January 18 2009

Selhurst Park

Crystal Palace suffered the heaviest league defeat of the season as Ipswich romped to a 4-1 win, writes Simon Pophale.

Yet it could all have been so different had referee Clive Penton given a penalty on 52 minutes when Nick Carle was brought down in the area by Tommy Miller but instead waved play on.

This could have made the scores 2-2 after a first half where both teams started brightly, but Ipswich found the net with 2 goals in 10 minutes.

The first came on 17 minutes when following a foul on Pablo Counago from Clint Hill, OWEN GARVAN managed to fire the free kick into a box full of crowded players and the ball somehow found its way into the back of the net.

That was literally Ipswich's first shot on target all match and with their second on 28 minutes, they scored again.

A long ball found Pablo Counago and for once, the Spaniard managed to lose the attention of Nathan Clyne and although Jose Fonte managed to get back, the cross found David Norris who poked the ball past Speroni for the second.

We had not been playing badly either, a spritely start saw a couple of dangerous crosses and Alan Lee, playing against the club he started the season with, drew a save from Richard Wright on 16 minutes with a dangerous back-header.

Thankfully we managed to pull one back almost immediately from the restart as a long ball from Julian Speroni from a free kick saw Alan Lee send a looping header into the corner and despite the linesman flagging for an infringement, referee Penton gave the goal and we were back in it.

We nearly went in level as a Paul Ifill drive flew inches over the bar as the half drew to a close.

Neil Warnock made a change at half time, taking off Matt Lawrence for Danny Butterfield and he could have put us on level terms with his first touch, but his drive went into the side netting.

The match fell back into the rhythm of the early part of the first half, both sides enjoying possession, yet with very little for either keeper to do.

On the hour, Speroni spilled a free-kick and although it was cleared to safety, Warnock saw that change was needed. Kuqi came on for Scannell, while Jim Magilton brought on Jon Stead and Kevin Lisbie.

It was the two Ipswich substitutes which combined for the killer third goal on 68 minutes. Stead fed Lisbie and the former Charlton man scored from close range.

We rallied but luck was not on our side as Ifill shot from 6 yards following a Butterfield cross but Wright saved with his legs.

Shefki Kuqi had a header cleared off the line by Pim Balkestein as we fought to get back into the match on 82 minutes.

Ipswich made the scoreline more flattering as Clint Hill headed a GARVAN corner into his own net and despite a late Kuqi volley which was saved by Wright, we were a well beaten side.

Palace: Speroni, Clyne, Lawrence (Butterfield 46), Fonte, Hill, Derry, Carle, Oster (Djilali 82), Ifill, Scannell (Kuqi 63), Lee.

Subs Not Used: Hills, Danns.