Norwich 0 Crystal Palace 1, Carrow Road, 17/9/2006
In the September sunshine a roof-raising rendition of ‘On the ball, City’ - the oldest song in football, so the locals say - typified the optimistic atmosphere felt at Carrow Road before kick-off yesterday. The home supporters didn’t sing with such passion at the final whistle however. A crunching Shefi Kuqi header in added time for Crystal Palace - his first goal for the club - rewarded Palace’s second half dominance, and secured a vital one nil win to keep their hopes of promotion alive.
Fifth in the Championship going into the match, top scorers with 13 goals, and in Robert Earnshaw, the league’s top marksman - Norwich fans had every reason to be positive before kick-off. Added to all that, their opponents were on a woeful run, and had a defensive record as leaky as Delia Smith’s kitchen colander.
Both teams understood the importance of the game. While Palace were placed in twelfth - seven places behind their hosts - only a solitary point separated them. Indeed, yesterday morning only seven points separated Cardiff in second and Barnsley in 18th.
The first half was played with appropriate high-tempo and gusto, however without any end product. The home side edged the half, though Palace had, by some way, the best chance.
Michael Hughes, Palace’s skipper, was played through by his striker Clinton Morrison. The Republic of Ireland forward’s cute inside out pass left Hughes with a clear run on Paul Gallacher’s goal. Perhaps it was the amount of time he had been afforded to think about which way to shoot that caused him to scuff a shot which Gallacher parried with ease.
For Norwich their summer signing Lee Croft provided electricity down the right, and he was the man of the first half. His probing runs and pace were Norwich’s main threat.
After the break Norwich’s centre-back Gary Doherty, who was stand in captain after Adam Drury had been ruled out through an ankle injury, headed over on 50 minutes. Palace weathered the early storm and as the heat got to the Norwich players, Palace pushed them further back.
On 60 minutes Palace thought they had scored, after Morrison had bundled the ball past Gallacher. He was adjudged to have used his hand, however. The disallowed goal provided a belief for his team, and they pushed on with renewed purpose. When Kuqi came on with 17 minutes to go, Palace could have been two up, but for some excellent close-range saves by an inspired Gallacher.
The deadlock was broken in the 91st minute, when the substitute - a £2.5m dead-line day signing - rose above his marker to crash in a Mark Kennedy corner. The home supporters were silenced, being particularly put-out by the fact that the Finnish international Kuqi had previously starred at local rivals Ipswich.
It was the away fans who were left singing at the end of the game: ‘And it’s Crystal Palace, Crystal Palace FC, who are by far the greatest football team that the world has ever seen.’ Well, not quite. But this is certainly a springboard for Taylor’s team, and with this reinvigorated confidence, they will be pushing for promotion come May.
Norwich City
21. Paul Gallacher, 4. Jason Shackell, 7. Lee Croft, (for 17 Hughes 85mins) 15. Youssef Safri, 16. Patrick Boyle, 18. Paul McVeigh (for Jarvis 87 mins), 20. Dickson Etuhu, 24. Jurgen Colin, 27. Gary Doherty ©, 33. Carl Robinson (for Thorne 79mins). Subs: 12. Lee Camp, 5. Craig Fleming, 8. Peter Thorne, 17. Andy Hughes, 23. Ryan Jarvis
Crystal Palace
28. Gabor Kiraly, 2. Matt Lawrence, 4. Darren Ward, 6. Leon Cort, 7. Jobi McAnuff, 8. James Scowcroft, 11. Clinton Morrison (for Kuqi 73mins), 15. Mark Kennedy, 17. Michael Hughes © (for Green 70mins), 18. Gary Borrowdale, 20. Danny Butterfield. Subs: 12. Julian Speroni, 3. Danny Ganville, 9. Dougie Freedman, 25. Stuart Green, 32. Shefki Kuqi
Referee: Andy D’Urso
Ass. Referees: Simon Beck and Martin Dexter
4th Official: Glenn Hambling
Booked: Palace: Morrison 60 and Kennedy 60
Norwich: Safri, 60
In the September sunshine a roof-raising rendition of ‘On the ball, City’ - the oldest song in football, so the locals say - typified the optimistic atmosphere felt at Carrow Road before kick-off yesterday. The home supporters didn’t sing with such passion at the final whistle however. A crunching Shefi Kuqi header in added time for Crystal Palace - his first goal for the club - rewarded Palace’s second half dominance, and secured a vital one nil win to keep their hopes of promotion alive.
Fifth in the Championship going into the match, top scorers with 13 goals, and in Robert Earnshaw, the league’s top marksman - Norwich fans had every reason to be positive before kick-off. Added to all that, their opponents were on a woeful run, and had a defensive record as leaky as Delia Smith’s kitchen colander.
Both teams understood the importance of the game. While Palace were placed in twelfth - seven places behind their hosts - only a solitary point separated them. Indeed, yesterday morning only seven points separated Cardiff in second and Barnsley in 18th.
The first half was played with appropriate high-tempo and gusto, however without any end product. The home side edged the half, though Palace had, by some way, the best chance.
Michael Hughes, Palace’s skipper, was played through by his striker Clinton Morrison. The Republic of Ireland forward’s cute inside out pass left Hughes with a clear run on Paul Gallacher’s goal. Perhaps it was the amount of time he had been afforded to think about which way to shoot that caused him to scuff a shot which Gallacher parried with ease.
For Norwich their summer signing Lee Croft provided electricity down the right, and he was the man of the first half. His probing runs and pace were Norwich’s main threat.
After the break Norwich’s centre-back Gary Doherty, who was stand in captain after Adam Drury had been ruled out through an ankle injury, headed over on 50 minutes. Palace weathered the early storm and as the heat got to the Norwich players, Palace pushed them further back.
On 60 minutes Palace thought they had scored, after Morrison had bundled the ball past Gallacher. He was adjudged to have used his hand, however. The disallowed goal provided a belief for his team, and they pushed on with renewed purpose. When Kuqi came on with 17 minutes to go, Palace could have been two up, but for some excellent close-range saves by an inspired Gallacher.
The deadlock was broken in the 91st minute, when the substitute - a £2.5m dead-line day signing - rose above his marker to crash in a Mark Kennedy corner. The home supporters were silenced, being particularly put-out by the fact that the Finnish international Kuqi had previously starred at local rivals Ipswich.
It was the away fans who were left singing at the end of the game: ‘And it’s Crystal Palace, Crystal Palace FC, who are by far the greatest football team that the world has ever seen.’ Well, not quite. But this is certainly a springboard for Taylor’s team, and with this reinvigorated confidence, they will be pushing for promotion come May.
Norwich City
21. Paul Gallacher, 4. Jason Shackell, 7. Lee Croft, (for 17 Hughes 85mins) 15. Youssef Safri, 16. Patrick Boyle, 18. Paul McVeigh (for Jarvis 87 mins), 20. Dickson Etuhu, 24. Jurgen Colin, 27. Gary Doherty ©, 33. Carl Robinson (for Thorne 79mins). Subs: 12. Lee Camp, 5. Craig Fleming, 8. Peter Thorne, 17. Andy Hughes, 23. Ryan Jarvis
Crystal Palace
28. Gabor Kiraly, 2. Matt Lawrence, 4. Darren Ward, 6. Leon Cort, 7. Jobi McAnuff, 8. James Scowcroft, 11. Clinton Morrison (for Kuqi 73mins), 15. Mark Kennedy, 17. Michael Hughes © (for Green 70mins), 18. Gary Borrowdale, 20. Danny Butterfield. Subs: 12. Julian Speroni, 3. Danny Ganville, 9. Dougie Freedman, 25. Stuart Green, 32. Shefki Kuqi
Referee: Andy D’Urso
Ass. Referees: Simon Beck and Martin Dexter
4th Official: Glenn Hambling
Booked: Palace: Morrison 60 and Kennedy 60
Norwich: Safri, 60
Labels: Championship, Crystal Palace, football, Norwich
