Perhaps one of the most visible manifestations of our recent renaissance came in some of the post-match comments among the travelling Tiger Nation – that a point at Crystal Palace represented a minor disappointment. Certainly, on the balance of play this is true – the home side were too cautious and unimaginative in their approach, while their visitors were confident and vibrant, playing the prettier football and driving forward with greater conviction. However, a point represents a satisfying outcome to a tricky fixture, and continues our excellent recent form.

Phil Brown made just one change to the side that lost 4-3 at the Riverside on Tuesday night, calling up Ryan France in place of the suspended David Livermore. Dean Windass was on the bench along with Duke, Elliott, Duffy and Coles, as the Tigers again fielded an adventurous 4-3-3 accommodating: Myhill; Ricketts, Turner, Delaney, Dawson; France, Ashbee (c), Marney; McPhee, Parkin, Forster.

Peter Taylor included Leon Cort and Stuart Green in his side, the former receiving a disappointing (though mild) heckling from the away fans, the latter getting a well-deserved (though insufficiently vehement) amount of stick.

City started the game kicking towards the goal the thousand or so City fans were in line with down a side of the ageing Selhurst Park, and quickly showed their intentions to playing a tidy passing game on a reasonable playing surface for the time of year. The Tigers were having some success down the left, where the surprisingly ungloved Green was failed to counteract City’s overlaps, but these came to nothing and fishlipped one was rapidly switched to the opposite flank as Taylor sought to shore up his right wing.

There were few chances in the game until midway through the first half, and the first incident of note was when Michael Turner appeared to aim a kick at the head of a felled Stuart Green. Sadly he didn’t make good contact, although the referee showed his approval of the idea by issuing only a caution.

Gradually Palace came into the game, with Cort aiming a header from a corner goalwards, where it was scrambled to safety by France, while Freedman stole half a yard on Turner to head a superb Kennedy cross into the grateful grasp of the previously untroubled Myhill.

Referee Penton was the centre of attention moments later when Stephen McPhee raced clear of his marker and scorched towards goal. Home keeper Flinders came out, McPhee went down…and was cautioned for simulation, despite being injured during the incident. He earnt the ire of the home fans, who pithily observed that he was a facking cheating norvern mankey, but his attempts to play on were unsuccessful and he was withdrawn shortly after clutching his hamstring.

He was replaced by Dean Windass, who entered the pitch to a deafening cry of “Deano Deano” from his adoring public, and with moments left before half-time his sent an outstanding free-kick from 25 yards onto Flinders’ crossbar, with Forster messily shovelling the rebound over from short range. It was a quite gorgeous strike and would have sparked off riotous celebrations in front of the City fans in front of whom this peach of an effort was served up.

As it was, the Tigers bounded from the pitch to hearty acclaim for a first half in which they’d had most of the possession, albeit it without threatening too many times and nullified Palace’s twin threats of Freedman and Fletcher. 

It made it all the harder to stomach when Fletcher gave the Eagles the lead on 51 minutes, although it was certainly a goal to admire, if you’re into all that sportingly-acknowledging-the-opposition malarkey. Generally, this observer is loathe to do so, but City’s improved form has lessened the curmudgeonliness of us all, so we can note dispassionately that the excellent McAnuff rather did a number on Ricketts before dragging it back to Fletcher, who smacked it home from twenty yards with a shot that gave Myhill little chance.

A great goal, but a blow for the Tigers, who will be disappointed that McAnuff again managed to wriggle free on Palace’s left and that no-one was able to prevent Fletcher from having a clear sight of goal. Ho hum.

Moments later, with the Tigers reeling from this setback, Kuqi was given acres of space in which to convert a Kennedy cross, but he wastefully sent it flying over the crossbar. Fletcher was the next to test City, though fortunate his shot flew safely wide.

It galvanised the Tigers, who nearly equalised Forster was set free on the right. He showed an impressive turn of pace to get close to Flinders, but he shot for the near post and struck the side-netting with either a shot to the far post or the unmarked Jon Parkin the better options.

Stuart Green, tidy but unthreatening in possession, was withdrawn for Paul Ifill on the hour as City continued to push for an equaliser. Taylor then replaced Freedman for Soares, looking to take control of the midfield area that had been seized for the Tigers largely through the superhuman efforts of Ian Ashbee.

It was to no avail, as City equalised moments later. A Marney corner found Ian Ashbee sneaking in unchallenged, and his low stooping header crept into the corner of the goal to level the game. A goal to cap off his superb midfield dominance was the least our captain deserved.

Myhill was then called upon to make an outstanding save from a violently-struck Leon Cort volley as Palace made a rare foray into the Tigers’ half. The ball was cleared, eventually, and shortly after Elliott was brought onto the replace the industrious France. Back came City, flooding forward in numbers with an attacking swagger that would have been totally alien to either of our last two managers, seeking a winning goal. Palace were unnerved by this, and despite belatedly exhibiting attacking intentions of their own, had been playing too conservatively for too long and found it difficult to readjust their ambitions.

Parkin found space at the far post to bludgeon a volley at Flinders legs – a smart block, although had the Beast directed his effort a yard either side he’d have scored. From the corner, another excellent delivery by Marney saw Windass head over.

On went the Tigers’ surge, although as the match ticked towards its conclusion both sides appeared to settle for a point. However, with the game in injury time Windass had a chance to make his returning a winner one when he crashed a header onto Flinders crossbar.

That was the final meaningful episode of an entertaining fixture, and the players accepted the throaty cheers of the Tiger Nation, whose attention swiftly turned to text messages imparting news among our relegation rivals.

The news was indifferent – defeats for Luton and QPR elevating us a couple of places, Leeds’ latest defeat casting a further pall of gloom over Elland Road, but victory for Barnsley halving the gap between ourselves and the bottom three to two points.

That is certainly a cause for concern. The day started with City unable to be caught by any of the bottom three, but the next round of fixtures commence without such a guarantee. However, Luton and QPR’s descent into peril is encouraging, and neither look equipped for an ugly battle.

City? We do look equipped. The players are confident, the football is committed and intermittently thrilling – of all the sides in the bottom six, our prospects seem the brighter and our fans the most hopeful. We now have a week to gather our thoughts and look forward to a fixture of epic importance against the White Shite on the 30^th. A sold-out Circle seems certain, and victory can put a ten-point gap between the sides. A glorious prospect indeed. (AD)