Match Report: Derby 0-1 Crystal Palace

Julian Speroni saved Conor Sammon’s late penalty as Crystal Palace secured a first away win since November with a 1-0 victory at Pride Park tonight. Yannick Bolasie clinically scored the game’s only goal for the promotion hopefuls, who looked good value for the three points until captain Mile Jedinak fouled substitute Ben Davies in the penalty area with three minutes remaining. However, Sammon’s powerful spot-kick was brilliantly deflected onto the bar by the Argentinian shot-stopper to consign Nigel Clough’s side to a first home defeat of 2013. Palace manager Ian Holloway received a welcome boost with Wilfred Zaha, on loan from Manchester United after joining the Premier League leaders in January, returning from a dead leg that had kept him out of Saturday’s defeat at Sheffield Wednesday. The returning forward had to wait just five minutes for his first opportunity - a long ball upfield was flicked on by Glenn Murray and Zaha’s change of pace allowed him to sear in behind the Derby backline, only to then shoot straight at Adam Legzdins. Palace were enjoying the better of the opening exchanges and Murray’s lay-off for Stephen Dobbie might have brought the opening goal had the former West Brom man’s 20-yard shot not deflected into the side-netting. The breakthrough came in the 13th minute in freak circumstances. Eagles skipper Jedinak won a thunderous challenge inside his own half and the ball went flying up field to Bolasie, who took full advantage of Derby’s AWOL backline to coolly round the keeper and fire home. Palace might have had a second three minutes later when Jedinak’s 25-yard thunderbolt cannoned off the crossbar, while at the other end only the excellent Damien Delaney’s last-ditch challenge prevented Sammon going clean through on goal. Derby began to play their way into the game; Jamie Ward had a volleyed effort parried behind by Speroni, before John Brayford’s low cross was only half-cleared to Craig Bryson, who shot straight at the veteran keeper. A delightful one-two between Paul Coutts and Chris Martin put the former clear down the right, and after his low cross had deflected towards the penalty spot Norwich loanee Martin drew a good save from Speroni. A quick visiting counter attack five minutes before half-time saw Bolasie play in Dobbie, but the Scot sliced his shot wide. Another swift break saw Bryson deny Bolasie a second when he headed the Frenchman’s 44th-minute effort off the line with Legzdins in no-man’s land. Derby were unlucky not to be awarded a penalty in first-half stoppage time when Peter Ramage appeared to haul Martin down inside the box, but Sammon should have levelled seven minutes after the break when Martin’s clever overhead kick played Michael Jacobs in down the left channel and the substitute squared to the Irishman, only for Speroni to smother his effort after the former Wigan forward hesitated. Legzdins did well to deny the visitors a second goal after 65 minutes when he brilliantly tipped Jonathan Williams’ 20-yard effort over the bar, after the substitute had gone on a dazzling run from the halfway line. Derby were enjoying the better of the second half, but when the ball dropped to Jacobs unmarked 12 yards out he wastefully dragged his volley wide. The hosts were struggling to fashion clear-cut opportunities, but Speroni had to be alert to push away Richard Keogh’s low drive from the edge of the box, before Sammon’s penalty woe capped a miserable night for the home fans.

Match Report: Sheffield Wednesday 1-0 Crystal Palace

Sheffield Wednesday made two changes for the visit of Crystal Palace to Hillsborough in the Championship. Wednesday made two changes from the side which drew 0-0 at Birmingham in midweek. In came captain Anthony Gardner and Kieran Lee for Martin Taylor and Jeremy Helan who dropped to the bench. There was no place for Manchester United-bound Wilfried Zaha, the £15m winger ruled out for the visitors with a dead leg. The Owls came close to opening the scoring on 21 minutes, Kieran Lee’s right-wing cross picking out Leroy Lita but his header was too close to goalkeeper Julian Speroni. Lewis Buxton and David Prutton also had long-range efforts that flew over the crossbar. Lee’s volley, from Michail Antonio’s back-post cross, was blocked in a packed Palace box and Connor Wickham was unable to react quick enough to stab home the loose ball. At the other end, David Prutton was left winded after throwing himself in front of Scott Dobbie’s 25-yard drive. Dobbie forced Chris Kirkland into a fine save at his near post at the start of the second half, before Buxton threw himself in front of Glenn Murray’s effort. Dave Jones introduced Jeremy Helan and Gary Madine as substitutes to try and force a goal, but Palace broke away and Yannick Bolasie toe-poked an effort which Kirkland did well to save one-handed. But the Owls finally broke the deadlock in the 80th minutes, Antonio’s cross picking out Lita whose header crashed into the net off the underside of the bar. And Lita should have wrapped up victory in stoppage time when Madine sent him scampering away, but he could not beat Speroni in a one-on-one.

Crystal Palace 4-1 Middlesbrough

Glenn Murray took his goals tally to 27 for the season with a brace as Crystal Palace maintained their promotion push by brushing aside Middlesbrough, whose midweek win over Leeds proved to be a false dawn. The former Brighton forward opened the scoring early on, but missed two more chances to complete a first-half hat-trick as Palace struggled to make their dominance count. However, just after the interval, Murray set up Peter Ramage to double his side’s advantage before the in-form striker’s spectacular drive and Kevin Phillips’ effort ensured Palace extended their unbeaten league run at Selhurst Park to 15 matches. Faris Haroun netted a late consolation when Boro were three down and the visitors are clinging on to the final npower Championship play-off place after a fifth consecutive away league defeat. Middlesbrough manager Tony Mowbray said: “We didn’t get started. “If we are looking for reasons, the amount we put in against Leeds in such a physical game (1-0 win on Tuesday) appears to have taken it out of some. “That appears to be the case. But there are no excuses. Individual errors cost us for the goals. “We knew they had talented forward players going forward. But my players are sitting there disappointed. “We lost four goals at Ipswich a few weeks ago. We can’t keep doing that. “We are still in the top six and our ambitions are to remain there. “We are capable of winning matches. We have to get back to our old form, but at the moment that seems a long way away. “Three of our back four are out at the moment, but we have to get on with it. Justin Hoyte, Jonathan Woodgate and Seb Hines are injured and we have to take it on the chin.”

Burnley 1-0 Crystal Palace

Burnley boss Sean Dyche hailed his side's "excellent" play as they edged past Crystal Palace 1-0 at Turf Moor. Junior Stanislas marked his first start since November by scoring the only goal of the game with a brilliant strike into the top corner from outside the box with nine minutes to go. The Clarets survived a late scare as Lee Grant got down brilliantly to turn the ball away after Jason Shackell had diverted Jonathan Parr's cross towards his own goal and Mile Jedinak hit the crossbar in stoppage time, but Dyche's side held on. He said: "I thought our football was excellent but it was a tight game and we did well to win it. "We asked the players to give a lot in their performances and they did that once again. "I am sure Ian Holloway will argue that Palace should have got something from the game and if you isolate the second half maybe he is right, but over the 90 minutes I think we deserved to win. "We scored a fantastic goal and I am delighted for Junior, but the whole team worked hard for it. "Football is swings and roundabouts and I think we have been hard done by at times but when we apply ourselves then we don't have to worry about silly decisions and we can challenge anyone in the league. "We need to improve our consistency now and see if we can get more wins on the board. If we can do that then who knows where it could take us."

Palace Extend Unbeaten Run

Crystal Palace extended their unbeaten run in all competitions to eight matches after being held to a goalless draw by Portsmouth at Selhurst Park.The result left Portsmouth still looking for their first away victory in the npower Championship this season and they shaded a game of few chances.Portsmouth defender Ricardo Rocha did well to block a shot from Nathaniel Clyne before the visitors took control and Jason Pearce hit the crossbar with a header.Neither side took control at the start of the second half but Portsmouth had a half-chance when Joel Ward mis-hit a cross which Speroni had to claw away and Palace cleared away the resulting corner.Liam Lawrence saw a free-kick deflected just over before Luke Varney got away down the right and Speroni came rushing off his line but the Pompey frontman failed to get the lift on his shot with the goal gaping.An evening of frustration got worse for Lawrence when he hobbled off late on to be replaced by Erik Huseklepp and Palace pushed forward winning a succession of corners. However they could not make the breakthrough and had to settle for a point and a sixth consecutive clean sheet.

Match Report: Crystal Palace 1 Blackpool 1

Crystal Palace substitute Glenn Murray struck a second-half equaliser to deny Blackpool victory in their npower Championship match at Selhurst Park.Blackpool went close inside the third minute when veteran striker Brett Ormerod hit a 12-yard shot which drew a fine parried save from Palace goalkeeper Julian Speroni.Darren Ambrose then fired over from distance for Crystal Palace before Baptiste opened the scoring four minutes before the break when he swept home a right-footed shot from six yards after connecting sweetly with Barry Ferguson's cross.In the 67th minute, veteran Blackpool striker Kevin Phillips produced a weak shot from 12 yards when he should have done better and Palace's Dean Moxey then hit the bar from distance.Murray then entered the action and soon had a header saved by Gilks before he equalised in the 79th minute. Moxey crossed from the left flank and Murray arrived to sweep the ball home right-footed.Blackpool midfielder Keith Southern and Murray then both went close from distance but neither side could find a winner.

Match Report: Crystal Palace 2 - 1 Coventry

Crystal Palace struck twice in injury time to secure a dramatic victory over Coventry at Selhurst Park.
The Sky Blues, who are still searching for their first point of the season, grabbed the lead in 49th minute through Lukas Jutkiewicz.But Palace pulled level when Sean Scannell turned in a rebound after Wilfried Zaha's shot was saved.And in the fifth minute of injury time, Jermaine Easter hit his first of the season to steal all three points.In a dour opening 45 minutes, neither side had a shot on target and Coventry striker Gary McSheffrey was forced off with an injury in the 19th minute.Jutkiewicz broke the deadlock early the second half when Cyrus Christie's cross ricocheted off Palace defender Peter Ramage for the former Everton man to challenge Julian Speroni in the air, and the ball was adjudged to have crossed the line.Palace almost hit back immediately but Scannell was denied by Coventry keeper Joe Murphy and substitute Zaha dragged a shot from the edge of the area wide.Roy O'Donovan and Paddy McCarthy saw efforts fly over the crossbar for the home side before Jutkiewicz was twice denied a second by saves from Palace goalkeeper Julian Speroni.
Palace poured forward in search of the equaliser and Zaha was again just off target with a thumping drive.
But their luck changed in the final minute when Zaha's 20-yard shot was kept out by Murphy but Scannell pounced on to the bouncing rebound to send a spectacular scissor kick into the bottom corner.Then in the fifth minute of time added on Easter latched on to another parry from Murphy, again from a Zaha effort, and converted from close range to complete an unlikely turnaround.

Match Report:Peterborough 2 - 1 Crystal Palace

Peterborough came back from a goal down to beat Crystal Palace.The home side went behind when the ball broke to Sean Scannell in the Posh area and he cleverly flicked the ball over keeper Paul Jones for the opener.Peterborough increased the pressure for an equaliser after the break and were rewarded when Grant McCann drilled in a first-time shot low into the corner.David Ball came off the bench to grab the winner when he nodded in a Mark Little cross.Palace narrowly escaped relegation last season and their capitulation will prove a worry for manager Dougie Freedman.The Eagles started promisingly enough and almost scored straight from the kick-off when a shot from winger Scannell was forced around the post by keeper Jones.McCann responded for Peterborough and his long range shot was tipped over the bar by Julian Speroni before Scannell gave Palace the lead.Defender Peter Ramage kept the visitors ahead when he blocked a fierce drive from Ball on the goal-line but Palace failed to keep their hosts at bay for much longer.

Lee Tomlin played a free-kick into the path of McCann and he powered in a shot before Ball added a second for Posh to secure victory.