Crystal Palace - 0
Watford - 1 (Hunt og 45.)

With both teams having little to play for, considering their relevant League positions, this match was always going to be a difficult one to predict. Watford made a lot of changes to their team that ran out 7-4 winners over Burnley at the weekend, and Palace made a couple of changes of the their own. A debut was given to Ben Watson, with David Hunt retaining his position following his excellent showing a few days ago. Dougie Freedman came back into the starting line-up, with Noel Whelan dropping to the bench.

Palace got the game underway, and within moments we were treated to the sight of Danny Butterfield unleashing a 30 yard screamer that bounced back off the post; what a start that might have been! Dele Adebola won a corner, but Richard Lee took the ball with little pressure being mounted by Palace, then David did well with a shot that was deflected behind for another corner. He fired the cross in himself, and again it was Danny who got on the end of the ball, his shot being blocked by the defence.

Kit Symons cleared up a forward move by the Watford attack before a free kick saw the ball finally cleared by David, but not before many of the Palace supporters had suffered with anxiety as the ball seemed to take an age to get clear of the area. Ben got the ball through, but the keeper was quick to claim it before Dougie could make ground, and as play swung back to the other end Gifton Noel-Williams was caught offside. The visitors won their first corner, which was cleared quite easily by Tony Popovic, but then Jamie Hand did well to play Michael Chopra in, his header falling weakly to Alex Kolinko, when he really should have done much better with the chance.

Dele got the ball on the edge of the area, but his shot on the turn was deflected by the defence, and the keeper held on to the ball before the situation became any worse for Watford. Richard Johnson then managed to get himself booked, not for the handball incident, but for kicking the ball away in frustration, One of these days players must surely learn not to do that, it simply cost his side yet another 10 yards on the kick. Julian Gray won a corner that once again the keeper easily held on to before Noel-Williams put in a great cross that beat everyone, attack and defence alike. Hayden Mullins managed to beat Chopra to a dangerous looking cross into the centre, and then Danny was booked for a foul on Paul Robinson.

A free kick to Palace was wasted before Dele made a good run into the area, his deflected shot just being held on to by the keeper. Our youngsters, Ben and David, then combined well to play Dougie in on goal; his shot going just wide of the upright.

Chopra managed to get free at the other end, and in a one-on-one situation with Alex he came off second best, the keeper managing to block the shot, which Hayden cleared, conceding a corner. On the stroke of half time though, the corner was fired in, and went backwards from the head of David clearing both Tony and Alex, and nestling in the back of the net. Bad luck on David, in only his second game, but surely Palace could turn the situation round in the second half?

Both teams made a change at the start of the second half, Wayne Routledge taking the place of Shaun Derry and Jason Norville replacing Chopra. Watford got the play underway once more, and the first forward move saw Ben play Wayne into space, his cross being cleared for yet another corner to Palace. That chance was wasted, and immediately at the other end Lee Cook fired in a free kick that Alex attempted to punch clear. Unfortunately he totally missed the ball, but Hayden was on hand to clear up the danger.

Wayne fired another cross in, but again it was cleared by the defence, and then Dele got a shot on goal from a good throw-in by David, the keeper once again mopping up the danger. A free kick to our visitors for a foul by Hayden on Hand was cleared by Tony before Wayne fired in a shot that the keeper could only parry, the ball falling nicely for Julian, his shot being cleared by the defence on the line. David sent in another long throw that Danny sent goalwards, his shot being deflected behind for a corner, but again the keeper reacted well to avert any danger.

A free kick to Watford was blasted over the bar by Cook, and Palace took the opportunity to replace David with Noel Whelan, David leaving to a sympathetic round of applause. Palace was handed another free kick that Danny blasted just wide as the ball was tapped to him before Julian forced Lee into another breathtaking save. Helguson managed to chip the ball over an advancing Alex, but fortunately the ball found the side-netting, and not the back of the net, whilst at the other end Noel went down under pressure, the appeal for a penalty being waved away by the referee.

A corner to Watford went over the top as Helguson headed the ball too high for players and bar alike before Hayden got booked for hauling Helguson down. Palace made their final substitution replacing Ben, who came off to generous applause from the sparse crowd, with Steve Thomson as Helguson was caught offside. With two minutes only of added on time Dele had one last chance, his overhead kick being easily claimed by the keeper, and the match was all over, the visitors taking the spoils.

Just what Trevor Francis will have to say about the match will have to wait, I guess, until the next matchday programme notes, but one can only imagine he would have been none too pleased with the standard of play shown by the majority of the players. For certain, on the night, the man of the match award would surely have gone to Ben, who put a number of the more senior players to shame. I guess that is to be expected though, when young one must always attempt to impress whenever the chance presents itself.

Colin Pryce

Crystal Palace: Alex Kolinko, Hayden Mullins, Kit Symons, Tony Popovic, David Hunt (Noel Whelan 61), Shaun Derry (Wayne Routledge 45), Danny Butterfield, Julian Gray, Ben Watson (Steve Thomson 87), Dougie Freedman, Dele Adebola.

Substitutes not used: Cedric Berthelin, Tommy Black.

Watford: Richard Lee, Lloyd Doyley, Wayne Brown, Sean Dyche, Paul Robinson, Gavin Mahon, Richard Johnson, Lee Cook, Jamie Hand, Michael Chopra (Jason Norville 45), Gifton Noel-Williams (Heidar Helguson 72).

Substitutes not used: Alec Chamberlain, Anthony McNamee, Jerel Ifil.

Attendance: 14,051

Referee: Mr A Hall (West Midlands)