Crystal Palace 1-0 Hull City

Crystal Palace’s impressive revival under Tony Pulis continued last night as the Eagles defended their way to a second 1-0 victory of the season over Hull City. Jason Puncheons seventeenth minute strike was enough to secure all three points for the home side and saw them climb to 14^th place in the Premier League standings, five points clear of the drop zone.

The position that the Eagles now find themselves was unthinkable just 2 months earlier, but the arrival of Pulis has heralded six wins and six clean sheets in the South Londoners last 11 matches, and once again this victory was built on solid defensive foundations.

The game began at a frantic pace with both sides carving out good early opportunities. The first fell for Hull Cities new front man Nikica Jelavic who just failed to get onto the end of a floated Shane Long cross. The diminutive Irishman was in the thick of it again not long afterwards as his burst into the box resulted in what appeared to be a clumsy challenge from behind from Palace defender Danny Gabbidon. The referee was unmoved however and gave a goal kick, much to the frustration of Tigers boss Steve Bruce on the side line. This was to be the turning point in the match, as not long afterwards Palace pounced to score the only goal of the game.

The rejuvenated Puncheon lashed in his third goal in four matches, and with it continued his mini-revival since the shambolic penalty miss away to Tottenham a few weeks ago. Good build up play down the right hand side for the Eagles saw Yannick Bolasie create a half yard for a cross which picked out Puncheon in the area. His initial header was weak, but fortunately came off the back of Palace striker Chamakh, and fell kindly onto Puncheons favoured left foot, and he duly lashed it high into the top corner to give the Eagles the lead.

Palace looked to capitalise on taking the lead and twice went close before the interval through captain Mile Jedinak. The big Australian first headed wide from a Bolasie corner, and then hit a stinging 25-yard free kick that forced McGregor into a sprawling save.

Hull came out stronger in the second half, but failed to break down a resolute Palace defence lead by the herculean efforts of Damien Delaney. Jelavic found himself on the end of two crosses whipped in from the left hand side, but both times failed to make a telling contact on the ball. Their best chance however came when full-back Rosenior got on the end of Jake Livermore’s pull back only to miss the target from all of two yards, and in one moment summing up Hull and Bruce’s evening.

And it was only to get worse for the travelling fans, as goalkeeper McGregor was shown a straight red card after kicking out at Palace substitute Stuart O’Keefe late on. The Scottish goalkeeper took exception to the Palace midfielder’s late challenge, and lashed out leaving the referee with little option but to send him off.

Man of the Match: Damien Delaney

Match Rating

Speroni – 6

Mariappa – 6       Gabbidon – 7         Delaney – 10       Moxey – 7

Ward – 7       Jedinak – 5

          Bolasie – 7         Chamakh – 8        Puncheon – 9

Jerome – 8

Match Preview – Crystal Palace Vs. Hull City

Tony Pulis’s risk in naming a strong side for Saturdays FA Cup defeat to Wigan backfired as Norwegian full-back Jonathan Parr picked up an injury that will keep him out of Tuesdays clash with Hull, with Dean Moxey likely to deputise for the injured defender.

Other than Parr, the Eagles have no new injury concerns, so will be without long term absentees Glenn Murray and Jack Hunt; and will be waiting on late fitness tests to decide whether midfield duo Kagisho Dikgacoi and Jerome Thomas will be able to participate.

Captain Mile Jedinak, winger Yannick Bolasie and centre-half Danny Gabbidon are all likely to come back into the starting eleven after all three were rested on Saturday. Paddy McCarthy is also likely to make the bench after completing his first 90 minutes for the Eagles in over a year in the defeat to Wigan.

Steve Bruce will be able to call on his new striking pair, Nikica Jelavic and Shane Long, for the first time as both are now available for selection after being cup tied for Saturdays FA Cup tie. The Tigers are still without Sone Aluko, James Chester and Joe Dudgeon, but have no fresh injury concerns ahead of the midweek trip to Selhurst.

Matty Fryatt will be hoping to push for a starting birth after his brace downed Southend on Saturday. Whilst former spurs pair Jake Livermore and Tom Huddleston are likely to come back into the centre of midfield after playing just a minor role from the bench last Saturday.

It was the Eagles who won the away leg 1-0 in the first game since Pulis’s appointment back in November, which gave them just their second victory of the season. Another victory tomorrow would see Palace go level on points with their visitors and potentially move the South Londoners into 12^th in the table.

The last time these sides met at Selhust Park Kevin Phillips scored a hat-trick in a 4-2 victory for the hosts. The veteran striker has moved onto to pastures new since then, and it will be up to the lively attack of Jerome and Chamakh to score the necessary goals for the team with the second meanest premier league defence in the last 10 games (5 clean sheets).

Score prediction: Crystal Palace 2-0 Hull City

Potential Line-up

Speroni

Mariappa         Gabbidon      Delaney      Moxey

Ward        Jedinak

Bolasie             Chamakh             Puncheon

Jerome

Wigan Athletic 2-1 Crystal Palace

The FA Cup holders Wigan had their Oman international goalkeeper Ali Al-Habsi to thank for this victory that took Uwe Rosler’s Latics through to the fifth round of the competition. Crystal Palace boss Tony Pulis named a surprisingly strong squad for the tie despite crucial Premier League matches on the horizon, but despite this they still fell to their Championship opponents.

The Eagles started the brighter with on-loan Stoke City striker Cameron Jerome attempting a curling right footed effort from the edge of the area, after fine build up play down the right between Jason Puncheon and Chamakh. Al-Habsi in the Wigan goal though came to the rescue with a fine stop to turn it round the post, and it wasn’t to be the first time today that the Latics number one would foil the Palace attack.

A short while later, again after neat work down the right from Chamakh, Stuart O’Keefe found himself with a similar chance to Jerome, only to miss-hit his shot straight at the keeper. Then came the sucker punch for the visitors, as the home side broke away down the left with James McClean who made it all the way to the by-line before pulling it back for the onrushing former Eagle Ben Watson to side foot home to give the home side a 1-0 lead going into the break.

Shortly after the restart Pulis’s men continued their onslaught on the Latics goal with Al-Habsi again being forced into a sublime double save. Firstly the Wigan stopper scooped out Barry Bannans direct corner, before acrobatically turning over Puncheon subsequent volley. It was from a similar corner however that Palace would level it up. Bannan’s whipped in near post delivery eluded two Palace players before finding its way to Aaron Wilbraham who prodded home, from all of four yards, for just his second ever goal for the South Londoners.

Palace continued to push for the winner as full time approached. Substitute Dwight Gayle broke after a Wigan corner and ran fully 70 yards only to be denied by another fine Al-Habsi save down low to his left. It was to be a crucial stop, as late on the home side scored what would turn out to be the winning goal. Roger Espinoza played in the dangerous McClean who this time cut inside palace full-back Mariappa and slotted a left footed shot past Palace goalkeeper Julian Speroni to send Rosler’s men into the fifth round.