Walsall - 0
Crystal Palace - 0
Walsall got the game underway, though it was Gary Borrowdale who slipped the ball through to Dougie Freedman, his chance being well cut out by the defence. A free kick to Palace saw Ben Watson hit the ball hard, but unfortunately not anywhere near the intended target, and then Andy Johnson fired a shot goalwards that the defence somehow managed to block.
Michael Hughes fired in another free kick to Palace, but the defence was able to clear the ball without any apparent danger, before Chris Baird became the first name in the referee's book, for a foul on AJ. Ben sent in a cross that Kit got his head to, the result being the ball going behind for a goal kick. Ex-Palace player Simon Osborn got the ball through to Paul Merson, and he played Steve Corica into a one-on-one with Thomas Myhre in the Palace goal, but with a wide-open goal to shoot at he tamely played the ball straight at the keeper, and the travelling Palace faithful breathed a collective sigh of relief.
AJ fired another cross in that Baird cleared and immediately at the other end Kit had to clear a dangerous ball as Merson and Corica combined to put pressure on the goalmouth. Danny Butterfield cleared the ball behind for a corner following a cross played in by Vincent Samways, and as the ball was sent in by Merson Gary was on hand to clear the danger once more. The play was certainly going from end to end.
Curtis Fleming conceded a corner, but Michael Hughes cleared the resulting corner kick, and then Baird sent in a shot that went well over the bar. Gary sent in a cross that was just too deep for Neil Shipperley to get on the end of and Darren Wrack really should have scored when he headed down a cross that went wide of the upright.
A free kick to Walsall saw Thomas punch the ball clear, and another corner to the home side saw Tony Popovic clear the danger once again. Merson found Corica, his shot being well held by Thomas, and then a free kick to Palace saw Danny fire a shot at goal, which James Walker had little trouble holding on to.
Ben took a corner to Palace, but Tony made a mess of the chance, and at the other end Tony was lucky not to concede a penalty as he held Gary Birch off the ball when the Walsall man appeared clear on goal. This was immediately rectified though as Dougie went down in the area, the referee merely booking him for "diving".
Should it have been a penalty? I guess that all depends on whose side you are on at the time. Perhaps we should just say that it was a fifty-fifty chance, and maybe the referee got it right, and maybe he was just evening up things for the incident at the other end moments earlier. Either way, the chance went begging, and the sides played on.
Birch fired a shot just wide of the post, and a corner to Palace was once again overhit, this time Michael playing the ball too deep for the Palace attack. Kit cleared the next dangerous ball with a diving header, and as the ball raced down the other end once again Dougie found AJ, his drive at goal being deflected behind for yet another corner.
A free kick to Palace saw Ben fire the ball goalwards, and as the keeper parried the ball Danny got on the end of the rebound, the keeper pulling off a magnificent save to stop Palace taking the lead. Osborn hit a shot wide of the mark before AJ was caught offside, and then another ex-Palace player, Jamie Vincent, fired the ball just over the top of the bar.
Without further ado the whistle sounded to signify the end of the first half, and the teams trooped off with honours even, though there really should have been at least a goal a piece to show for their efforts.
Palace got the second half underway, but it was Vincent who took the first shot at goal, his cross running straight into the waiting arms of Thomas in the Palace goal. The referee denied an appeal for handball against Curtis, and a corner to our hosts saw Danny close down the danger as Merson looked to be clear on goal.
AJ got a cross in to Neil, who played the ball neatly to Ben, his shot falling to Walker who could do little other than palm the ball behind for another corner, but as usual Palace wasted the opportunity, and play continued in the same vein. Merson made a mess of a chance from close range, and Palace decided on the first change of the match, Ben making way for Tommy Black.
He was almost immediately in the action, as AJ fired in a cross that went just behind his forward run, and Gary managed a shot from fully 30 yards out that was deflected behind for a corner. A free kick to Palace saw the keeper deal easily with a ball played in by Michael before Vincent played in a good cross that the defence missed, and Wrack sent in a shot that went marginally over the bar. Baird headed the ball into the side netting, and Palace made a second change, the player/manager Kit coming off for new boy Rob Edwards.
AJ was pulled back by Baird, and that spelt disaster for Walsall, as his second yellow became an automatic red, and he went off for an early bath, leaving the home side to play the last few minutes with only 10 men on the park. The resulting free kick was poorly taken by Tommy, and a couple of quick changes followed, Zigor Aranalde replacing Merson, whilst Wayne Routledge came on for Dougie.
Birch took a snap shot on goal that went just wide of the posts, and as we entered injury time Jorge Leitao came on to replace Birch. With little further action the game came to an end, and though the honours were once again shared in this half one could not help feeling that someone, from either side, really should have settled the matter. Kit would have been pleased with the point, but Palace desperately need a couple of three point games to edge away from the danger zone. Perhaps on Tuesday?
Colin Pryce
Walsall: James Walker, Chris Baird, Danny Hay, Ian Roper, Jamie Vincent, Steve Corica, Simon Osborn (Tony Dinning 77), Vincent Samways, Darren Wrack, Gary Birch (Jorge Leitao 90), Paul Merson (Zigor Aranalde 84).
Substitutes not used: Neil Emblen, Shaun Allaway.
Crystal Palace: Thomas Myhre, Gary Borrowdale, Kit Symons (Robert Edwards 79), Tony Popovic, Curtis Fleming, Danny Butterfield, Michael Hughes, Ben Watson (Tommy Black 67), Andrew Johnson, Dougie Freedman (Wayne Routledge 86), Neil Shipperley.
Substitutes not used: Danny Granville, Cedric Berthelin.
Attendance: 6,910
Referee: Mr A Leake