Having, against the run of play, gone 2-0 up, we looked nothing better than an amateur outfit as goal after goal went in and by the end I'm sure we were thankful that the goals against column had only increased by four because, believe me, it could have been a whole lot worse.
It was a shocker where very few players came out with much credit. We never put Palace under any pressure. Our goals came out of the blue and defensively were we so poor you sensed a goal every time Palace went forward.
A trip to Palace is never straight forward. Our coach pulled up alongside the ground at around 2:10 p.m. after an eventful journey down that took us past both Brentford's and Chelsea's grounds, a trip along the Chelsea Embankment and even a drive down the King's Road.
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| Jason Shackell - It was just not good enough |
I suppose it was a bit different than the usual journey around the M25 and A23 but it certainly frustrated some passengers more intent on getting to the ground than a bit of sightseeing.
Eventually there and inside the ground, the pre-match entertainment was provided by an eagle. When I went to take my seat I spotted a rather large bird sat on the cross bar closest to us. I assumed it was tethered to the bloke with the glove stood in the six yard box. That was until the eagle took flight and made its way to the other end of the ground.
The Eagles, of course, is the Crystal Palace nickname and this particular bird was fantastic to watch in flight as it continued to go from one end of the ground to the other, taking time out on both crossbars and the advertising hoardings. It certainly left me thankful that I wasn't watching us at either Hull or Millwall.
There were more than 20,000 making their way into the ground. Ticket prices had been reduced for home fans only, something I don't approve of, there were banging drums and no lack of Dave Clark Five's Glad All Over as the team news came through.
I know we should take pleasure in watching the better players but I was a bit disappointed that Wilfried Zaha had come through a fitness test, concerned he might prove to be their best player.
As for us, Eddie Howe made three changes. Michael Duff, out injured, was replaced by fit again (sort of) Jason Shackell. As I'd suggested, Chris McCann came back in for Ross Wallace and I suppose it was no surprise to see Brian Stock out after playing Tuesday. He was replaced by Marvin Bartley.
Stock was supposed to be a crucial signing, but he hardly plays. He's started only two league games all season and again sat this one out entirely from the bench.
We lined up with a 4-1-4-1 formation which meant a number of round pegs in square holes. Dean Marney was given the defensive midfield position whilst in front of him Martin Paterson was on the right of the midfield four.
It started quietly. We were offering very little and Palace, unable to get behind us, were restricted to shots from distance that were proving easy to deal with. The only break in the pattern was Ben Mee getting a kick in the head which required treatment but only after the ball went out of play as referee Roger East and the nearby assistant both amazingly ruled out an immediate stop.
At around the 20 minute mark I was happy enough with the start. Palace's strength is in attack and we'd all but nullified it. Admittedly we'd offered absolutely nothing going forward but, after the 3-3 draw against Sheffield Wednesday, we needed a better defensive display as much as anything else.
Offered absolutely nothing? At 20 minutes that was the case and it was still the same five minutes later. Then it all changed and how.
It was nothing more than a routine ball played into the box by Kieran Trippier. Darcy Blake failed to deal with it and his poor header found Junior Stanislas, probably our best player in the first half, lurking on the left.
Stanislas went inside a defender and fired in a shot. What usually happens at Palace is either the woodwork or goalkeeper Julian Speroni deny us. This time Speroni saved by tipping it onto the post, but this time it came out to McCann who hit home.
A goal up, hard to believe but the case, and if that was hard to believe we were thrown into fantasy land three minutes later when the lead was doubled. This time Bartley, on the goal line to the right, played the ball back to Pato who hooked it nonchalantly over his shoulder into the far corner before setting off on a lung breaking celebratory run.
Crystal Palace 0 Burnley 2 was the scoreline being flashed around the world. It was a difficult score to imagine given the way the game had gone but I didn't spot anyone in the away end of close to 800 Burnley fans showing any dissent.
Goals change games they say, and these did. It was us who scored them but it was Palace whose game stepped up a level. Suddenly, from a side unable to break us down they started to get behind us. They got in some good positions wide on both sides and were now looking dangerous.
The aforementioned Zaha had been on the right and offering little. Now he'd moved to the left and the story was about to be very much different and with four minutes to go to half time he scored the first of his two goals to make it a very different game.
It was simplicity itself. An Andre Moritz ball was played between Kieran Trippier and David Edgar. Zaha did Trippier for pace and scored with ease. He'd gone past Trips as if the full back was stationary. Palace were very much back in the game.
There seemed very little confidence in the away end during the interval. Despite the lead, most realised we were very fortunate to be in front. We'd offered very little and one fan said to me that he thought Palace would go on to win 4-2. He wasn't far wrong either.
We survived the first eight minutes of the half but then came the avalanche. Three goals in the next 22 minutes and the game was all but up for Burnley.
The first of them, again from Zaha, saw is woefully exposed defensively. Edgar tried to block the shot but did not more than leave Lee Grant unsighted and it went through the goalkeeper's legs.
No criticism of Edgar on that one. That was reserved for the next when the poorest of headers from him landed ever so nicely for Damien Delaney to score.
By the time the fourth had gone in we'd made two substitutions with Sam Vokes and Cameron Stewart coming on. He lost his man, they got a cross in and Glenn Murray got in the gap between the two central defenders that was wide enough for a fleet of X43 buses.
This could be seven, said one fan. Another stormed out shouting 'Tactically Inept'. Neither were wrong but astonishingly Palace called it a day at four and, given they are not very good themselves defensively, they all but allowed us back in.
Vokes headed the ball down for Austin who had his back to goal on the edge of the box. He looked to have a lot to do but the defender slipped leaving Charlie with just the goalkeeper. Even from just inside the box he wasn't going to pass up that opportunity.
Ross Wallace came on. He got into good positions a few times but on the right hand side was then forced inside. He did get in one cross that was clearly handled. I thought it was a penalty but referee East didn't. It would have been incredible had we got it and won a point we so definitely did not deserve.
There could be no complaints at the result, just at the performance, and Rocky gave a full explanation at the end that I'm sure was enough to qualify him for a slot as a Match of the Day pundit.
This, I'm afraid, was simply not good enough; nowhere near good enough. Captain Jason Shackell said as much after the game. "Quite simply it was just not good enough," he said. "We are conceding a lot of goals. We are doing a lot of talking but not enough action on the pitch."
This time I do think the international break has come at the right time. We are so far away in some games right now it's frightening.
One fan on the way home on the coach said he thought we'd played well in a really exciting, enjoyable game. He must have some very special specs if that's what he saw through them.
It was unacceptable and much more of this and we could be in some very serious trouble at the bottom end of this division. A total of 22 goals conceded in 10 league games is enough for everyone to understand that.
The teams were;
Crystal Palace: Julian Speroni, Peter Ramage, Darcy Blake, Damien Delaney, Dean Moxey, Dikgacoi, Jedinak, Andre Moritz (Owen Garvan 83), Wilfried Zaha, Glenn Murray, Yannick Bolasie (Jon Williams 64). Subs not used: Lewis Price, Joel Ward, Jonathan Parr, David Goodwillie, Aaron Wilbraham.
Burnley: Lee Grant, Kieran Trippier, David Edgar, Jason Shackell, Ben Mee, Dean Marney, Martin Paterson (Sam Vokes 71), Marvin Bartley, Chris McCann (Cameron Stewart 71), Junior Stanislas (Ross Wallace 84), Charlie Austin. Subs not used: Brian Jensen, Kevin Long, Joseph Mills, Brian Stock.
Yellow Cards: David Edgar, Kieran Trippier.
Referee: Roger East (Wiltshire).
Attendance: 20,863 (including 779 Clarets).