Minute-by-Minute Review: Fulham 2 - 2 Palace

2'- Ince curls one wide left of the far post.
3'- Palace fans can be heard all around Craven Cottage.
7'- Low shot by Kacaniklic saved by Hennessey.
10'- Good moves by Yala, but fires wide left from in close. Gayle went down, but no penalty given.
12'- Chamakh booked for a hard challenge on Kacaniklic.
15'- Woodrow's shot blocked well by Delaney for a corner.
22'- Ince and Bolasie both have shots blocked near the box.
23'- Kacaniklic replaced by David, due to an injury.
26'- Sidwell's shot blocked off the line by Delaney; Richardson curls the rebound wide left.
27'- Possession is 71%-29% for Fulham. Gayle pass to Bolasie, whose shot is swept clear by Stockdale's legs.
28'- Ward shoots from 20 yards, and is tipped in by Gayle, who just stayed onside. His 7th of the season.
30'- Yala's shot straight at Stockdale.
40'- Richardson blasts the free kick over the bar.
42'- Header stripped by Stockdale off the head of Dann; great delivery by Ince.
43'- Sidwell fires wide off the volley from a Palace header.
45'- Amorebieta's header palmed away by Hennessey. Two added minutes.

49'- Zverotic replaced by Dejagah.
50'- Weak shot by Ward after a good overlap by Yala and Chamakh.
51'- Chamakh hits the side netting from a tight angle.
53'- Richardson's cross fumbled, then held by Hennessey.
54'- Header by Rodallega after a corner; goes across the face and nicks off the far post and out.
55'- David fires over on the volley. Fulham with a loud response early in this half.
58'- Amorebieta booked for a foul against Chamakh.
59'- KG replaces Jedinak, who took a knock earlier. Ward curls the free kick right at Sidwell.
60'- 69%-31% possession.
61'- Woodrow shakes off Ward, and fires it into the left side.
68'- Ward's shot deflected wide right for a corner.
71'- David goes down diving after claiming to be fouled in the box by Delaney. Puncheon in for Ince.
74'- Murray replaces Chamakh.
78'- 68%-32% possession.
79'- Tunnicliffe replaces Richardson.
81'- David's one-hopper held easily by Hennessey.
83'- Parker gets a yellow for taking out Murray.
84'- Gayle with a curling stunner into the lower right corner from 20 yards on a free kick.
88'- Dejagah can't flick the long ball past Hennessey.
90'- Murray strikes the bar off a break, pass from Punch, rebounds off Gayle's knee and wide. Three added minutes.
90'+1- Dejagah fires wide right.
90'+2- Woodrow's cross straight to Hennessey.
90'+4- What a strike from David! Off the bar and in from 25 yards.
90'+5- Gayle fires over with the last kick of the match.

FINAL: FULHAM 2 - 2 PALACE

My "Man of the Match":

(Getty Images)

Gayle. Two goals, including a stunning second, finishing with the most goals on the team (8).

Wow, what a season. 13 wins, 45 points, 11th place. Who could have imagined this? Pulis should be Manager of the Year. Unbelievable job.

Minute-by-Minute Review: Palace 3 - 3 Liverpool

5'- Ledley clears an attack by Suarez; a stray shot that rebounded to the penalty spot.
6'- Punch runs on and sprays a chip shot wide right.
8'- Sakho's free header off the corner is wide left.
9'- Punch's corner headed down by Dann at the back post; out for a corner.
15'- Johnson just heads over off a long, well-weighted cross.
17'- 70%-30% possession to Liverpool. Bolasie's tight-angled shot held by Mignolet.
18'- Sturridge's shot deflected wide left off Ward for a corner. Allen heads in from the back post with all the space in the world off the resulting corner.
25'- Allen booked for fouling Chamakh on a break.
27'- Suarez lofts one right to Jules.
30'- Mariappa booked for a deliberate handball.
31'- Suarez curls the 30-yard free kick just wide of the top right corner.
33'- Punch fires one low from 30 yards to the right corner, and Mignolet just gets a hand on it, forcing a corner.
35'- Mile blasts one, and Mignolet tips it over the bar.
36'- Punch heads one over off a decent cross.
37'- Suarez blasts one over after a nutmeg by Sterling.
42'- Jules saves a low, tight drive from Suarez.
45'- Two added minutes.
45'+1- Allen sprays one wide right inside the box.

50'- Suarez booked for dissent (or diving?).
51'- Ledley's drive muffed and held by Mignolet. Sturridge's curler off the hands of Jules and onto the post, Suarez's rebound blasted wide.
53'- Sturridge's shot takes a deflection off Ledley and goes in.
55'- Suarez scores one after a bad clearance by the defense. Sterling set up the goal.
57'- Sturridge curls one over the bar.
58'- Suarez curls it over.
63'- Skrtel booked for fouling Chamakh.
65'- Gayle replaces Puncheon.
67'- Johnson shoots straight at Speroni, who tips it over the bar. Dann booked for fouling Suarez.
71'- Murray in for Chamakh.
73'- Ledley's cross floats onto the roof of the net.
77'- Murray optimistically wide right with the shot.
78'- Coutinho replaces Sterling.
79'- Delaney shoots, deflects off Johnson and goes in. Could affect Liverpool's goal difference.
80'- Coutinho fires over the bar, but deflected out for a corner. 23-6 total shots for the visitors.
81'- Bolasie with a great move! Finds Gayle, who hits the lower corner of the net from 10 yards out. Game on!
85'- Ince in for KG.
86'- Moses replaces Sturridge.
88'- Gayle scores the equalizer! Oh, my word. Murray chested it down beautifully for Gayle, who fires it low. Nine minutes between all three goals. Unbelievable.
90'- Coutinho's shot is blocked away from Jules. Five added minutes.
90'+2- Gayle curls it wide right.
90'+4- Moses' close-range shot blocked by a mass of bodies. Heart in mouth.
90'+5- Ince's move and cross misses everybody.

FINAL: PALACE 3 - 3 LIVERPOOL

My "Man of the Match":

(Clive Rose)

 

Gayle. Two goals in 23 minutes after coming on as a sub.

Incredible result. Liverpool in serious trouble for their title challenge now. They lead by one point over City with the Manchester club having a game in hand.

Palace closes at already relegated Fulham on Sunday.

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

3'- Cross from Puncheon headed up in the air by Bolasie; straight to Guzan.
13'- 82% to 18% possession. Same old story.
17'- Puncheon skews the long shot well wide. Bannan set up the brilliant initial pass to Jerome.
24'- Not too many quality opportunities on goal halfway through this first half.
25'- Couple of recent crosses by Villa go straight to Speroni. Parr crosses to Puncheon, headed weakly straight at Guzan.
27'- There's a Villa kid wearing a turkey hat in the stands.
29'- Mile with a bizarre slip at the edge of the box, trying to find Bannan instead of shooting.
35'- Yellow card for Baker after fouling Jerome.
37'- Bolasie's shot from the edge deflected wide for a corner. Bannan gets booked for kicking the ball away after a weak corner fails.
39'- Kozak hits a weak header off a free kick, held easily by Speroni.
41'- 67% to 33% possession. Old news.
44'- Delph skies one that miscued into the crowd.
45'- Two added minutes.
45'+2- El Ahmadi skies one over, but blocked for a corner.
45'+3- Corner headed inches over. It was cleared over by Mariappa.

48'- Puncheon stumbles, and eventually gets a shot away after a Bolasie cross. Saved well by Guzan.
50'- Delaney skies a header off Bannan's corner.
54'- Delph to Weimann, who forces a save out of Speroni.
55'- Bannan's shot saved onto the post by Guzan. End-to-end action now. More action in these first ten minutes than in the whole of the first half.
58'- Delaney hacks a weak shot into the ground.
59'- Agbonlahor with a long run, but a weak shot is right at Speroni.
60'- Weimann fires over the bar from 15 yards.
64'- Puncheon's low drive saved by Guzan. Shout for a penalty on a sliding Bannan.
65'- Williams in for Puncheon.
67'- Bacuna in for Luna. Jerome gets a yellow for encroaching on the free kick.
72'- Yellow to El Ahmadi. Gayle replaces Jerome.
76'- Bowery in for Kozak.
83'- Ward curls a shot from 20 yards onto the roof of the net.
85'- Heard a Villa fan scream, "Where's the movement?"
86'- Moxey in for Bannan. Will we ever get a full 90 from him?
87'- Tonev for Weimann.
89'- Bowery's header tipped over by Jules.
90'- Three added minutes.
90'+2- Gayle curls a stunner into the right corner from 20 yards. Absolute brilliance!

FINAL: ASTON VILLA 0 - 1 PALACE

My "Man of the Match":

Gayle is the magic man. When we arguably should have had three points earlier in the match, Gayle steals it with a stunner in stoppage time. Off to Man City for an uphill battle on Saturday.

 (Getty Images)

Minute-by-Minute Review: Liverpool 3 - 1 Palace

Pre-match- Was Ollie singing a bit of "You'll Never Walk Alone?" Shudder.

3'- Palace fans again loud, and setting smoke flares.
6'- Free kick headed away by Delaney for a corner.
7'- Stuck in our defensive end. Can't get past midfield.
8'- Jerome couldn't direct the close header from Puncheon's cross. Nice movement.
9'- Chamakh half-diving again, a la last week. Might've slipped, though.
10'- Jedinak's free kick blasts against the wall. O'Keefe picks up a yellow.
11'- Moses almost had a dink in from Enrique. Came off his foot and Speroni dives on it.
13'- Another Palace free kick comes to nothing.
14'- Suarez scores. Enrique passes it back into the box, Suarez slips and taps it home. 1-0.
15'- Sturridge shoots low and hard, but Speroni saves well.
17'- Sturridge makes back and forth cutbacks, hits it into the far post and in. Deja vu from last week. Two quick goals, and it almost seems out of reach already.
22'- A Puncheon pun from the commentators. "Holloway wants Palace to throw some punches." "Is that why Puncheon's in there, then?"
24'- Chamakh to O'Keefe. Shot blocked at the edge of the box.
26'- Kebe misses an open net. Then shots are deflected, and the rebound is sent over the bar.
29'- Decent spell of possession for Palace. But no positive results.
30'- Jerome's cross deflected. Sakho almost knocked it in for an own goal.
37'- Moxey fouls, questionably inside the box, but a penalty is given. Looked like the foul was committed outside the 18.
38'- Gerrard slots the penalty home to Speroni's right. 3-0.
39'- Suarez to Moses right on the goal line. Knocks it off the crossbar on a bounce.
43'- Jedinak fires well wide left after O'Keefe's drive was blocked.
45'- Sturridge's low drive saved easily by Speroni. One added minute.
45'+1- Suarez's shot saved well by Speroni.

Half- Gayle and Campana coming on for Jerome and Kebe.

46'- Sakho heads wide off a corner.
49'- Suarez handball. Protests.
51'- 320 minutes without a league goal for Palace.
55'- Chamakh has little power on a header off of a cross.
65'- Puncheon's shot deflected and awkwardly handled by Mignolet.
66'- Luis Alberto for Moses.
67'- Agger for Sakho. Gayle just blasts one inches over the bar.
68'- Bolasie for Chamakh. Good to see him fit again.
76'- Sterling gets a yellow.
77'- Campana's free kick sails home. Gayle claims a touch, and he indeed had a flick off his head from a tight angle. The drought is over! 3-1.
84'- Speroni just gets it away from a rushing Suarez.
85'- Sturridge hits it off the post, but offside was whistled.
88'- Aspas enters for Sturridge.
90'- Four added minutes.
90'+4- Aspas with a yellow.

FINAL: LIVERPOOL 3 - 1 PALACE

My "Man of the Match":

Dwight Gayle. Lone scorer, but continues to impress me, even in a brief outing.

International break next, then Palace hosts Fulham on Monday the 21st.

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

2'- First corner to United.
3'- Speroni shrugs away a bullet from Carrick.
6'- Ollie upstairs in the seats, sneaking directions through his cell phone earpiece.
8'- "Eagles!" chants coming through loud and clear.
9'- Mile almost gives away a penalty against Evra, but thankfully, not given.
10'- Bad giveaway to Rooney is snuffed out. Corner conceded.
16'- Commentary about Fellaini: "I wonder if there's a clause in his contract that says he has to keep that hairstyle?" "You know what happened to Samson after he cut his hair..."
19'- Young booked for diving. Accurate call. Led with his leg and went to ground.
22'- Couple more corners for United.
24'- Good leap by Speroni. Great at taking charge, as always.
28'- Build-ups are rare for Palace at the moment.
29'- Rooney with a long-distance shot. Speroni unfazed.
32'- More shots of Ollie on the phone. "The chairman might not be happy with his phone bill."
36'- Van Persie backheels an Evra pass just to the outside of the net.
39'- RVP rattles the bar after a long Rooney feed.
40'- Gayle's shot/cross sprays across the face of goal.
41'- Rooney can't connect on a leaping header off of a Young cross.
42'- Gayle gets around Ferdinand, but misses the far corner after a sweet cross by Mile.
44'- The Palace fans erupt again from the stands. But, Dikgacoi is sent off for denying a goal-scoring opportunity. Questionable again. Looked just outside the box.
45'+1- Van Persie's penalty goes low and right of Speroni. 1-0.
45'+2- Yellow for Moxey.

49'- Speroni saves Young's drive with powerful hands.
52'- Gayle fires low and well wide from distance.
55'- Chamakh with a yellow. Young then curls one wide of the far post.
59'- Guedioura for Campana.
61'- Evra finds RVP. Skied over the bar.
62'- Fellaini for Anderson. Here comes the hair.
64'- Jerome for Gayle.
67'- Januzaj for Young.
68'- Fellaini's drive palmed away by Speroni.
69'- RVP shoots over off of a corner kick from the edge of the box.
74'- Scramble in the box, pinballed around, but nothing gets on goal from United.
75'- Another debutante. Kebe for Chamakh.
76'- RVP sharp angle shot blocked by Speroni.
79'- Hernandez for RVP.
81'- Rooney's free kick from 20 yards curled low and to the right.
83'- Januzaj moves in and miscues it well wide.
86'- Rooney goes for the "sand wedge" and sends it wide.
87'- "We're Crystal Palace, we stay 'til the end..."
89'- Rooney to Hernandez. Low drive stopped by Speroni.
90'- Four added minutes.
90'+2- "One of the longest monologues in sporting history continues", as Ollie is again pictured on the phone. Palace gets their first corner of the match. Puncheon to Delaney. Sailed over.
90'+4- Jedinak and Gabbidon clear the last cross away.

FINAL: MANCHESTER UNITED 2 - 0 PALACE

My "Man of the Match":

Gayle again. Created the bulk of the scoring opportunities on a day when Palace didn't have a lot to show for offensively. Winnable game against Swansea at home on Sunday.

Minute-by-Minute Review: Palace 3 - 1 Sunderland

6'- Pretty slow start to this one.
8'- Campana has the first shot for either side. Low and easy save.
9'- Corner kick swooped in and deflected into the net! Dikgacoi claims it, but Gabbidon's credited with the last touch. 1-0 Palace!
11'- Good block off a dangerous shot from the edge.
15'- Weird 30-45 second run of technical difficulties from the international feed. Replays run in reverse, both manager's reactions are shown in fast frame. Weird.
18'- Good through ball to Gayle, but just a bit too heavy.
21'- Sunderland cross is dangerous, headed away by Ward. Their forward pulled out; would've been a sitter.
26'- Puncheon makes a good move with space. Curled wide of the right post.
30'- Gabbidon defending well again.
31'- Cross by Giaccherini cleared well by Gabbi.
33'- Chamakh drops to Dikgacoi, but fires well over the bar.
35'- Puncheon looks for the far post after Chamakh leaves it, but hits it wide.
37'- Gayle's deflection shot saved easy after a beautiful passing run.
38'- Di Canio frustrated and lost in thought.
40'- Campana's free kick headed away for a corner.
42'- Jedinak gets a breakaway and streaks in, but the curler just misses the top corner.
44'- Sunderland's shot deflects off of Gabbi's elbow and away.
45'- One added minute.

Half- Decent first half. Let's hold the lead this time, please.

(NBC coverage interrupted at halftime for Obama's remarks regarding Syria. Thank goodness for the NBC Sports Live Extra internet stream.)
46'- Speroni punches away a free kick.
(NBC coverage returns in the 48th minute.)
52'- Ball deflected away for a Palace corner, but no damage can be done.
54'- Williams in for Campana. Danger near the box is avoided by the defense.
56'- Jedinak running with acres of space, curls one wide right.
57'- Gayle's shot deflected away for a corner.
58'- Sunderland is pressured, Gayle had space to break, but it's hacked away for a corner.
61'- Puncheon gets free, sprays a shot wide left.
63'- Arlo White: "A wonderful din being created here at Selhurst Park." Ollie is shown running up the stairs and out onto the concourse. He's back in a flash.
(NBC cuts away to Obama press conference again.)
64'- Fletcher heads home off a cross past a diving Speroni. 1-1.
67'- Optimistic volley from Moxey goes well high and wide.
70'- Puncheon's move and pass into the box knocked clear.
71'- Pass back to Williams on a break, mishit left.
75'- Long clear from Speroni falls to Sunderland, and hacked away by Gabbi at the last moment to avoid a certain blunder.
(NBC returns to coverage -- again -- in the 77th.)
78'- Gayle taken down in the box. Clear penalty. O'Shea gets a red.
79'- Gayle slots it home from the spot! Underneath the keeper. 2-1 Palace.

Gayle wheels away from the spot after scoring Palace's second goal. (Getty Images)

83'- O'Keefe for Chamakh, and Wilbraham replaces Gayle.
84'- Puncheon leaves for Williams inside the box, well palmed away by the keeper.
85'- Another low drive by Williams, saved low.
86'- Gabbi misplayed a header near the edge of the box, almost costs Palace again.
89'- Dikgacoi's long drive, with pace, has to be tipped over the bar.
90'- Four additional minutes to go.
90'+2- O'Keefe seals it! Gets it from Puncheon at the edge of the box, curled into the top left corner. Great strike. Ollie dancing on the touchline.

FINAL: PALACE 3 - 1 SUNDERLAND

After another second half scare after the visitors tied it up, the Eagles took control in the second half, including the goal of the game by O'Keefe to seal the deal. First win in the books! A week's rest before heading to Old Trafford against Man Utd in the early kickoff on the 14th.

My "Man of the Match":

#16: Dwight Gayle (Getty Images)