Shefti's late show nicks it for Palace

Amidst talk of crisis ‘clear the air’ meetings between players, chairman and management, Palace got back on track at Carrow Road after substitute Shefti Kuqi opened his account with a late header.

Peter Taylor returned Danny Butterfield to the side at right back, but puzzlingly elected to retain the services of Matt Lawrence in an unfamiliar midfield role.

The first half was again poor (how many times am I going to type that this season?). Norwich, themselves in patchy form, started brightly but faded quickly and the game dissolved into utter tedium. The first decent on target chance came in the 37 minute from Mark Kennedy.

The second half, however, saw Palace take control of the game and create a series of chances thwarted by Norwich ‘keeper Paul Gallagher. Clinton Morrison thought he had notched his second of the season after scrambling home a Gallagher parry, but the referee after much consultation with a linesman, who had initially given the goal, disallowed the effort and booked Morrison for handball.

Jobi McAnuff and Leon Cort also bought out the best in Gallagher although James Scowcroft should have done better with the chances that fell his way. The lively Morriuson was then forced to give way to Kuqi, in a move that surprised many, but one that ultimately paid off.

The clock ticked into injury time, Palace were awarded a highly dubious corner which Kennedy floated to the near post and Kuqi rose above all to smash a downwards header home.

Palace had to survive a couple of Norwich raids in the extra four minutes, a task made uncomfortable by Gabor Kiraly fumbling a shot at the feet of a Norwich forward, but survive they did for a just about deserved three points.


Palace: Kiraly, Lawrence, Ward, Cort, Borrowdale,Butterfield, Hughes (Green 70), Kennedy, McAnuff, Scowcroft,Morrison (Kuqi 73). Subs Not Used: Speroni, Granville, Freedman.

Booked: Scowcroft, Kennedy, Morrison.

Goals: Kuqi 90.

Norwich: Gallacher, Colin, Shackell, Doherty, Boyle, Etuhu,Safri, Robinson (Thorne 80), Croft (Hughes 85), Earnshaw,McVeigh (Ryan Jarvis 88). Subs Not Used: Camp, Fleming.

Booked: Safri.

Att: 24,618
Ref: A D'Urso (Essex).


Posted by neil