Match report for The Observer, 28/10/06:
Crystal Palace 0 Plymouth Argyle 1
The last time Plymouth Argyle beat Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park was 55 years ago when they met in the old Division Three South. The score was one nil on that occasion, and yesterday history repeated itself for Ian Holloway’s team, who now sit fifth in the Championship. ‘I’m delighted for them,’ said Holloway, quick to pass the praise onto his players.
It was not a pretty game, but Plymouth’s smash and grab style proved effective again - they have lost only once on the road so far this term. Nick Chadwich, who celebrated his 24th birthday on Thursday, was gifted a belated present courtesy of his strike partner Sylvan Ebanks-Blake. Chadwick, selected only because of leading scorer Barry Hayles’ suspension, scored his second goal of the season.
Ebanks-Blake’s swivel and shot outside the area curled viciously and rebounded of the post and into the path of Chadwick who finished with composure. Palace’s defence were guilty of ball watching, and the ease with which Chadwick scored was galling for Peter Taylor, the Palace manager. ‘It was a poor goal to give away,’ he seethed. But it was enough to steal the win for Plymouth, and spurred the Crystal Palace boo-boys after another woeful performance.
‘It’s another disappointing defeat so I can understand everyone’s frustrations,’ Taylor offered. ‘It’s not good enough. We are not surprised by the reaction.’ But how to cure the malaise? ‘It’s confidence. It’s standing up to be tested to the maximum. We need a good win then that confidence will come back as quickly as it disappeared.’ Watch this space.
Up until Chadwick’s goal, six minutes before half time, the match had been evenly fought. Taylor, clearly unhappy with some of his players’ performances, rang the changes at the break. Off went captain Carl Fletcher and Marco Reich and on came target man Shefki Kuqi and Danny Butterfield. With three up front Palace did create more chances, but their confidence when shooting was so low that Plymouth were able to hold on.
They looked solid, and pressed well. ‘Our lot were all over them like a bad rash all day,’ the pleased Plymouth manager said, obviously impressed by his team’s collective efforts. ‘Everybody gave everything. That’s the best thing about here - the fantastic spirit.’
Holloway’s unique methods have created that spirit though. For example he recently admitted ‘Barton Shorts’ are now a feature of his team’s training regime. After being inspired by Manchester City’s Joey Barton, who mooned Everton fans at the beginning of October, Holloway decided it would be a good idea to customise a pair of shorts, so that a plastic joke bottom was stitched on. As an incentive for his squad to work harder in training, Holloway now hands out the Barton shorts on a Friday for the least hard working player.
There is method in his madness. The element of fun and camaraderie has instilled this great team spirit. In their long 130 year history, Plymouth have never played in the top flight. Can they do it this time round? The joker, Holloway, wasn’t fooling around anymore. ‘We’ve just got to keep both feet on the ground and keep going.’ One thing’s for certain - it will be a Happy Holloween for Plymouth Argyle.
Crystal Palace: Kiraly; Borrowdale, Cort, Ward (Green 73), Lawrence (booked 10); Reich (Butterfield h-t), Kennedy (booked 51), Fletcher © (Kuqi h-t), Soares; Freedman, Morrison
Substitutes not used: Flinders, Watson
Plymouth: McCormick; Capaldi, Doumbe, Seip, Connolly; Buzsaky (Sawyer 82), Nalis, Wotton ©, Norris; Ebanks-Blake (Samba 80), Chadwick (Summerfield 73)
Substitutes not used: Larrieu, Djordjic
Referee: M Russell (Hertfordshire)
Match rating: 6/10
Man of the Match: Sylvan Ebanks-Blake. The former Manchester United trainee showed good forward awareness, and his was his excellent curling shot which hit the post and into Chadwich’s path for the decisive goal.
Attendance: 17,084
Crystal Palace 0 Plymouth Argyle 1
The last time Plymouth Argyle beat Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park was 55 years ago when they met in the old Division Three South. The score was one nil on that occasion, and yesterday history repeated itself for Ian Holloway’s team, who now sit fifth in the Championship. ‘I’m delighted for them,’ said Holloway, quick to pass the praise onto his players.
It was not a pretty game, but Plymouth’s smash and grab style proved effective again - they have lost only once on the road so far this term. Nick Chadwich, who celebrated his 24th birthday on Thursday, was gifted a belated present courtesy of his strike partner Sylvan Ebanks-Blake. Chadwick, selected only because of leading scorer Barry Hayles’ suspension, scored his second goal of the season.
Ebanks-Blake’s swivel and shot outside the area curled viciously and rebounded of the post and into the path of Chadwick who finished with composure. Palace’s defence were guilty of ball watching, and the ease with which Chadwick scored was galling for Peter Taylor, the Palace manager. ‘It was a poor goal to give away,’ he seethed. But it was enough to steal the win for Plymouth, and spurred the Crystal Palace boo-boys after another woeful performance.
‘It’s another disappointing defeat so I can understand everyone’s frustrations,’ Taylor offered. ‘It’s not good enough. We are not surprised by the reaction.’ But how to cure the malaise? ‘It’s confidence. It’s standing up to be tested to the maximum. We need a good win then that confidence will come back as quickly as it disappeared.’ Watch this space.
Up until Chadwick’s goal, six minutes before half time, the match had been evenly fought. Taylor, clearly unhappy with some of his players’ performances, rang the changes at the break. Off went captain Carl Fletcher and Marco Reich and on came target man Shefki Kuqi and Danny Butterfield. With three up front Palace did create more chances, but their confidence when shooting was so low that Plymouth were able to hold on.
They looked solid, and pressed well. ‘Our lot were all over them like a bad rash all day,’ the pleased Plymouth manager said, obviously impressed by his team’s collective efforts. ‘Everybody gave everything. That’s the best thing about here - the fantastic spirit.’
Holloway’s unique methods have created that spirit though. For example he recently admitted ‘Barton Shorts’ are now a feature of his team’s training regime. After being inspired by Manchester City’s Joey Barton, who mooned Everton fans at the beginning of October, Holloway decided it would be a good idea to customise a pair of shorts, so that a plastic joke bottom was stitched on. As an incentive for his squad to work harder in training, Holloway now hands out the Barton shorts on a Friday for the least hard working player.
There is method in his madness. The element of fun and camaraderie has instilled this great team spirit. In their long 130 year history, Plymouth have never played in the top flight. Can they do it this time round? The joker, Holloway, wasn’t fooling around anymore. ‘We’ve just got to keep both feet on the ground and keep going.’ One thing’s for certain - it will be a Happy Holloween for Plymouth Argyle.
Crystal Palace: Kiraly; Borrowdale, Cort, Ward (Green 73), Lawrence (booked 10); Reich (Butterfield h-t), Kennedy (booked 51), Fletcher © (Kuqi h-t), Soares; Freedman, Morrison
Substitutes not used: Flinders, Watson
Plymouth: McCormick; Capaldi, Doumbe, Seip, Connolly; Buzsaky (Sawyer 82), Nalis, Wotton ©, Norris; Ebanks-Blake (Samba 80), Chadwick (Summerfield 73)
Substitutes not used: Larrieu, Djordjic
Referee: M Russell (Hertfordshire)
Match rating: 6/10
Man of the Match: Sylvan Ebanks-Blake. The former Manchester United trainee showed good forward awareness, and his was his excellent curling shot which hit the post and into Chadwich’s path for the decisive goal.
Attendance: 17,084
Labels: Championship, Crystal Palace, football, Plymouth Argyle
