Points needed at the Palace

Last updated : 05 October 2012 By Tony Scholes

Two home draws against teams below us in the last week has added some pressure to get a result at Selhurst Park with concerns that the season could be similar to last season when we struggled to get wins at home and were very reliant on our away form.

It is, without doubt, an away match tomorrow, and the one I probably least look forward to. My plans have had to be altered for tomorrow and it's now a coach journey and one that can prove to be the most difficult of the season.

At least, hopefully, this will be the only visit of the 2012/13 season but I can still recall having to go there three times in a season just after promotion to this division, having to play Wimbledon there as well and then getting Palace in the League Cup.

Martin Paterson isn't happy with his goal return

We finally got off the mark away from home two weeks ago at Derby when two Charlie Austin goals gave us a 2-1 win. It was, without doubt, a very fortunate win and I would think Derby are still wondering how on earth they didn't get anything from it.

After losing the first three away games, two of them after having been in front, it will have given us some confidence to go and play at a ground where we haven't won since Ian Moore ended a baron spell with two goals in a 2-1 win, but that was back in December 2001.

Martin Paterson is the striker now looking to get his goal tally moving. He scored our first league goal of the season against Bolton but hasn't found the net since. Fit again, he's been edging closer to a full game and is now determined to start getting his fair share of goals.

"At the moment it's all Charlie so I need to score more goals, I know that," he said ahead of the trip. "I have had six games on the trot, so I'm delighted with that, but I'm not happy with my goal return at the moment.

"I believe I have been playing well but I just haven't scored. I have got a pride in my game and I know I need to score goals. I am a centre-forward. I know I do a lot for the team in other areas but I want goals as well.

"I don't hide behind the fact that Charlie is on fire. I just need to hit the ball in the back of the net and I'm sure when I get a good chance next time I will put it away and I will go on my little run to help the team and Charlie as well.

"It helps me in the sense that the pressure isn't really on me because he's scoring two or three every game, but I put the pressure on myself and I like to do that because I am very honest and I know that I need to score goals."

Pato was as disappointed as anyone with the two home results. "In my opinion we should have won the last two games at home," he added.  "The group isn't happy with that and I would like to think the lads will go out on Saturday and show how much it means to get the win."

Eddie Howe will be hoping to be able to call on the services of Jason Shackell and Chris McCann for tomorrow's game. Shackell has missed the last three league and cup games with a knee and hamstring problem and McCann was ruled out on Tuesday after suffering a dead leg in the draw with Millwall.

It's touch and go for the pair of them but I'm sure both will go straight into the team if they are passed fit. Michael Duff though looks certain to be ruled out and that is likely to spell a reprieve for David Edgar.

Should both Shackell and McCann be fit, Howe might opt to leave out Ross Wallace and play all three of Brian Stock, Dean Marney and McCann in the midfield.

If so we could line up: Lee Grant, Kieran Trippier, David Edgar, Jason Shackell, Ben Mee, Brian Stock, Dean Marney, Chris McCann, Junior Stanislas, Martin Paterson, Charlie Austin. Subs from: Brian Jensen, Luke O'Neill, Kevin Long, Danny Lafferty, Marvin Bartley, Ross Wallace, Cameron Stewart, Sam Vokes.

Crystal Palace had a difficult start to the season. After beating Exeter in the Capital One Cup they then suffered four successive defeats, three in the league and then going out of the cup.

Not only that, the goals were flying in past Julian Speroni, the goalkeeper that has always played so well against us. Having gone 2-0 up on the opening day against Watford they went on to lose 3-1.

That game was at Selhurst Park and was followed by away defeats at Bristol City and Middlesbrough by 4-1 and 2-1 scorelines respectively. They then suffered a 4-1 reverse in the cup at League One Preston.

Manager Dougie Freedman, the second youngest Championship manager, admitted that he came close to calling it a day but then things suddenly turned round. The results referred to above were all obtained in August but September was a lot different with four wins and a draw, with an October win at Wolves to add to that.

They were simply the best team in the league in September with 13 points out of 15, one more than Cardiff, Brighton, Leicester and Wolves. Not only that they've beaten some of the fancied teams including Nottingham Forest and Wolves.

So, they go into tomorrow's game on the back of a run of six games unbeaten with the last three won. That in itself means it is going to be a difficult game for us.

One problem for Palace though is the potential absence of Wilfried Zaha. He Scored both goals in the win at Wolves on Tuesday but is rated doubtful with a hamstring strain. To add to that, Kagisho Dikgacoi, who was ruled out at Wolves, is still only 50/50 to return because of a groin injury. Should Dikgacoi not return, Jon Williams is expected to retain his place.

Freedman has been boosted with the return of Peter Ramage. He's recovered from a thigh injury to give Palace more defensive options, although he's not expected to start, but Paddy McCarthy remains a long term injury.

If Zaha is passed fit then Palace could name the same line up that won at Wolves. It was: 1. Julian Speroni, 2. Joel Ward, 14. Darcy Blake, 27. Damien Delaney, 21. Dean Moxey, 15. Mile Jedinak, 10. Owen Garvan, 16. Wilfried, 20. Jon Williams, 7. Yannick Bolasie, 17. Glenn Murray. Subs: 34. Lewis Price, 4. Jonathan Parr, 9. David Goodwillie, 18. Aaron Wilbraham, 22. Stuart O'Keefe, 28. Peter Ramage, 30. Andre Moritz.

 

Last Time We Were There

Burnley's visit to Crystal Palace was the first away game of the 2011/12 season. In a season when we turned in some outstanding displays away from home, this was definitely not one of them.

It was, without question, a shocking performance in every way, it was a horror show from us.

Wade Elliott was fouled for a clear penalty

Eddie Howe made changes for the game. Brian Easton came in for Danny Fox who had signed to Southampton just ahead of the game. David Edgar came into the side in a holding midfield role and, after scoring in the opening game against Watford, Charlie Austin was relegated to the bench to provided us with a Plan B.

Sadly, there was no Plan A. We were awful. The only shock was that it took Palace nine minutes to go in front. They took the game to us right from the start and we simply had no answer.

The goal came when the ball was played out wide to Ryan McGivern and his cross was met powerfully by the head of Jonathan Parr whose run into the box and gone untroubled by the Burnley defenders.

Jay Rodriguez saw a header brilliantly saved by Julian Speroni but it was a rate sortie forward by the Clarets in a dire first half and probably the only thing Speroni had to do all afternoon.

Fortunate to be only a goal down at half time, a better second half was hoped for but it didn't come although there is no doubt we should have had a penalty when Wade Elliott was fouled in the box. Incredibly referee Brendan Malone waved it away as did the assistant who didn't make a decision all afternoon.

There was another clear penalty shout too, this time at the other end. There were no complaints from Ben Mee as he brought down the Palace player and Owen Garvan put the game out of our reach from the spot.

That just left time for Marvin Bartley to come on and get himself sent off for elbowing Parr for no apparent reason.

The teams were;

Crystal Palace: Julian Speroni, Peter Ramage, Aleksander Tunchev, Paddy McCarthy, Ryan McGivern, Darren Ambrose (Kagisho Dikgacoi 49), David Wright, Owen Garvan, Jonathan Parr, Sean Scannell (Calvin Andrew 83), Jermaine Easter (Wilfried Zaha 71). Subs not used: Lewis Price, Mile Jedinak.

Burnley: Lee Grant, Kieran Trippier, Andre Amougou, Ben Mee, Brian Easton, David Edgar (Charlie Austin 63), Wade Elliott, Chris McCann, Ross Wallace, Keith Treacy (Marvin Bartley 72). Subs not used: Brian Jensen, Michael Duff, Dean Marney.

 

Previous Games against Crystal Palace

 

Last 20 Years
Season Comp Ven Res Att  Scorers
2000/01 Division 1 a 1-0 18,531 Branch
  Worth'tn Cup h 2-2 5,889 Cooke, Payton(pen)
  Worth'tn Cup a 1-1 5,720 Cooke - lost on away goals
  Division 1 h 1-2 14,973 Cook
2001/02 Division 1 h 1-0 14,713 Cook
    a 2-1 18,457 I Moore(2)
2002/03 Division 1 h 0-0 12,407  
    h 1-1 16,344 Taylor
2003/04 Division 1 h 2-3 12,976 Blake, Roche
    a 0-0 15,276  
2005/06 Championship a 0-2 20,127  
    h 0-0 11,449  
2006/07 Championship a 2-2 16,396 Mahon, Lafferty
    h 1-1 10,659 Akinbiyi
2007/08 Championship h 1-1 10,711 Blake
    a 0-5 23,950  
2008/09 Championship a 0-0 14,071  
    h 4-2 10,312 Carlisle, Alexander(pen), Thompson, Rodriguez
2010/11 Championship a 0-0 14,451  
    h 1-0 14,848 Rodriguez
2011/12 Championship a 0-2 13,167  
    h 1-1 13,216 Rodriguez(pen)

 

Click HERE to see all previous results against Crystal Palace