July 24 2004

Aki holds off Ipswich's Matt Richards

Crystal Palace lost their first pre-season game back in England with a 2-1 defeat at Ipswich Town.

Wins over Crusaders and Glentoran in the club's tour to Northern Ireland had the side in confident mood. But they suffered an early blow when Ipswich scored after just three minutes.

Jim Magilton's right-sided corner was headed in at the near post by full-back Drissa Diallo, who was left totally unmarked in the box.

Aki Riihilahti fired a 20-yard drive high and wide of the Ipswich upright but he was later robbed of the ball down the left side by Ian Westlake, who squared to Magilton and he powered his shot wide.

Minutes before the break Palace should have scored when an Ipswich clearance rebounded off Andy Johnson's head and onto the bar. The rebound fell to Michael Hughes and the Northern Ireland midfielder blazed over from six yards.

Palace did equalise, though, on the stroke of half-time. Johnson won a free-kick near the left byline and Shaun Derry's quick free-kick squirmed in Kelvin Davis' near post.

Seconds later, Town fought back to make it 2-1 when Dean Bowditch turned in Darren Bent's cross from 12 yards when Palace failed to get it clear.

Iain Dowie gave run-outs to Tommy Black, Gary Borrowdale, Mark Hudson and Danny Butterfield for the second half.

Dougie Freedman went close to levelling the scores when he picked up Wayne Routledge's cross, took it past a couple of defenders before seeing his shot saved by Davis and Black put the rebound wide.

Ipswich repsonded with a 20-yard Bent shot, turned away by new signing Julian Speroni, and from the resulting corner Jason de Vos headed just over the bar.

The hosts should have added a third when Bent and Shefki Kuqi linked up well, with the latter stabbing his strike inches wide of Speroni's goal.

Boss Dowie said: "Joonas Kolkka didn't play as we're waiting for international clearance.

"The chairman has backed me 100 per cent for players and we'll have one or two over the line come next weekend."

Palace: Speroni, Boyce (Butterfield 46), Leigertwood (Borrowdale 46), Riihilahti (Soares 76), Powell (Hudson 46), Popovic (Togwell 78), Routledge, Johnson, Freedman, Hughes (Dolan 82), Derry (Black 46).

Ipswich v Palace photos