QPR 1 - 1 Palace

Saturday December 30 2000 - League

Just like earlier this season Crystal Palace and Queens Park Rangers drew one a-piece at Loftus Road.

QPR went 1-0 up in the first half through Crouch and Clinton Morrison made it 1-1 in the second half.

The opening goal came early in the game. Giant striker Peter Crouch scored on 14 minutes and added a seventh goal to his tally.

Before that Mikael Forssell had a big chance to put the visitors up, but he found QPR keeper Ludek Miklosko in his path.

After the opening goal, Palace had two more clear cut chances, but again Forssell shot wide and Simon Rodger saw his attempt being cleared off the line by Chris Plummer.

In the second half, Palace dominated and Hayden Mullins, Forssell and Andrejs Rubins came close to scoring the equaliser.

It wasn't until the 60th minute before the Eagles managed to find the net. It turned out to be a bizarre goal. Matthew Rose tried to clear the ball but he hit fellow defender Baraclough, the ball rebounded to Morrison who was in the box and he hit the ball under the keeper and into the net to make it 1-1.

Palace had a couple more opportunities to win the game but Rubins and substitute Dougie Freedman wasted them.

Post match comments

Boss Alan Smith wasn't really satisfied after the draw and thought that his men should have taken all three points.

He said: "I think that is as good as you can play without actually winning. I felt we dominated most of the match."

Smith was also pleased by Jamie Smith's performance in defence: "I was pleased with all our youngsters and Jamie was excellent. It is nice to have people who listen to what you say rather than Neil Ruddock."

Rangers manager Gerry Francis, who saw his team move away from the bottom spot, said: "It is very frustrating. The game should have been over by half-time.

"We scored from a good set-piece and had three one-on-one's which should have given us something."

Francis did see the comedy in Palace's bizarre equaliser though. He said: "As for their equaliser, the Keystone Cops spring to mind - they couldn't have asked for a better ball to fall into Morrison's stride.

"Perhaps the New Year will bring us more luck, though we really have to start making our own luck."

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