Palace go down fighting in the Potteries

Play off chasing Stoke City rode their luck against a Palace side suddenly and quite inexplicably playing with spirit and commitment.

After twice going close, Stoke took the lead the run of play on 20 minutes when on loan Jon Parkin controlled the ball swivelled and shot all in one fluid movement, rattling the ball into the far corner from 20 yards. Seven minutes later, Stoke increased their lead as one time Palace loanee Riccardo Fuller, I an all-too-familiar move this season, shimmied between two defenders on the right and slammed the ball across the face of goal where it struck Mark Hudson on the goal-line and cannoned in.

The scoreline flattered Stoke immensely, but it took Palace only 3 minutes to reduce the arrears. Mark Kennedy's left-wing corner was headed powerfully back across goal by Leon Cort and Stoke defender Gabriel Zakuani ensured the ball went in by deflecting it past his own goalkeeper from two yards out, but Cort was later, rightfully credited with the goal.

Palace pressed forward for an equaliser and Clinton Morrison was unlucky to see one shot fizz just wide, but they began also leaving worrying gaps at the back and were almost 3-1 behind at the break, but for Gabor Kiraly saving well from Lee Hendrie.

The second half continued in much the same vein as the later stages of the first half, with Palace continually pressing forward and Stoke occassionally hitting on the break. Almost every outfield Palace player had a pop at goal during the second period, but very few showed any accuracy. Substitute Dave Martin and Paul Ifill both stung the hands of Steve Simonsen, but that was about it.

At the other end, Liam Lawrence contrived to somehow miss whilst on the goal line and Stoke were denied what looked to be a clearcut penalty late on.

In the end an increasingly frantic Stoke defence managed to hold on and Palace only had their lack of any sort of shotting accuracy to blame for not getting more from an exciting Easter encounter.

Palace: Kiraly, Lawrence, Hudson, Cort, Borrowdale,Kennedy (Scowcroft 78), Fletcher, Soares (Martin 68),Ifill (Grabban 68), Morrison, Kuqi. Subs Not Used: Speroni, Ward.

Booked: Lawrence.

Goals: Cort 30

Stoke: Simonsen, Zakuani, Fortune, Higginbotham, Dickinson,Lawrence, Eustace, Hoefkens, Hendrie (Martin 81), Parkin,Fuller (Pericard 89). Subs Not Used: Hoult, Wilkinson, Paterson.

Booked: Eustace.

Goals: Parkin 20, Fuller 27.

Att: 13,616
Ref: R Booth (Nottinghamshire).


Posted by neil