April 20 2015

Eagles attack the Baggies in the second period...but to no avail.

Selhurst Park was buzzing for the return of another ex-manager. But the outcome was disappointing for the Eagles, reports Jamesey.

Just under 25,000 souls headed for Selhurst on a bright April day hoping to make it five wins on the trot as Crystal Palace were enjoying a patch of the deepest purple under Alan Pardew.

My last visit to the Eagles' home was for the visit of Queens Park Rangers (March 14) when we comprehensively trounced the relegation-haunted west London side.

Being 3-0 up at the break was a delightful feeling for a Palace supporter and the Hoops' late consolation strike did little to dissipate the pleasure.

That victory was followed a week later with a trip to the Potteries where Stoke, a tough prospect on their home territory, were defeated 1-2 and the Eagles faithful were getting the strong scent of safety and another season in the Wadsocash League.

I was unable to make the Manchester City home game (Apr 6). The result of our encounter with the current league champions, need I remind HOL members, was a 2-1 victory...talk about David and Goliath.

Last season's billionaire top brass defeated and three wins running. Could this sort of thing really continue? Too right it could after a Wearside triumph and Sunderland put to the sword with a 1-4 mauling. That win was all the more sweet after a stunning hat-trick from Yannick Bolasie, the Congo Conjuror (please excuse my hyperbole!).

So to come back to the current position, we were on the verge of a five-game victory run although all sensible football fans (and even the most stupid ones) know better than to look a gift horse in the mouth.

The circumstances of the West Brom match made it rather special, to say the least. The Baggies' current manager is, of course, Tony Pulis who was at the Selhurst helm himself a mere eight months ago.

Tony has built himself a reputation as a stay-up specialist and again he appears to be filling that brief effectively with the Black Country boys.

He certainly did the business for Crystal Palace, taking us from relegation no-hopers to the mid-table. He did exactly what he had been employed to do and nobody except he and the board of CPFC know exactly the circumstances of his abrupt walk-out last August.

To this supporter it was good to see the baseball-capped one given an appreciative reception from the home fans. Memories in the world of football tend to be so short these days.

As for the game itself, the row in front of me were so busy standing and sorting out who were in the right seats (as usual) that I missed WBA's two-minute goal although the stunned silence, apart from the away section, alerted me to the worst.

Throughout the rest of the first half Palace attacked relentlessly but dogged defending and near misses left the deficit unchanged.

Wilfried Zaha and Yannick Bolasie provided their usual skilful wing work but it was almost like rapiers trying to puncture a reinforced steel wall. Unfortunately Glenn Murray seemed unable to make any impression on the game although half-time substitution Pape Souare showed us all that he is a force to be reckoned with.

Highlight of the first half was Bolasie's superb bicycle kick which only an unbelievable reaction save from Albion keeper Boaz Myhill kept out.

The killer blow came shortly into the second period when Craig Gardner curled WBA's second into Julian Speroni's net. The first instinct of this spectator was that the Palace keeper had been caught a little off guard but, any quibbles aside, it was a cracker of a goal.

It gives me no pleasure to say that, like the QPR Matt Phillips strike against us a month previously, it will probably be shown as a "best goal" contender on TV in perpetuity.

And so CPFC's winning run ended with a 0-2 defeat.

Next Saturday the Eagles play host to Hull City, managed by another ex-Palace boss, Steve Bruce. Will the supporters' antagonism over his departure still be festering after 15 years? At five to three next Saturday, we will find out.

Email Jamesey with your comments to jevans3704@aol.com

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