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We'd debated the team over a pre-match drink, and had come to the conclusion that the only change from the game at Bristol City would be in midfield with Chris McCann injured. We ruled out Joey Gudjonsson following his reserve appearance, and thought it would be between James O'Connor and Alan Mahon. It was Mahon who got the nod in a very attack minded line up.
Attack minded it may have been but the first ten minutes or so we could have done with some extra defenders as Palace went in front and could have quite easily extended their lead. Gabor Kiraly, playing against his old club for the first time, was in very early action tipping a Paul Dickov shot round his right hand post for a corner.
Corner did I say? Now this is where Trevor Kettle made his first mistake of the afternoon. The save was a good one from Gabor, and an obvious one, but not for Kettle or his assistant. Ref looked at assistant who shrugged his shoulders, so ref gave goal kick.
Soon after a mix up in the corner led to a Palace free kick. Stephen Jordan tried to flick the ball to Mahon, and the midfielder fouled the Palace forward. We didn't bother picking up defender Mark Hudson and he headed them into the lead. There were more problems at the back for us in this shakiest of starts but twice some less than convincing finishing and good goalkeeping kept the score at 1-0.
Somehow we needed to get back into the game and we did just that. We won a free kick on the left hand side and it was played into the box by Robbie Blake - and then it went in. My first thought was that it had gone straight in so Robbie's goal, but it looked as though Michael Duff was claiming it and that's what they announced. Either way it was 1-1, and it looks as though Duff has scored the goal.
Much of the remainder of the first half was scrappy, and it enabled Kettle to take centre stage with a whole series of bizarre decisions. By bizarre, I suppose I mean incorrect, but he produced a classic when he somehow missed Wade Elliott being wrestled to the ground right in front of him, allowed play to go on and then brandished a yellow card to Mahon for a foul with Wade still struggling to his feet. "You don't know what you're doing," screamed the Longside, and they had it right, Kettle was not having the best of afternoons.
There was a blow for the Clarets when Duff went down in his own box with an injury. He looked in some distress before being helped off and replaced by John Spicer. We've got a right back now, and Graham Alexander finally moved into his natural position.
Just before half time I thought we'd gone in front. Kyle Lafferty had more than once had a shot at goal from distance and this time he curled one towards the corner and Palace keeper Speroni was getting nowhere near it. Up I jumped to celebrate the goal (I get up early to get my celebration in before that nonsense they refer to as goal music) only to see the ball go behind the goal. I still find it difficult to believe it hadn't gone in.
We were spared the pre-match fool doing any more at half time, other than the half time draw, and hoped we'd have a better second half than we'd had first, although we did deserve to be level which was something after that wretched start.
The second half was somewhat different and I don't recall Palace ever causing us too many problems. We still didn't look too secure at the back as Scowcroft managed to win headers whilst not being penalised for a series of fouls.
Andy Gray got in a shot on the turn that Speroni got down to save and then the keeper went for a photo shoot as he made a save from Mahon look as spectacular as possible. Twice Robbie came close to getting a shot in but he just couldn't find the space.
With twenty minutes to go we made a double substitution to try to get that important second goal. On came Steve Jones and Ade Akinbiyi for Kyle Lafferty and Andy Gray. Kyle had played well but Gray had not been at his best.
Robbie started to torment Palace, he came close with two superb shots, one of them just flying over the bar. We were stretching Palace and Jones was finding space aplenty down the left hand side, but time and again he failed to deliver the football into the box.
Palace had their moments as the game opened up but they were generally relying on defending and getting more strange decisions in their favour from Kettle. Then, we almost won it as Wade crashed a shot against the underside of the bar with a shot from the edge of the box. We'd have deserved it after this second half performance. But it wasn't to be, that proved to be our last chance and after three minutes of stoppage time Kettle blew his whistle for the last time.
From that dreadful start we really should have gone on and won it, but there was always this concern that Palace might snatch a winner. We didn't play well defensively but there was much to admire further up the pitch. Central midfield is oft considered to be not good enough but there were few better performers today than Alan Mahon and John Spicer. Spicer in particular played really well after coming on and he really must have played himself back into Steve Cotterill's thoughts.
Then there was Robbie - he might not have got a goal, he might not have been able to win the game for us, but he was central to just about everything good about our second half performance.
Two home draws though is disappointing, we now need to go and put things right against Ipswich on Tuesday and get ourselves back into that top six.
The teams were;
Burnley: Gabor Kiraly, Michael Duff (John Spicer 39), Clarke Carlisle, Steven Caldwell, Stephen Jordan, Wade Elliott, Graham Alexander, Alan Mahon, Kyle Lafferty (Ade Akinbiyi 70), Robbie Blake, Andy Gray (Steve Jones 70). Subs not used: Brian Jensen, David Unsworth.
Crystal Palace: Julian Speroni, Danny Butterfield, Leon Cort, Mark Hudson, Tony Craig, Carl Fletcher, Ben Watson, Tom Soares, Stuart Green (Jeff Hughes 60), Paul Dickov (Besian Idrizaj 60), James Scowcroft (Clinton Morrison 76). Subs not used: Scott Flinders, Matt Lawrence.
Referee: Trevor Kettle (Berkshire).
Attendance: 10,711.