December 15 2014

Yannick Bolasie, never daunted, runs at a packed Stoke defence.

Jamesey was hoping that the Eagles could start to haul themselves further away from the drop zone with a much-needed home win. It was not to be.

It comes as a surprise to realise that, under two years ago when we were at home to Stoke City in an FA Cup match, we were the Championship underdogs and the Potters were aristocratic Premier hot favourites.

Matters ended in a 0-0 draw and a replay (which incidentally we lost) and was regarded as an excellent outcome at the time.

Now, however, in a Premier League game at Selhurst, we were both top tier clubs and it is no disrespect to Sparky Hughes' useful team, to say that on paper it looked like a very winnable match for the Eagles on a chilly Saturday afternoon (Dec 13).

Just over 23,000 managed to escape Christmas shopping drudgery and Palace supporters were hoping the boys would realise some of the potential they had been displaying in recent fixtures.

After our momentous victory against the Red Scousers (Nov 23), we dared to think that we might be at the start of an exciting run.

An away day at Swansea (Nov 29) ended in a fortuitous 1-1 draw. The luck was with the Eagles on the day and a point at a difficult venue was not to be scoffed at.

If, like the Ancient Greeks, the Romans and other past cultures who had gods for all contingencies, we had a top banana for railway trains, he or she would certainly be seen as having it in for your faithful correspondent.

After all the aggravation and problems of getting to, and home from, the Liverpool game, the mythical deity really pulled out the stops for the Aston Villa evening match (Dec 2).

I would hate to bore readers with too many accounts of my misadventures with trains but at 6pm on Clapham Junction station the problem was that there weren't any.

I don't know what the trouble was but there was no movement from Victoria at a peak commuter time weekday for at least 25 minutes.

As the would-be passengers grew massively in number, public anger intensified and I imagined lynch mobs would soon be hunting down railway staff and stringing them up.

I don't usually give up too easily but frankly I decided to return home and watch the match on TV. And, like all of us I'm certain, my only question is; "How did we ever manage to lose that?" - a 0-1 defeat in a game which we totally dominated.

A trip to White Hart Lane (Dec 6) looked like a far tougher proposition but as the game progressed and the Eagles team gained confidence this looked like another fixture which we could have won. But we didn't and a 0-0 Tottenham stalemate was the end-product.

To more immediate matters against Stoke City, we only needed to wait 11 minutes before a lovely Yannick Bolasie cross found the head of James McArthur and looped gracefully into the back of the Potters' net.

Our joy was soon curtailed when a flukey mix-up in the Palace box saw the ball deflect neatly to the beanpole figure of Peter Crouch who casually side-footed it in.

And that was the way it stayed despite some near misses and missed chances.

All in all, it was a scrappy and prosaic afternoon. It has to be said that this was not a great display from the Eagles team.

Yannick Bolasie showed his quality only sporadically just like Wilfried Zaha and the fact that our two goals in the last four games were both scored by midfielders (one being a penalty to boot) make it very clear where the problem lies.

Finally, I was delighted for Neil Warnock that he had been asked to attend a special carol service and read the Christmas lesson from the Gospel of St Luke.

I wasn't able to attend the event but I'm sure Neil wouldn't mind my imaginary account of how he might have interpreted the parable of the Good Samaritan.

"A Millwall supporter was going down from Bermondsey to Thornton Heath, and he fell among robbers, who stripped him and beat him, and departed, leaving him half dead. By chance a certain West Ham fan was going down that way.

When he saw him, he passed by on the other side. In the same way a Charlton supporter also, when he came to the place, and saw him, passed by on the other side.

But a certain Palace fan, as he travelled, came where he was. When he saw him, he was moved with compassion, came to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. He set him in his own motor, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him.

On the next day, when he departed, he took out two £20 notes, and gave them to the guvnor, and said to him: 'Take care of him. Whatever you spend beyond that, I will repay you when I return.' Now which of these three do you think seemed to be a neighbour to him who fell among the robbers?'

The answer is he who showed mercy on him so all you good folk should go and do likewise."

Ee-oop and a very Merry Christmas, one and all."

Luke 10.30-37 (well not quite).

Email Jamesey with your comments to jevans3704@aol.com

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