Taylor off to a flyer

Match report - courtesy of Alan Russell.

Palace began their pre-season campaign on Tuesday evening, with a comfortable win over Conference outfit Stevenage, without ever having to really stretch themselves too much.

For Peter Taylor's first game in charge, pretty much nearly all of the first team squad were given a look in, with youngsters also given a chance to show what they could do as 7 of last year's reserve line-up were given 45 minutes of the game each.

Wearing squad numbers from last year, there was one debutant amongst the players, new central defender Leon Cort, who played the 2nd 45 minutes wearing the number 6 shirt.

For the first period though, Fray partnered Darren Ward at the back, with Phil Starkey on the right on him and Marco Reich in central midfield alongside Tom Soares.

The game began at a gentle pace, but there were chances at either end once the first 7 minutes had passed.

Ryan Hall down the left hand flank whipped in a cross that was received in the box by Jon Macken. A short pass to Dougie Freedman on the edge of the area saw the Scotsman
whip a shot into the goalkeeper's arms. A moment or two later, after a foul on Tommy Black, it was Stevenage who crossed from the left and the unmarked number 8 at the far post should have done better than heading the ball yards wide of the post.

On the stroke of 19 minutes, some good work by Tom Soares on the left byeline saw him retrieve the ball whilst on the deck, and lay it back to Gary Borrowdale. The shot/cross from the young left back drifted just over the far side goalpost and bar.

However, it was shortly after in the 25th (a few minutes after a scuffed shot wide from the home side) that Palace took the lead after a crisp move.

Short passing on the edge of the area from Macken to Black, saw the Palace winger flick the ball up with a pass to Freedman who ran onto it with a firm right footed volley that flew past the 'keeper and into the top left of the goal from around 15 yards out.

There was then a flurry of chances that arrived just before half time. First a Stevenage cross from the right wing was flicked across goal, but missed by everyone in the box, then with 4 minutes remaining in the half Soares took on and beat a defender, before curling a shot just over the crossbar.

A mis-kick from a clearance by Julian Speroni was then covered with a good blocking challenge from Arron Fray and finally Speroni was called into action shortly before the whistle when he had to palm over a fierce drive from outside the penalty area.

Half time saw the entire team changed, as Peter Taylor kept to his promise (barring one player) to give each person 45 minutes on the pitch. No sign of either Gabor Kiraly or Emmerson Boyce seemingly indicating that both could be off at any time, and instead Julian Speroni continued in goal going on to make at least three good saves during the second period as Stevenage brightened up during the 2nd half.

As noted, Leon Cort then made his debut alongside Mark Hudson, with Butterfield and Granville either side of them. Wiggins was pushed into left midfield and it was a young strike force of last season's trialist Charlie Sherringham, and Lewis Grabban who played upfront.

Ben Watson was first to test the 'keeper, two minutes after the re-start with a low drive that he gathered up into his arms. Five minutes later, Palace claimed a second.

Good approach work from young Grabban on the right saw his low cut back across the area skim across the front of the defence, where young Sherringham was on hand to mop up with a pass into the net from a few yards out.

Grabban then screwed a shot across goal when in a good clear position just after, and from Sherringham's lay off, Wiggins then hit a powerful left footed strike from the edge of the area into the side netting.

With 65 minutes on the clock Speroni was called into action in the Palace goal. A shot from no more than around 8-9 yards out, took a slight deflection and the Argentinian did well to react and claw the ball away from the net with an outstretched arm.

A tame shot at goal and one wide then followed from Stevenage, before on 73 minutes Grabban lobbed the ball just over the bar and left hand post with an attempt from 15 yards or so. The same player found himself in the clear with 15 minutes remaining, but could only strike his shot low and at the keeper's legs.

However, with five minutes left on the clock he did make amends with the third Palace goal.

McAnuff chased the ball down right, and played it back to Sherringham, who teed up his partner with a short lay off that resulted in a low shot that nestled in the bottom right of the net for 3-0.

Some neat forward play from Sherringham and McAnuff combining saw Spence shoot at the 'keeper with four minutes remaining, and finally Julian Speroni then made another good close range save in the dying minutes, as a cross from the right resulted in a header at the far post that he palmed away.

All in all a relatively comfortable evening for the Palace squad, not too tested in the first half, a rejuvenated Stevenage side gave them a bit more competitive game in the 2nd. Short sharp passing was evident throughout, with no sign of the long ball down the flank tactics employed by Iain Dowie during the last season or so.

Nearly everyone looked fit, although one or two were not surprisingly not quite up to speed yet.

Marco Reich bossed the centre of midfield for the first half (where Palace looked fairly comfortable for the whole game) and was adequately assisted by Soares, playing in his proper position.

Wiggins looked sharp during the second period, using his pace down the left channel, and Grabban, Sherringham and McAnuff all had bright moments in the half. None of the defence was really tested too severely, but Freedman took his goal very well, and Speroni was alert and attentive when he had to be.

Next up is the trip to the States, which should see new signing Mark Kennedy (and possibly one or two others) involved for the first time.

Palace Team: (1st half) Speroni, Starkey, Ward, Fray, Borrowdale, Black, Soares, Reich, Hall, Macken, Freedman

Palace Team: (2nd half) Speroni, Butterfield, Cort, Hudson, Granville, McAnuff, Watson, Spence, Wiggins, Sherringham, Grabban

Palace Scorers: Freedman ('25), Sherringham ('52), Grabban ('85)


Match Stats:

Palace Goal Attempts: 12 (8 on target)
Stevenage Goal Attempts: 9 (5 on target)

Palace Corners: 5
Stevenage Corners: 4

Palace Free Kicks: 4
Stevenage Free Kicks: 5

Stevenage Crosses: 12
Palace Crosses: 10 (5 from left / 5 from right)
(Hall 3, Black 2, Borrowdale 1, Freedman 1, Grabban 1, Spence 1, Butterfield 1)


Posted by neil