Crystal Palace - 1 (Shipperley 13.)
Watford - 0
Watford got this game underway, and within moments Gavin Mahon got a shot on goal, Matt Clarke doing well to get down to his right to effect the save. Andy Johnson fired the ball into the danger area for Palace, but the defenders cut the ball out before the Palace strikeforce could get to it. Bruce Dyer put in a cross that the Palace defence did equally well to handle, and the next ball into the centre, by Neal Ardley, was well cut out by Matt. Neil Shipperley almost got to the ball before the keeper, Alec Chamberlain, averted the danger, and a cross from Paul Robinson presented a shot to Danny Webber who should have done better than simply put his header over the top of the crossbar.
What should have been a goal to Watford was suddenly turned around at the other end though, as Danny Butterfield put in a great cross, which Neil rose to and headed powerfully home, unmarked about 6 yards out from the goal line. So, 1-0 up, and only some 13 minutes gone on the clock; a great start to the Eagles. Micah Hyde fired in a shot that deflected off new boy Michael Hughes, making his Palace debut, and the ball went behind for a corner to our visitors. Ex-Palace player Dyer tried the shot, which again went behind off a deflection for another corner, but the move eventually broke down.
Ben Watson blocked the next shot, sent in by Webber, and a free kick to Watford was well blocked by Tony Popovic. An offside decision, against Dyer, brought an ironic cheer from the Palace crowd, who presumably remembered the inordinate number of times he was caught offside when playing in a Palace shirt. Matt only managed to punch the next corner clear, before a free kick to Palace was poorly hit by Michael, who really should have made the chance count. Double the lead would have been unfair on Watford, but more than welcome to the Palace crowd!
With almost 40 minutes gone Palace finally won their first corner of the match that Michael took, Darren Powell just failing to get on the end of the cross. Dyer then was presented with a chance, but from only 6 yards out he failed to control his shot, and the ball flew off his boot for a goal kick. He really should have leveled the scores with that shot, it really was a chance wasted.
With only one minute of time added on Watford had a last chance, from a free kick, but once again Tony was on hand to deny the chance, taken by Ardley. The sides trooped off, the Palace fans happily singing, though one can be sure that Steve Kember would have been "annoyed" with a couple of the chances that Watford had, and would be talking to the team, trying to cut those chances out.
Palace made an immediate substitution at the start of the second half, with Wayne Routledge taking the place of Andy; obviously a tactical move to try and inject a bit more pace into the Palace attack. Palace kicked off, and the first action saw Neil chest the ball down and flick a pass on to Dougie Freedman, but the top scorer for Palace was unable to control the ball, and fired his shot way over the top of the crossbar. Dougie got the ball through to Wayne, who made a good run before firing in a cross that was wasted, and following Dyer being caught offside once more Wayne decided to try on his own. Beating a couple of defenders he fired the ball goalwards, the shot once again going well over the top.
Robinson fouled Ben, pushing him into the advertising hoardings, meaning the game was held up whilst Ben received treatment, but of course the referee saw nothing wrong with the tackle, and no further action was taken. Lloyd Doyley won a corner for the visitors, which was easily cleared by the Palace defence, and then Michael was fouled just outside the area, a booking followed for Ardley, and Ben hit the wall with the free kick, Heidar Helguson clearing the ball for a corner.
Michael fired the ball in, but Watford cleared the danger, and almost immediately at the other end Matt did well to deny Helguson when he only had the keeper to beat. Watford decided to make a couple of changes, presumably in an attempt to find some way of unlocking the Palace defence, and Doyley and Webber gave way to Scott Fitzgerald and Lee Cook. Hyde got the ball through to Gavin Mahon, his shot spilling from the grasp of Matt on the first attempt, but he was able to gather the ball before the Watford attack could pounce on the loose ball.
Ben tried a shot, which the keeper just managed to tip over the bar, and Watford used the break in play to make their final substitution, Jamie Hand taking the place of Hyde. A few minutes later Palace made their second change, Aki Riihilahti replacing Shaun Derry, and with his first touch of the ball Aki almost created a goal; his pass finding Neil but his touch failing to find Dougie, who was unmarked in the area. Michael was then booked for a foul on Helguson, and this was to prove costly shortly after as he was booked again for a foul on Mahon, and two yellows became a red, and he was off. Down to 10 men once again - will we ever finish a match with 11?
Fortunately Watford still could not find a way through our resolute defence, and despite two minutes of added on time there was little further action, the Palace side holding out for their second League win of the season, escalating their position in the table to 3rd. Perhaps, with a win over Wimbledon next week (away at Selhurst Park) we can go to the top of the League?
Colin Pryce
Crystal Palace: Matthew Clarke, Darren Powell, Tony Popovic, Jamie Smith, Shaun Derry (Aki Riihilahti 77), Michael Hughes, Ben Watson, Danny Butterfield, Dougie Freedman, Neil Shipperley, Andrew Johnson (Wayne Routledge 45).
Substitutes not used: Cedric Berthelin, Tommy Black, Kit Symons.
Watford: Alec Chamberlain, Lloyd Doyley (Scott Fitzgerald 67), Neil Cox, Marcus Gayle, Paul Robinson, Neal Ardley, Gavin Mahon, Micah Hyde (Jamie Hand 73), Heidar Helguson, Bruce Dyer, Danny Webber (Lee Cook 67).
Substitutes not used: Sean Dyche, Richard Lee.
Attendance: 15,333
Referee: Mr P Dowd