November 4 2014

Selhurst Park (Photo: Andy Roberts)

After a lacklustre but sometimes exciting CPFC display against Sunderland, Jamesey tries not altogether successfully to see the wood for the trees.

If you really want to irritate a resident of Sunderland, call him or her a "Geordie". The aforesaid north-easterner will protest in that peculiar lilting patois that the correct nomenclature is "Mackem" and he or she will never be a Newcastle person till hell freezes over.

Irritating Mackems - or far worse - is what many Eagles supporters would like to do after a 1-3 home defeat on a chilly night (Nov 3)

Despite being shown on TV a crowd of over 23,000 turned up to watch under the floodlights what they hoped (barring the opposition support, of course) would be three lovely points to keep us away from the relegation zone.

Many CPFC fans were deeply disappointed after throwing away a two-goal lead against West Bromwich Albion at the Hawthorns (Oct 25).

We played so well in the first period that many quite sensible fans (including your humble columnist!) almost started to believe that we could increase our 2-0 lead and do our goal tally some good as well as garnering three crucial away points.

But it was not to be and the Baggies, helped by some particularly inept refereeing decisions from Mark Clattenburg, collected two goals in the second half.

It is no consolation now to say the first West Brom goal came after a vicious piece of grievous bodily harm (which went unpunished) was inflicted on Julian Speroni by a WBA elbow and the second after a penalty deep into time added on. Three points became one and a victory was squandered.

Anyhow, Eagles supporters could be forgiven for putting all that down to ill luck and a bad day at the office and the imminent Mackems match, on paper, looked a great opportunity to collect three points.

The opposition had been the recipients of two beatings in their previous games, one by eight goals, and were languishing in the relegation zone.

But looking at games on paper is one thing and harsh reality is another.

Despite some of the hysteria on the HOL bulletin boards, the Palace performance was not all bad.

Wilfried Zaha and Yannick Bolasie scavenged down the wings and created some golden opportunities but the crosses often went adrift and Fraizer Campbell was unable to complete the lethal three-prong attack which, with Glenn Murray, served the Eagles so well in the past. Not only that, Speroni, as ever, put in a superb shift with some brilliant reflex saves.

The Black Cats were a goal up at the break with a header from Steven Fletcher but after the interval Palace piled on the pressure but even then it was a Wes Brown own goal that put the sides on level terms.

It pains me to write that the home side showed little guile or tenacity and conceded two more soft goals, including a second from Fletcher, to end an evening of pure delight for Sunderland manager Gus Poyet. And to make things even worse the inspirational Palace captain Mile Jedinak was sent off after two yellows.

Sunderland had lifted themselves out of the bottom three and the Eagles were shakily sitting just above the drop zone by a thread.

Perhaps we were spoiled by the unbelievable surge of results under Tony Pulis in the previous season? And there could be no excuses. These were the same players but where had the winning ways gone?

Nobody expected us to thrash Chelsea but now we are losing or drawing against teams like Hull, West Brom and Sunderland where it really is vital to pick up points to counterbalance the inevitable defeats we can usually expect from the elite teams.

Talking of which, we have Man Utd and Liverpool coming up, neither of whom are the feared threat they used to be. So how will matters pan out there?

Giving the last word to the CPFC manager, he is quoted in one broadsheet newspaper report as saying: "I thought we were brilliant tonight. How we lost that game I'll never, ever know." Suggestions to N Warnock, Selhurst Park, SE25.

Email Jamesey with your comments to jevans3704@aol.com

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