Palace put stagestruck Rams to the sword

Requiring nothing short of a win to keep their automatic promotion hope alive, Derby froze and Palace took full advantage, live on Sky, promoting Birmingham and Sunderland as a consequence.

Palace were the better side throughout, as the pressure weighted heavily on a Derby side, who resorted in the main to hit and hope.

With barely five minutes on the clock, Clinton Morrison missed a gilt-edged chance, guiding the ball wide of the right post after Dean Leacock's misjudged header had left him clean through. Palace contiuned to press, although with Shefiki Kuqi again not at the races, the failure to convert posseession into chances was just getting to the point of frustration when on the half-hour the tensions was dramatically eased.

Carl Fletcher's low dive from 30 yards fell perfectly for Morrison inside the penalty area, who turned and fluidly placed the ball firmly past Lee Camp for the opener. Calls for offside from the Derby fans were quickly disproved as ex-Palace full back, Marc Edworthy was clearly shown to be the player playing Clinton onside, in one of those rare moments when someone forgets to blank the Jumbotron as Sky replays a controversial incident to its viewers.

Morrison almost made it 2-0 four minutes later with a powerful volley from a difficult angle which flew narrowly wide of Camp's right post.

Derby’s best chance to level the game came shortly before half time when Matt Oakley ghosted free in the box, but should have done much better with a shot straight at Julian Speroni, who saved well.

In the second half, the expected Derby onslaught simply never materialised, indeed without Edworthy – removed at half time – the space that opened down the Palace left was vast and Jobi McAnuff and Gary Borrowdale frequently took fearful liberties in the yawning gaps.

Bothe McAnuff and Morrison went close twice before Mark Kennedy, utilised all that wide open space collecting a pass from Gary Borrowdale on the left flank before moving into the penalty area and beating Camp at his near post with a fierce left-footed drive from 10 yards.

Derby offered no fight-back at all and with the game won, Palace simply strolled to the final whistle, enjoying the sunshine.

Palace: Speroni, Lawrence, Hudson, Cort, Borrowdale,McAnuff, Watson, Fletcher, Kennedy, Morrison (Ifill 77),Kuqi (Scowcroft 74). Subs Not Used: Kiraly, Freedman, Butterfield.

Goals: Morrison 29, Kennedy 67.

Derby: Camp, Edworthy (Mears 46), Leacock, Nyatanga, McEveley,Teale, Jones, Oakley, Barnes (Lupoli 51), Currie (Fagan 65),Howard. Subs Not Used: Grant, Pearson.

Booked: Howard.

Att: 19,545
Ref: T Bates (Staffordshire).


Posted by neil