October 29 2017

Super-Luka - Milivojevic scores the penalty that put Palace back into contention in the second perio

It’s certainly not dull at Selhurst nowadays as every game seems to have an important issue to be settled. Jamesey reports on the 2-2 draw with West Ham.

Since Palace’s resounding victory against Chelsea (Oct 14), how have matters been shaping up?

Your columnist watched the away game against Newcastle United (Oct 21) on screen and thought that overall the Eagles were the better team.

One flukey goal when the ball bounced off the back of James McArthur’s head onto the forehead of an unsuspecting Magpie forward and over the grasp of Julian Speroni was enough to give them a 1-0 win.

Palace’s exit from the Carabao Cup (Oct 24) was almost predictable. Roy Hodgson sent a team of “reserves” to Bristol City (already victors against two Bagsodosh outfits) who gave them a thorough 4-1 thumping and that was about the size of it.

More important matters came on the agenda with the visit of West Ham to Selhurst (Oct 28).

The future of Hammers manager Slaven Bilic has been the subject of much Press speculation as his team have been uncomfortably near the bottom of the table.

In a strangely lacklustre first half, two rare sorties up the field from West Ham produced two soft goals in the 31st and 43rd minutes and when the half-time whistle was blown, apart from a few jeers, a stunned silence from home supporters reflected the fact that the Eagles were 2-0 down to a side that had yet to win an away game this season.

It certainly looked like that unwanted record would be ended.

But pessimists, of which I shamefacedly admit included me, would be proved wrong.

The Eagles looked more lively after the break and the East Londoners were having to defend for their lives.

A foul on Andros Townsend early on brought a penalty and we gritted our teeth and prayed that Luka Milivojevic would do the business.

The trustworthy Serb sent Joe Hart the wrong way in the 50th minute and now it was 2-1 and Palace upped the tempo even more.

Unfortunately the Hammers keeper decided to have the game of his life and made several impossible saves that, had he been wearing an England shirt, he would surely have fluffed.

As is often the case when a team are up against it, luck never seemed on the side of the red-and-blue outfit, with shots hitting the posts, the crossbar and narrowly flying over the top.

The referee awarded six minutes of added time and the Eagles carried on pressing.

Then in time added on to time added on, some sloppy Hammers play gave who else but Wilfried Zaha a chance which he eagerly took in the 97th minute and netted in the game’s last gasp. It was a 2-2 draw.

When you’re as starved of points as CPFC, snatching a last-ditch draw feels almost as good as a win. Maybe we can build on this and start the long and difficult climb up the table and a sixth season among the elite?

* Walking down Fort Neef High Street before the game, I overheard one Hammers supporter telling his companion: “I love coming here. It’s my favourite away game. It’s a good, old-fashioned football ground, full of atmosphere and tradition.”

Nobody has been more critical than this reporter over the lack of stadium modernisation at Selhurst but that away fan had an interesting view.

Another talking point to arise, after the England Under-17 team’s 5-2 World Cup triumph against Spain is the fact that this country does indeed produce youngsters of the highest quality despite many denials from top clubs.

Other England national youth teams at different levels have also done superbly well in European and World Cup tournaments, so why are so many Stacksomoulah teams almost exclusively stuffed with foreign players?

Could it be that with the £ squillions available from Sky TV, it’s less bother to cherry-pick finished articles from abroad than nurture our own talent? Whatever the reasons it’s a shocking shame.

Email Jamesey with your comments to jevans3704@aol.com

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