Derby County - 0
Crystal Palace - 1 (Black 61.)
Derby got the match underway, the first attacking move seeing Shaun Derry put the ball just a little too deep for Steve Thomson. Nick Chadwick got clear, but Danny Butterfield retrieved the situation for Palace before a good cross into our area saw Chadwick head the ball just over the bar. Palace's first real attacking foray saw Lee Grant bring down Tommy Black, which somehow the referee managed to deem to be just outside the area. Even more astonishingly he only brandished a yellow card, but as the "last man" he really should have been shown red, which could well have markedly changed the course of the game. The free kick was, of course, wasted by Palace, and the match settled once more.
Danny put in a cross that the keeper had little trouble dealing with before Adam Bolder found Fab Ravanelli at the back post, his header going straight to Cedric Berthelin in goal. Julian Gray did well to beat the defence, but his cross into the centre was wasted, as no Palace players were on hand to make the most of the opportunity. Dele Adebola nearly found Tommy, a last minute lunge from the defence just steering the ball from his path. Dele then sent in a great cross, or was it a shot, but as Shaun arrived on the scene the keeper just managed to tip the ball away to safety.
Julian was the next to take a shot in anger, his chance being cut out only by a very agile keeper in the home goalmouth, and shortly after Tommy found himself flat on the ground again, courtesy of a Steve Elliott foul. Another name went in the book, but this did not help the flow of play. Shaun took the free kick, and though he was fully 40 yards out his attempt hit the bar with the defence and keeper stranded. The ball was eventually cleared for a corner.
It was Darren Powell who sent in the next chance, his looping header being well held by the keeper, and albeit that all the attacking had come from Palace it was nearly Derby that scored first. A difficult ball was dropped by Cedric, and he was very lucky as Chadwick's follow up shot hit his legs and bounced away to safety. A dangerous moment for us, but all was well, at least for the moment. Bolder was caught offside, and then Dele almost made a strike, just failing to get on the end of a Gary Borrowdale cross.
Unfortunately Dele seemed to suffer an injury in the action, and without loss of time Ade Akinbiyi came on to replace him. Chadwick found the side netting in a rare Derby raid before Julian won a corner at the other end, the defence clearing the danger at the second attempt. A shot by Ade flew high over the bar followed by Chadwick getting free once more, his chance being gathered by Cedric, but not without difficulty.
Another free kick to Palace was cleared by the defence, and then Craig Burley sent a first time screamer goalward bound, Cedric doing well to beat out the chance. Gary fired a cross in at the other end which the defence just got to before Ade could capitalise, and though two minutes was added on at the end of the first period there was little action, and the whistle signified half time.
One can only assume that Trevor would have been asking for more of the same in the second half, but perhaps with a goal or two added in?
The first substitution for Derby came right at the start of the second half, Adam Murray making way for Luciano Zavagno. Palace kicked off, but it was Derby that attacked first, Chadwick just failing to get the right touch on a Paul Boertien cross, his resultant shot going into the side netting. A corner to Palace was blasted over the top by Julian before Tony Popovic had to clear the danger at the other end, conceding a corner. The chance was wasted, then Chadwick was caught offside before Cedric claimed another chance at the feet of the same player.
Danny was brought down on the edge of the area, and it was left to Gary to play the ball in, the keeper just managing to claim it. Hayden Mullins turned a Bolder chance behind for a corner, which Cedric dealt with, then Burley sent a long range shot well wide of the mark. Julian then sent another cross into the area, but this time Tommy outjumped the defence, and the ball was nestling in the back of the net, much to the joy of the limited number of Palace fans on hand to witness events.
A free kick to Derby followed, but Ravanelli hit the defensive wall, and finally Darren cleared the danger. Chadwick made way for Marcus Tudgay as Derby attempted to change things around, and get the advantage back from Palace, but as Palace forged forwards Ade found himself caught offside, just as the goalmouth beckoned.
Pablo Mills did well to stop Tommy as he made his way forward. Another free kick to Palace met with little success, but as they went forward once more Julian just failed to get on the end of an Ade cross that certainly spelt "Goal".
Kit Symons came on to replace Darren and Izale McLeod took over from Boertien, as the managers rang the changes, one presumably to pull a goal back and the other to keep any such attempt out. Tommy was caught offside just as it looked as if he might double his tally for the night, and he almost did it again, this time from a free kick that hit the woodwork and bounced away to safety.
A corner, this time to Derby, brought out the best in Tony once again, this time doing well to clear a chance from under the bar when it seemed as if we might just concede our advantage. Four minutes was added on at the end, and Palace made a final substitution in order to wind down the clock, Danny Granville coming on for Tommy. Without further ado the final whistle arrived, and Palace had finally taken three points from a League match in 2003. The few Palace fans at the ground must have celebrated all the way home, but it would have been no more newsworthy than the players celebrations on their way back to Selhurst Park.
Roll on Bradford - we need another three points!
Colin Pryce
Derby County: Lee Grant, Richard Jackson, Steve Elliott, Pablo Mills, Paul Boertien (Izale McLeod 82), Adam Bolder, Rob Lee, Craig Burley, Adam Murray (Luciano Zavagno 45), Nick Chadwick (Marcus Tudgay 66), Fab Ravanelli.
Substitutes not used: Lee Camp, Marvin Robinson.
Crystal Palace: Cedric Berthelin, Danny Butterfield, Tony Popovic, Hayden Mullins, Shaun Derry, Julian Gray, Steve Thomson, Darren Powell (Kit Symons 82), Gary Borrowdale, Tommy Black (Danny Granville 90), Dele Adebola (Ade Akinbiyi 24).
Substitutes not used: Alex Kolinko, Wayne Routledge.
Attendance: 22,682
Referee: Mr A Leake (Lancashire)