Crystal Palace - 4 (Freedman 3. Morrison C 33. Pollock 36. 47.)
Sheffield Wednesday - 1 (Sibon 83.)

Following on the back of three goals against Bolton and the same number against Leicester, it was somewhat disappointing that only 15,000 plus a few turned up for this match. What they missed will surely bring them back to Selhurst Park in the very near future. If it does not then they are certainly very hard to please!

Clinton Morrison and Dougie Freedman were once again paired in the attack for this match, but Mikael was strangely missing. Our other Cup tied players, being Steve Staunton and Andy Morrison, were back in the line-up, albeit with Andy on the bench. Sheffield Wednesday have recently shown a good deal of form to pull themselves away from the relegation places, and it looked, at least on paper, that they were going to give us a good fight for the points. That they did not was a shame, from the visiting supporters point of view, but it did wonders for the stalwart Palace contingent that were present on the day.

The match started well enough for us. Tommy Black took an early corner, and Fan Zhiyi, back from China, flicked the ball into the path of Dougie Freedman. Dougie made no mistake with the opportunity, burying the ball in the back of the net, and there was only three minutes gone in the match.

This was a signal for the visitors to get back into the match, but strangely there seemed to be little response from them apart from a well-taken shot by Terry Cooke that produced a magnificent save from Alex Kolinko. At the other end both Freedman and Morrison missed good chances to double the lead.

Things were starting to look up for the Eagles, and the home fans started to get really behind the team. Just after the half-hour mark we won another corner on the left, and this time it was Clinton who was on hand to scramble the ball over the line, and finally we held a 2-0 lead. Everyone could see the confidence of the team rising, like a visible counter, and the crowd called out for more of the same.

And more of the same did not take long to come.

This time it was to be stand-in skipper Jamie Pollock who finally got his name on the scoresheet for the first time since joining the Club. Once again it was from a corner that the goal came about. Simon Rodger took the corner, and the ball dropped neatly into the area. Jamie was the first to the ball in a mad scramble in the area, and he forced the ball home from very close range.

The break came, and for the very first time this season we went into the dressing rooms holding a three goal lead, and looked very unlikely to lose the match.

The second half started much the same as the first, but this time it took only two minutes for us to score. Black sent in a dangerous cross, and though the defence seemed to clear the ball it fell neatly to Pollock who hit a strong shot that went quickly past the despairing keeper.

The game was now all but over, and yet there was half of the match to go. About the only question on the lips of the Palace supporters was could we make it 6? For a while there it looked as though we might get close. Andrejs Rubins was the first to try to increase the lead, his shot going wide of the mark. Steve Staunton then had a couple of tries, one missing the mark and the other producing a clearance off the line by Steve Harkness.

Palace though seemed to decide that, with only 20 minutes or so to go, enough was enough, and they virtually shut the shop.

This only seemed to have the effect of bringing Wednesday more into the game, though they never really looked as though they were going to score. This all changed eight minutes from time when Fan Zhiyi was adjudged to have pulled back Efan Ekoku, and a penalty was the decision. Gerald Sibon took the shot, and the ball duly entered the net to give Wednesday their only moment of joy in the match.

Alan would have been happy with this!

Colin Pryce

Crystal Palace: Alex Kolinko, Dean Austin, Fan Zhiyi Hayden Mullins, Simon Rodger, Dougie Freedman, Clinton Morrison, Tommy Black (Wayne Carlisle 88), Andrejs Rubins (Steve Thomson 85), Jamie Pollock, Steve Staunton.

Substitutes not used: Jamie Smith, Matthew Gregg, Andy Morrison.

Sheffield Wednesday: Kevin Pressman, Steven Haslam, Steve Harkness, Des Walker, Alan Quinn, Gerald Sibon, Ian Hendon, Aaron Lescott (Michele Di Piedi 45), Efan Ekoku, Terry Cooke, Owen Morrison (Tony Crane 45).

Substitutes not used: Matthew Hamshaw, Chris Stringer, Derek Geary.

Attendance: 15,333

Referee: Mr M Warren (Walsall).