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December 3 2024 5.24pm

Palace 3 - 0 Coventry City

Wed Nov 6 2002 - League Cup

Crystal Palace booked their place in the fourth round of the Worthington Cup beating Coventry by three goals to nil.

Andy Johnson can't stop scoring at the moment, tonight he added another two to his tally making it 10 goals in five games.

Match Stats

Ground: Selhurst Park (Attendance: 8102)

Palace: Kolinko (Michopoulos, 45), Butterfield, Powell, Popovic, Granville, Mullins, Riihilahti (Thomson, 62), Derry, Adebola, Freedman (Gray, 25), Johnson

Subs not used: Symons, Black

Goals: Johnson 20, Johnson 75, Gray 89

Coventry City: Hyldgaard, Gordon, Konjic, Davenport, Caldwell (Eustace, 82), Partridge, McAllister, Safri, Kerr (Chippo, 58), Hignett, Mills (Bothroyd, 55)

Subs not used: Debec, Shaw

Bookings: Bothroyd , Safri

Referee: R Styles (Waterlooville)

Substitute Julian Gray added a third two minutes before the final whistle to lead the Eagles into the next round.

But Palace could have gone two down in the opening stages as Lee Mills had a shot wide followed by a similar effort from Brian Kerr.

Against the run of play in the 20th minute, Cov goalkeeper Morten Hyldgaard sliced his clearance to Dougie Freedman.

The Scot passed to Dele Adebola, who beat his marker and crossed for Johnson to head home from eight yards.

It should have been two nil three minutes after, as Freedman was through on goal but ballooned his shot wide.

Mills did the same for the visitors from a Partridge cross and they stepped up the tempo for an equalising goal as Craig Hignett forced Alex Kolinko into a save with a header.

Johnson put Palace in the driving seat with his and Palace's second goal from 20 yards in the 75th minute in off the post.

And with just two minutes remaining, Gray netted Hyldgaard's parried save from Steve Thomson's shot to seal the tie.

Post match comments:

Trevor Francis said: "We were rubbish in the first 10 minutes and only some inept finishing by Coventry kept it at 0-0.

"But the big difference for us now is Andy Johnson. He never stops moving. We've won four games out of four and he's contributed nine goals. He's been a major factor.


The big difference for us now is Andy Johnson. He never stops moving
Trevor Francis

"He's doing really well and he's in a rich vein of form. His goals have taken the eye but his all-round play is also good. He brings others into the play and defends from the front."

Francis added: "I've had some good times in this competition and I want another run this year.

"We're in reasonably good form and winning can become a habit. It's a habit we like."

Coventry City (H) Photos From The Terrace Photos

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