September 16 2006

The Football League

Palace won a storming victory at Carrow Road with a 91st minute goal from sub Shefki Kuqi, writes Peter Gillman.

Palace outplayed Norwich in the second half and fully deserved their win. Clinton Morrison was inches from scoring several times, as well as having a goal ruled out for handball.

In the first half, Palace were clearly determined not to give away an early goal and defended tightly for the first half-hour. Then they upped their game and pressed for goal.

They had the best chance of the first half on 36 minutes when Clinton won the ball on the counter-attack and put Michael Hughes through. Hughesey fired a left-foot shot from 12 yards but Norwich keeper Gallacher got a hand to the ball and pushed it past the post.

At the other end, Earnshaw made space and tried to curl the ball inside the far post but mis-hit his shot. Then Hughesey and Mark Kennedy reasserted their midfield grip and Palace would have been disappointed not to be ahead at half-time.

Norwich started the second half the stronger and Earnshaw carved out more chances. The Palace defence was looking vulnerable and Doherty headed narrowly over the bar.

Palace came back well and on 58 minutes Clinton stabbed the ball into the net after Leon Cort won a header in the penalty area. The lino thought it was a goal but ref D'Urso ran to consult him, then gave handball against Clinton.

Tv replays showed that the ball had touched Clinton's arm but it is doubtful whether the ref would have given a penalty if the handball had been the other way.

Both Clinton and Kennedy were booked, apparently for protesting at D'Urso's decision. Then D'Urso turned down a penalty appeal for an apparent foul on Jobi McAnuff.

Palace pressed strongly with the travelling fans in strong voice. Another Cort header was cleared in a goal-line scramble, with Clinton inches from knocking the ball home.

Then Scowcroft had a header cleared off the line with Clinton just failing to get the touch.

Peter Taylor replaced Clinton with Shefki Kuqi with 17 minutes to go. McAnuff had a great shot saved on 80 minutes with Kuqi calling for the pass.

Palace finished on the attack and won a corner in stoppage time. Kennedy swung the ball in from the right and Kuqi met the ball first, heading home from six yards.

There was a last-minute scare with a mix-up in the Palace defence, the ball being scrambled for a corner. Ref D'Urso played five added minutes before blowing the final whistle, signalling Norwich's first home defeat of the season and reversing Palace's series of disappointing results.

Palace: Kiraly; Lawrence, Ward, Cort, Borrowdale; Butterfield, Hughes (Green 69), Kennedy, McAnuff; Scowcroft, Morrison (Kuqi 73).

Subs not used: Speroni, Granville, Freedman.

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