All's well that ends well

Last updated : 12 March 2009 By Tony Scholes
Steven Thompson
Steven Thompson - his spectacular goal gave us the lead
With around 80 minutes gone, still behind and the most inept of referees Carl Boyeson waving away claims for a penalty it looked as though our chance of climbing back into the play off places was on its knees.

But then, our knight in shining armour appeared on the right touchline. It was Boyeson's assistant and he'd already played one major part. Here he was playing another. Up went the flag, frantically waved above his head before being placed firmly across his chest. Boyeson saw it and immediately pointed to the spot and the comeback was on.

Graham Alexander made no mistake from the penalty spot despite the long delay before he could take it. I think most of us would have taken a draw at that point but we went storming forward.

With just over two minutes of normal time remaining a move down the left saw substitute Chris Eagles chip the ball across the box for Steven Thompson. The striker, with his back to goal, controlled the ball superbly and then turned the defender to unleash a spectacular shot into the net.

And we weren't finished. Into stoppage time Thompson played the ball through and Jay Rodriguez (also on as a sub) ran on to it before finishing with ease past Julian Speroni. Perhaps many coaches would say he should have played the ball across for Eagles who would then have had an open goal, but our manager was a goalscorer and I bet he would have done exactly what Jay did.

It really was an amazing end to a game where we'd found ourselves 2-0 down in the first half after conceding two poor goals.

Coyle had said he would freshen things up, and out went Joey Gudjonsson, Kevin McDonald and Eagles from the side beaten at Arsenal. Rhys Williams came back in with Alexander reverting to a midfield role, Wade Elliott replaced Eagles and Thompson started as we changed formation.

It all started quite brightly for the Clarets as we took the game to Palace, although we failed to create anything worthwhile highlighted by the fact that the first goalkeeper to be called upon was Brian Jensen who saved well from an otherwise poor Anthony Stokes.

Neither defence was looking too secure at this point and I joked that it would probably go on to finish 0-0. How I wish I hadn't opened my mouth. Within a couple of minutes we were behind. It was nothing but a big punt up the pitch but Jensen, came, stopped, came, stopped again, got caught in no mans land and made it easy for Shefki Kuqi.

Not only were we behind but it seriously affected our keeper for the rest of the game and he was very fortunate not to have cost us more goals. There was nothing he could do about the second though ten minutes before half time which came from a Palace corner on the left.

It was headed clear but Palace players were allowed to roam just outside the box and Paul Ifill hit a first time shot that hit Clarke Carlisle and diverted into the net. Now we were facing a massive task to get back into the game.

An early response was vital, and thankfully we got it. As was the case with Palace's second it came from a corner. It eventually dropped for Wade Elliott in the box and his first time shot came back off the bar. Carlisle needed no second invitation as he got there first above to defenders to head home with Julian Speroni nowhere near.

We were still behind at half time but we shouldn't have been. Almost on the last whistle Speroni spilled a shot but Martin Paterson, onto it first, hit his effort so wide it would have gone for a throw in had it not been deflected for a corner.

The second half was really just a matter of whether we could pull it back. We dominated it for virtually the whole forty-five minutes although in the opening period we didn't threaten too much.

Jay Rodriguez replaced the out of sorts Paterson just past the hour. The former Scunny striker is having a difficult time just now and hasn't scored a home goal since November. Just a couple of minutes after the change came the first incident where the assistant bailed out referee Boyeson.

Thompson chased down a long kick from Jensen but was fouled by Jose Fonte. The referee was clearly going to send him off, and the decision would very much have been a wrong one. He eventually spoke to his assistant and quite rightly brandished a yellow.

Eagles and then Gudjonsson came on and then Burnley really started to turn the screw. But time was ticking away and Palace were still in front. Then came the penalty. I'm not sure how the referee missed it but to be honest given his performance I shouldn't have been surprised.

The Palace players had forced him over to his assistant once on the Fonte incident and now this time they took their anger out on the assistant. But a penalty it was and after the delay Alexander hammered it home.

That led to a couple of Palace attacks but it was soon Burnley coming forward again and there was no denying us once those goals from Thompson and Rodriguez had gone in.

There is no doubt at all that we deserved it in the end, but it was a win that didn't look likely when Carlisle deflected that ball into his own goal. But all's well that ends well and today we can see Burnley back in that top six.

Now we need to stay there, and we've certainly got it in us to do that.

As a footnote: The first time we played Palace in a league game was in 1969. On that occasion we came from 2-0 behind to win 4-2. A week later we did exactly the same to Sheffield Wednesday. It would be good to do it against Forest, but please no 2-0 down first.

The teams were;

Burnley: Brian Jensen, Rhys Williams, Clarke Carlisle, Steven Caldwell, Christian Kalvenes, Wade Elliott, Graham Alexander, Chris McCann (Joey Gudjonsson 72), Robbie Blake (Chris Eagles 69), Steven Thompson, Martin Paterson (Jay Rodriguez 61). Subs not used: Diego Penny, Kevin McDonald.

Crystal Palace: Julian Speroni, Nathan Clyne, Claude Davis, Clint Hill, Jose Fonte, John Oster (Nick Carle 53), Neil Danns, Shaun Derry, Paul Ifill, Anthony Stokes (Alan Lee 68), Shefki Kuqi (Victor Moses 90). Subs not used: Johannes Ertl, Rui Fonte.
Yellow Cards: Neil Danns, Jose Fonte, Alan Lee.

Referee: Carl Boyeson (East Yorkshire).

Attendance: 10,312.