Sunday 17 February 2013

16/02/13 League Middlesbrough 4-1 win




The biggest question ahead of the game today was what Palace team would be seen. Many fans were licking their lips at seeing possibly more of the same from the second half against Watford.

The team news was that the Jedi was back in starting line up to partner KG along with Parr and Williams. It was perhaps unlucky that Bolasie lost his place in the starting line up but that is the talent that Holloway has at his disposure right now. The selection looked justified as early as the ninth minute. Some fantastic work from Wilf, seemingly in an unplayable mood, and Murray duly converted into an empty net. A lot more good work from Wilf and Murray could have had a hat-trick long before half time. It was the possession game Palace were playing with lots of great work but the second was just not coming and the away team started to come into it, and they had an effort brilliantly cleared off the line from Rambo Ramage to prevent the equaliser with Speroni beaten.

The second half was the main event. It only took three minutes for Palace to get the second and perhaps the killer goal. It was Murray provider this time who headed down for an unlikely Ramage to take the ball down, turn and fire home through a crowd to score his second in two games, his fourth of the season. Selhurst was bouncing and were hungry for more, and once again it was Murray who obliged with a speculative effort that flew past the visiting keeper. The top scorer in the country right now and destined to break the 30 goal barrier this season in this form, for he could have easily passed that already. The crowd almost forgot the Boro goal before Kevin Phillips replaced Williams and scored his second in two games to finish the game off with an appropriate cherry on top! 

Boss Ian Holloway said:
"In front of the England manager, I thought Wilf was excellent. We have a few who make a difference, he is one of them. This was as good as he has played since I have been here. He is literally as good as any chef I have seen, and he has roasted their full-backs all day and they will be glad to see the back of him. I thought we moved the ball too slowly in the first half and told them that at half-time. I told them they were boring me, we upped the pace of doing things. We are getting stronger and the challenge is, can we get another 14 wins? That would be good, wouldn't it? We have to aim for the stars."   

View from TheEaglesBeak
What a team Jedi and KG make in the centre for Palace. While players such as Zaha and Murray take the glory, the unsung heroes in this team are these two that go about their job very effectively.This could well be the return to form as just the right time. Hold on to you hats people!

01 Speroni
27 Delaney
28 Ramage GOAL 48’
03 Richards
04 Parr
08 Dikgacoi (Butterfield 76’)
15 Jedinak
20 Williams (K Phillips 70’ GOAL 84’)
11 Dobbie (Bolasie 81’)
16 Zaha
17 Murray GOALS 9’, 57’

Unused substitutes; 34 Price, 21 Moxey, 22 O’Keefe,  18 Wilbraham

Referee; Langford
Attendence; 17,213

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