Sheffield Wednesday - 4 (Ekoku 27. De Bilde 32. Sibon 45. Ripley 64.)
Crystal Palace - 1 (Morrison 2.)

Both teams entered this game desperately needing the points, but despite a brilliant start Palace were out-muscled, and ended up losing the game by one of their worst margins of the season. Just how Alan Smith will set about getting the team back on a winning track remains to be seen, but there is now very little time left for any experimentation, and the next couple of games will seal our fate as far as this term is concerned. It is now certain that we must pick up a good result against Bolton on Monday, and then we need to perform to our best to take all three points over bottom team Tranmere next weekend. If we can do that, following the home game against Wolves our last two games of the season are against fellow strugglers Portsmouth and Stockport, and both of those games could see any of the sides falling too far behind in the relegation stakes.

A number of positives from this game tell us that we can still survive in this League, but the defence needs work.

The match kicked off, and before even two minutes were on the clock we were ahead. Hayden Mullins managed to get a strike on goal, and though his shot hit the post it fell nicely for Clinton Morrison to push the ball home, finally getting his first goal in the last 10 games. Things were looking up.

Just a minute later Fan Zhiyi took a free kick, but his shot went just wide of the mark. Had that one gone in it may well have been a different ball game, but it was certainly going to prove a difficult game for us to find a second goal. At the other end Wednesday seemed to have no such problems though. Clinton got another shot at the home side's goal that Kevin Pressman saw sail straight into his waiting arms, and then the tide began to turn.

In their first raid on our goal Gilles De Bilde saw a good shot parried away by Alex Kolinko, but they were not to be missing from the scoresheet for too much longer. Gerald Sibon put in a great cross, and Efan Ekoku was on hand to simply head the ball into the back of the net from one yard out. Ricardo Fuller then put in a shot that went wide, but within five minutes Wednesday had gone to the lead when a good ball from Ekoku found De Bilde who made no mistake burying the ball in the back of the net.

Palace then had every chance to get back on level terms when Aki Riihilahti was brought down from behind and a penalty was awarded. Dean Austin stepped up to take the kick, and the keeper guessed the right direction and saved the ball, and the match for the home side. Why, despite the fact that he is captain of the team, is Deano taking spot kicks? Surely this should be the job for a striker? Are they all really that goal shy?

Before we realised where we were in the match half time was all but on us, though there was still a cruel twist of fate to come. At 2-1 down we may have stood a chance to get back into the match with an early strike in the second half, but Sibon put any thoughts of this far from the players minds, cracking a good shot into the goal almost on the stroke of the whistle. 3-1 down was going to very hard to come back from.

The second half saw Aki hit a shot over the top, and then Hayden put in a shot that was well saved by the keeper. An appeal from the Palace for handball was ignored, but David Hopkin was alert enough to fire the ball goalwards, the keeper once again tipping the ball round the corner for yet another corner. Hayden then hit a great shot that had the Palace faithful on their feet celebrating a "goal". The ball went into the side netting.

Due to our constant pushing forward we were being left a little bare at the back, and it was Sibon who took a free kick that Stuart Ripley got a glancing header to that gave Alex no chance whatsoever. It was now 4-1, and there was no way we were going to get anything from the game. Mikael Forssell hit a shot wide of the goal, and David forced a great save from Pressman, but it was Ripley who came closest to scoring, Alex saving from point-blank range to spare us any further embarrassment.

I am not sure how Alan is going to sort out the team between now and Monday, but it is starting to look as if he is going to need some sort of miracle if he wants to be at the helm next season, for surely Simon Jordan will not have him there is we are plying our trade in the Second Division next time round? Good luck, Alan.

Colin Pryce

Sheffield Wednesday: Kevin Pressman, Steven Haslam (Aaron Lescott 64), Des Walker, Steve Harkness, Carlton Palmer, Stuart Ripley (Owen Morrison 84), Gerald Sibon, Trond Egil Soltvedt, Leigh Bromby, Efan Ekoku, Gilles De Bilde (Michele Di Piedi 75).

Substitutes not used: Chris Stringer, Derek Geary.

Crystal Palace: Alex Kolinko, Jamie Smith (Tommy Black 67), Dean Austin, Fan Zhiyi, Craig Harrison, Hayden Mullins, David Hopkin, Ricardo Fuller (Dougie Freedman 67), Simon Rodger, Clinton Morrison (Mikael Forssell 75), Aki Riihilahti.

Substitutes not used: Gregg Berhalter, Steve Thomson.

Attendance: 19,877

Referee: Mr M Cowburn (Blackpool)