September 14 2014

Dwight Gayle waits hopefully while Wilfried Zaha looks on.

Like many other Eagles fans, Jamesey was hoping for a victory against Burnley on a balmy September afternoon.

With respect to Burnley, they aren't a team with massive drawing power but nevertheless a gate of just under 24,000 turned up for CPFC's second home league game of the season.

Unlike past experience when a bulging stadium only occurred against big-name opposition, these days the ground is well nigh filled for every league encounter.

There were, of course, some extra attractions to give the game spice.

First was the return of the prodigal, Wilfried Zaha. Signed by Manchester United for very big bucks during the dying embers of Sir Alex Ferguson's long and illustrious reign, Wilf could have been forgiven for thinking that his career had taken off in a big way.

Regrettably, the new broom, David Moyes, swept the lad out of contention and he wasted a year in a wilderness of frustration and loaning out.

Anyhow, Wilf is now back in his spiritual south London home and got a massive reception from an enthusiastic crowd, eager to see him strut his stuff on the Selhurst turf again.

Second interesting home event was the second coming of manager Neil Warnock.

Like many others I would think, I groaned in disbelief when I learned of his appointment in 2007. A snarling, malicious stage Yorkshireman at the helm? No thank-you.

However the way he behaved while in SE25 and his shrewd team tactics won me and many others over to his side although his occasional banging on about retiring to the West Country was hardly a booster for the club's morale.

And when he left he was, in my opinion, wrongly maligned for "walking out" on us. The truth of the matter was that the club was in administration, his friend Simon Jordan was sidelined, he didn't know whether the new owners, whoever they might be, would like the cut of his jib and he didn't even have any guarantee that his next pay cheque would be forthcoming.

A tempting and concrete offer came from west London so he did what anyone in his right mind would do and took it.

This supporter for one welcomes Neil Warnock back to the fold and will never call him "Colin". A "Colin" he most definitely is not.

The game itself which was, of course, a goalless draw was entertaining enough and the Eagles showed a great improvement on the performance against West Ham three weeks ago in our home opener.

We looked the better team but the big problem was our finishing. Chances were squandered right, left and centre. If we can't be more ruthless with the final touch, our hopes of staying up will be dashed. Sub-Championship finishing in the Premier League is not good enough.

Of the new faces brought in, James McArthur caught the eye and may well be a useful and impressive midfield presence.

However the last word must go on our veteran keeper, Julian Speroni.

His acrobatic saving of Burnley's late penalty at least earned us a draw. It would have been gut-wrenchingly awful to have lost a game that we really should have won.

Email Jamesey with your comments to jevans3704@aol.com

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