Eagles Fly Past Gills

Gillingham 0-3 Crystal Palace
Moxey, Dobbie, Owusu-Abeyie

The second pre-season game for the first team squad was a trip to Gillingham in Kent.

Palace looking to build on their win against Dagenham on Saturday continued with a mixture of first team, youth and trialists. Nuhiu, Nicholson, Sow and Owusu-Abeyie featured and expect a decision on whether their stay at Selhurst is to last.

A strong starting line up featuring debutant Jose Campana took control of the game as expected from the whistle. Some good opening exchanges from De Silva, Gayle, Nuhiu and Campana. It was only a matter of time before Palace took the lead. And it was from an unlikely source, Dean Moxey picking the ball up outside of the area and fired the ball low into the bottom corner to put the visitors into the lead.

At the half there was the expected complete change of personnel which no doubt effected the tempo to begin with. Palace soon had a chance through Dobbie to extend the lead but he missed the target. That was just a sighter as he then made amends firing in from long range to put Palace two ahead of the hosts.

As the second half progressed the home side faded and Palace were able to take advantage. It was Dobbie who put trialist Owusu-Abeyie through on goal who slotted the ball past the keeper impressively.

Holloway, speaking to the official Palace website, had this to say;

"For us as a training session, against a team that ended up as champions last year, we knew it was going to be tough and it proved to be that. They had a great spell in the second half but I’m pleased with everything, the organisation we managed to get in to play two different teams. That’s how I choose to do it and I was very, very pleased. It took the second half team a bit of time to get used to it, they had a right go at us, but at the end of the day a couple of breaks and good finishing won us the game. Hopefully we can gain from that, but it’s all about fitness, it’s not about scores now."

 

Fan @Nigel00067 who was at the game had this to say;

"It was a good game, fluid performance in the first half but a little disjointed in the second. Campana on his debut looked absolute quality. There were just under 1000 Palace fans there. Next stop Crawley!"

Palace line-up
Speroni (Fitzsimons 46), Taylor (Ward 46, Sow 83), Delaney (Gabbidon 46), Ramage (Wynter 46), Moxey (Jerome Williams 46), Jedinak © (O'Keefe 46), Campana (Nicholson 46), Jonny Williams (Owusu Abeyie 46), De Silva (Bolasie 46), Gayle (Dobbie 46), Nuhiu (Wilbraham 46).