the bar.

Chances were at a premier in the second period, though Speroni did well to push out a Leandro Bacuna free-kick.

The introduction of Dwight Gayle for ineffective lone striker Wilfried Zaha failed to ignite Palace as it ended all square, with the team now winless in eight games.

Caretaker boss Keith Millen signs off with a second successive away point and clean sheets but Palace remain third bottom in the table leaving Pardew with lots of work to do.

Villa: Guzan, Hutton, Okore, Vlaar (Clark 15), Cissokho, Sanchez, Cleverley (Grealish 65); Bacuna, Agbonlahor, Weimann (Cole 83), Benteke.

Not used: Given, N’Zogbia, Lowton, Robinson.

Palace: Speroni, Mariappa, Dann, Delaney, Kelly, Puncheon, McArthur (Bannan 90), Ward, Ledley, Bolasie, Zaha (Gayle 62).

Not used: Hennessey, Hangeland, Doyle, Campbell, Thomas.

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