Sunday, April 27, 2014

Minute-by-Minute Review: Palace 0 - 2 Manchester City

2'- Aguero miscues a long pass wide of goal.
4'- Dzeko heads in a Toure cross; slipped in between two defenders, clean in on goal, right down the center.
18'- Punch's low drive pulled weakly and held by Hart.
23'- Kompany's header just wide right off the corner.
24'- Delaney booked for a late foul on Dzeko.
33'- Zabaleta booked for fouling Chamakh.
43'- Toure scores a curler into the top left. Delaney stumbles and can't get it clear. Maneuvers around and places it well.
44'- Jerome nearly tipped the cross in to the far post, but was flagged offside anyway.
45'- Two added minutes.
45'+2- Aguero's shot takes a deflection and into Jules' hands.

(No second half notes for this game. I had a prior engagement, so had to listen to the second half on my satellite radio. No more goals, and few chances from Palace, so what can you say? Today is notable in that this match was the first I've missed any part of on TV this season. So, not a bad run, considering.)

FINAL: PALACE 0 - 2 MANCHESTER CITY

My "Man of the Match":

Going on web match reports here: Mile.

Two games to go: One that could affect the title race, and the other that could affect the relegation scrap. Liverpool at home on the 5th, Fulham at Craven Cottage on the 11th.

Saturday, April 19, 2014

Minute-by-Minute Review: West Ham 0 - 1 Palace

8'- Carroll heads over the bar off a Nolan cross.
16'- KG's header off the cross bounced off Carroll on the endline.
17'- 69%-31% possession for West Ham.
18'- Bolasie's cross finds Dann, who heads it off Armero and over.
19'- Mariappa's strike off the corner is blocked by Nolan. Arguably off an arm in the box.
21'- Low, hard drive by KG straight at the keeper Adrian.
28'- Diame's hit tipped over by Jules from 25 yards.
32'- Arguable push-off by Mile on Carroll in the box. No penalty given.
36'- Diame's low shot saved by Jules' legs, then Carroll, moments later, has a point-blank header denied beautifully by Jules.
39'- Carroll's leaping header is wide right.
45'- One added minute. 67%-33% possession.

48'- Carroll tangled up in the box again. No penalty again.
50'- McCartney booked for tugging Bolasie.
51'- Carroll in space, with two defenders shadowing, pulls it wide right.
56'- Punch goes down, but his appeal for a penalty is denied. Carroll's shot at the other end is blocked by a sliding Delaney.
59'- Jerome is tripped up. Penalty to Palace! Kicked in the ankle with no support near him. Mile smashes the ball into the top left corner.
66'- Jerome's pass to Bolasie is good, but Yala flubs a shot into the air.
67'- Punch fires wide after a bit of pinballing action and deflected chances in the box.
68'- Another short corner almost works again. Mariappa claiming it came off West Ham, but to no avail.
70'- C. Cole replaces Jarvis.
73'- 66%-34% possession.
78'- J. Cole in for Downing.
81'- Tenth corner for Palace. Murray replaces Jerome.
84'- J. Cole fires inches wide to the right.
85'- Nocerino in for Nolan.
87'- J. Cole fires the half-volley well over. Gabbidon replaces Puncheon.
90'- Four added minutes. Bodies down in the box. No penalty given. Mile in the thick of it again.
90'+2- Parr replaces Bolasie.
90'+4- Murray booked for handling Adrian's attempted clearance from the box.

FINAL: WEST HAM 0 - 1 PALACE

My "Man of the Match":

Jules. Had a couple crucial saves to keep his 12th clean sheet of the season. Bolasie had another great game as well. And Mile picking up his first of the year was sweet, too.

Even sweeter? SAFETY! Five straight wins, 43 points, still 11th. But we are mathematically safe for the 2014/15 Premier League campaign. Look how far we've come. Top half is in sight (!)

A visit from Man City to Selhurst next Sunday.

Wednesday, April 16, 2014

Minute-by-Minute Review: Everton 2 - 3 Palace

(Rescheduled from February 12th.)

Pre-match- Nice tribute to the Hillsborough 96, as both teams and kids face the main stand and applaud the families in attendance.

2'- Barry's header off the corner is headed over.
11'- Through ball for Jerome is just too far; scooped by Howard.
13'- McGeady misses just over the top right corner.
16'- 71%-29% possession for Everton.
20'- Jerome heads over after good possession and passing movement, but flagged offside.
23'- Punch scores! Tight cross from Yala after a nice run, rebounds to Chamakh, who tees up Punch, putting it in from 15 yards.
31'- Mirallas' header falls easily to Jules.
34'- Mirallas fires just wide from an acute angle.
35'- Bolasie's long strike from 30 yards comes off the near post, rebound is wide from Jerome.
38'- McGeady curls it wide right and over from 20 yards.
40'- Lukaku's close, tight-angled shot is palmed away by Jules.
43'- Bolasie twirls and fires a rocket; just over from 20 yards.
44'- Delaney booked for fouling Mirallas late.
45'- One added minute.
45'+1- McGeady chips one onto the roof of the net after beating Mariappa. Inches away there.

Half- Naismith in for Deulofeu.

48'- Ledley's shot palmed away by Howard. Ward went down in the box moments before.
49'- Dann heads in off the corner from 10 yards out. Free header and into the roof off the bounce!
52'- McGeady fires inches wide from 25 yards.
56'- Lukaku heads the free kick over.
59'- McCarthy for McGeady. Osman for Barry.
61'- Naismith knocks it in after Mirallas crosses it, headed down by Baines, and tapped in by Naismith from two yards out. Jules down injured, but back up.
65'- Baines booked for knocking into Mariappa.
67'- Mirallas knocks it high over the bar off a deep cross.
68'- Parr in for the injured Mariappa.
70'- 66%-34% possession in the second half for Everton.
71'- Osman fires over after Jules gets a touch onto the bar, and over for a corner.
73'- Jerome curls it into the lower right corner after Punch dipsy-doos around the defenders. Great move.
76'- O'Keefe replaces Jerome.
80'- Murray in for Chamakh.
81'- Barkley shoots, but Jules kicks his leg out to deny it.
83'- Osman fires wide after a quick free kick. Blocked and rebounded wide.
86'- Mirallas puts it home from close range after he just stays onside. Speroni can't get to it quickly enough.
87'- Barkley well high and wide from distance.
90'- SIX added minutes!
90'+3- Punch booked for arguing.
90'+4- Deep cross just held on to by Jules.
90'+5- Mirallas miskicks in the box. No penalty and no reason to give one, really. Good tackle.

FINAL: EVERTON 2 - 3 PALACE

My "Man of the Match":

Bolasie. Gets better by the week. Great movement and set up the first goal brilliantly. Almost had one of his own that would have been a Goal of the Week contender, for sure.

Pinch me, I'm dreaming! 40 points with four to play! Four wins in a row! Surely we're safe now. Trip to West Ham in three days' time.

Saturday, April 12, 2014

Minute-by-Minute Review: Palace 1 - 0 Aston Villa

(10:07 Eastern kickoff for remembrance of the 25th anniversary of the Hillsborough disaster.)

1'- Puncheon's cross goes straight to Guzan.
9'- Punch flicks the shot as it was going behind him from an acute angle. Not a bad effort, considering.
12'- 77%-23% possession for Villa.
19'- Chamakh on for KG. His 100th English appearance.
20'- Three corners for Villa in the space of a couple minutes.
21'- Jerome scrapes a clearance off the goal line from a corner, resulting in Clark's header.
33'- Punch finds Chamakh, but his soft header is into the ground.
34'- 67%-33% possession.
37'- Bolasie goes down after a beautifully executed free kick, as Mile feeds Punch, who flips it to Yala. Arguable penalty, but hard to tell.
39'- Mariappa crosses to Chamakh, but he heads it just wide. Bolasie was in the mix, too.
41'- Bolasie's header is straight at Guzan after good movement from Punch to keep it on the endline.
45'- Two added minutes.
45'+2- Delph's shot deflected and held easily by Jules.

49'- Agbonlahor's strike from 20 yards is straight at Speroni.
54'- Bolasie's step-over shot is saved, then Jerome's rebound is off the underside of the bar from point-blank range.
58'- Ledley slices the shot from the corner straight up in the air.
61'- Bolasie strikes one just wide of the far post from 25 yards. Curled it inches wide.
62'- Baker is booked for a late challenge on Punch just outside the box.
63'- Punch's curling free kick is palmed away by Guzan.
67'- Handball in the box originally given by Howard Webb, then overturned. Another unlucky break.
70'- Yellow to Bertrand against Punch.
74'- Punch skies it over from 30 yards.
75'- Murray replaces Jerome. Second half possession: 52%-48% for Villa.
76'- Punch hits it off the far post and in! Bolasie with a great cross, Punch settles, then strikes it low from 10 yards.
78'- Lowton fires low and wide right.
81'- Through ball for Holt, but he can't get a touch on it, and it rolls to Jules' waiting hands.
82'- Weimann in for El Ahmadi. Albrighton replaces Bertrand.
83'- Parr replaces Bolasie.
85'- Punch with a great run, and hits the outside of the post. Stayed onside and burst away.
87'- What a save by Jules! Cross headed down and flicked by Holt, but Jules got a hand on it.
89'- Ledley shoots wide right.
90'- Three added minutes.
90'+1- Frenzy in the area. Loose ball hacked away by Ward near the endline.

FINAL: PALACE 1 - 0 ASTON VILLA

My "Man of the Match":
Punch. Three goals in two games. Eagles up to 12th in the table, with 37 points. Survival is nearly there. Mid-week makeup game at Everton on Wednesday.

Saturday, April 5, 2014

Minute-by-Minute Review: Cardiff 0 - 3 Palace

4'- KG fires wide after settling down the corner; a wide open chance.
11'- Possession favors Cardiff, 60%-40%.
14'- Puncheon's weak drive skitters to the goal and is easily held.
24'- Campbell's header from the cross has to be tipped away by Jules.
27'- Puncheon's low drive held by Marshall.
28'- Caulker flicks a lob to Campbell, but can't keep the ball from crossing the endline.
31'- Puncheon scores from a low drive after a great lead-up by Ledley. 15 yards out, low and in.
33'- 66%-34% possession.
35'- Jerome booked for a hard tackle on Mutch.
38'- Ward booked for kicking the ball away.
44'- Taylor fires over from 20 yards, but gets a deflection for a corner.
45'- Two added minutes.

51'- Ledley curls a shot wide left after a good burst by Puncheon.
53'- Mutch fires the free kick well over the bar.
59'- Possession now 69%-31%.
60'- Puncheon's low shot saved on the bounce by Marshall.
61'- Caulker heads over from the box.
62'- Noone replaces Zaha.
64'- Chamakh in for Bolasie.
66'- Jules can't reach the corner, pinballs around, Cardiff can't get a chance on goal.
67'- Caulker's soft header straight at Speroni.
68'- Turner gets a yellow for fouling Puncheon.
70'- Medel booked for fouling Jerome.
71'- Chamakh heads the free kick off the keeper, ricochet goes in past Marshall. Ledley got the last touch from two yards out.
72'- Bellamy in for Daehli.
74'- Mariappa booked for fouling Bellamy.
77'- 67%-33% possession.
78'- Ledley with a yellow. Cowie on for Jones. Parr in for Ledley.
82'- Campbell heads wide off a well-delivered corner. Murray replaces Jerome.
86'- Bellamy sails the long shot well wide.
88'- Punch curls it in from 20 yards to the top left corner. Through ball from Mariappa goes under Jerome's legs. Great strike!
90'- Campbell's tame effort held by Jules. Four added minutes.
90'+2- Taylor's rising header held by Jules.
90'+3- Punch has a great move in close, but his touch was a tad heavy.

FINAL: CARDIFF 0 - 3 PALACE

My "Man of the Match":

(Getty Images)

Punch. Two goals, including the sublime one for the Eagles' third. Palace up to 14th on 34 points with six to play. Villa comes to Selhurst next Saturday.