Palace v Southend United

Selhurst Park, Tuesday 8.00pm

Dougie Freedman

Team news

Taylor may opt to put Dougie Freedman up front instead of Clinton Morrison, after impressing during the game against Ipswich.

Leon Cort, Mark Kennedy and new Eagles captain Carl Fletcher should make their home debuts. For Southend, Peter Clarke will be pushing Spencer Prior and Adam Barrett for a place at centre-half, and new signing Billy Paynter hopes for a start up front.

Southend started the season with a fine victory over Stoke City on the opening day of the season with a 1-0 win - Palace's rumoured target Freddy Eastwood scored a first half penalty.

Southend United - league stats

Full league table

Southend United - current form

Full form table

Our home record v Southend United

Last five results

Date	Type	Home Team	Score	Away Team
28/01/1997	League	Southend United	2 - 1	Crystal Palace
28/09/1996	League	Crystal Palace	6 - 1	Southend United
13/04/1996	League	Crystal Palace	2 - 0	Southend United
19/11/1995	League	Southend United	1 - 1	Crystal Palace
03/10/1995	League Cup	Crystal Palace	2 - 0	Southend United

All time results

One to watch

Freddy Eastwood

But no, I've just been very lucky. But I've worked hard, and the harder you work, the luckier you seem to get. Norman Wisdom once said that, and it seems that he said it again at 15:45 on Saturday afternoon.

After Palace put in a lacklustre first half performance at Portman Road, our very own Norman Wisdom, Peter Taylor, got the boys to turn around their first half performance with some work hard, which gave us a touch of luck and by doing so, won us the match.

The new look Palace midfield struggled to make much of an impact in the first half. Mark Kennedy and Carl Fletcher were second to the ball and lacked any attacking instinct. Palace went a goal down and never looked like getting one back. This all changed in the second half with the introduction of Dougie Freemdan.

Dougie dropped deep and helped to get the passing flowing in midfield. However, it wasn’t a passing move that led to the goals - it was the use of the target man that we needed throughout so much of last season. Jamie Scowcroft, who huffed and puffed for the first half with little avail, won the ball in the air and knocked it down for Jobi McAnuff to run onto. He does what he likes to do - cut in from the left and went for goal. He struck a well-placed ball into the far bottom corner of the net.

Scowcroft soon turned from provider to goal scorer. Mark Hudson hit a well placed header towards goal. The Palace faithful thought it was in but it was somehow kept out. Scowcroft somehow managed to get himself up for an overhead kick and put the ball where it should have been seconds before - in the back of the net. Ecstasy.

On to tonight - Peter Taylor will be managing his first home, competitive match. The team is likely to look pretty similar to that of Saturday afternoon but maybe with a bit of re-shuffling in midfield.

Palace target Freddy Eastwood is tonight’s one to watch. The Epsom born striker has hit 45 goals in 77 appearances. He notched up a hat trick on his debut for Southend and scored on his debut in the Championship.

Eastwood joined The Shrimpers when they were in the doldrums of League 2. Eastwood’s goals soon turned into promotion from League 2 and so the following season he tested himself in League 1. Again, his goal scoring abilities made him the league’s top scorer; and he earned the accolade of Fans’ Player Of The Year.

Taylor has already stated his admiration for the player and hopefully he will impress tonight [just not too much].

Let’s carry on where we left off on Saturday and get a home win. Hopefully the Selhurst Faithful have finally found their voices and we’ll create a fantastic, intimidating atmosphere. As proved on Saturday, our voices and support do help.

You say that you love me...

Last meeting

C Palace 6 (2) - 1 (0) Southend Muscat 2 Houghton 38 Hopkin 49 Veart 53 Dyer 72 Freedman 79 Williams 82 At Selhurst Park on 28-09-1996

C Palace: Nash ,Edworthy ,Muscat ,Roberts ,Tuttle (Hopkin ,32 ) ,Quinn ,Andersen ,Houghton (Ndah ,59 ) ,Freedman ,Dyer (Harris ,85 ) ,Veart

Southend: Royce ,Lapper ,Dublin ,McNally ,Harris ,Gridelet ,Marsh (Nielsen ,66 ) ,Hails ,Boere ,Williams ,Tilson Subs not used Rammell,Roget,

Bookings: Veart (C Palace) Gridelet (Southend)

Attendance: 14858

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