March 25 2002

Crystal Palace

Crystal Palace reserves reached the final of the Surrey Senior Cup with a 3-1 win away to Croydon.

In a sparse Croydon Arena, Palace outplayed Croydon, but not before going behind to a sloppy goal.

The first half was very scrappy with Croydon looking to close down space and exert their physical presence upon the match. This tactic paid off and through the numerous long balls from both sides, Croydon managed to get a chance and take the lead in the 15th minute.

It did appear to be a very soft goal to concede and it was almost as if Cedric Carasso in goal didn't dive for their shot and may have been unsighted. With the score 1-0 to Croydon, the half-time interval came.

In the second half, Palace's skill advantage began to take effect as Croydon's players were tiring and a comment from a ball boy said it all: "We are just a bunch of smokers!" and it showed.

This enabled the Eagles to get back into the match when Gareth Williams capitalised on a defensive slip in the box to control and shoot home from six yards out to level the scores on the hour mark.

More chances game Palace's way and Wayne Routledge scored a brace in short succession. The first of which came when the keeper failed to control a fierce shot and Routledge reacted quickest to outpace the defence and calmly slot past the stranded keeper - 2-1 in the 63rd minute.

The second came after quick thinking from Gareth Williams as he played a quick through-ball from a free kick.

This left the defenders stranded and the ball boys calling for offside, yet it wasn't to be and Routledge confirmed the win by beating the keeper in the resulting one-on-one situation to make it 3-1 to the Eagles.

Overall, Palace played well going forward, once they had established a footing in the game. But they looked loose in defence and Carasso hardly filled us with confidence.

On a number of occasions he left his box to control the ball when there was no danger of the striker beating any of our defenders to it.

Palace will now meet Woking in the final.

Palace squad: Carasso, Gooding, Frampton, Gibson, Borrowdale, Hunt, Surey, R Williams, G Williams, Dobson, Routledge, Heeroo, Bashkal, Hay, Nabil.

Report by Rob Mansfield and Daniel Cunnion