Palace 4-1 Middlesbrough: Murray stuns Selhurst in front of England boss
CRYSTAL Palace thumped Middlesbrough 4-1 at Selhurst Park this afternoon, with top goalscorer Glenn Murray scoring an absolute beauty in front of England manager Roy Hodgson.
Even though the national boss was more likely to have been watching Wilfried Zaha, he would have walked away from SE25 having seen one of the best strikes Selhurst Park has ever witnessed.
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Crystal Palace v Middlesbrough - pictures by Neil Everitt
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Crystal Palace v Middlesbrough - pictures by Neil Everitt
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Crystal Palace v Middlesbrough - pictures by Neil Everitt
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Crystal Palace v Middlesbrough - pictures by Neil Everitt
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Crystal Palace v Middlesbrough - pictures by Neil Everitt
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Crystal Palace v Middlesbrough - pictures by Neil Everitt
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Crystal Palace v Middlesbrough - pictures by Neil Everitt
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Crystal Palace v Middlesbrough - pictures by Neil Everitt
Murray got the ball rolling early on before Peter Ramage extended the lead just after the interval. And the Eagles' top scorer added to his 25 league goals with his eye-catching second of the afternoon.
The visitors pulled a goal back through Faris Haroun, but it was never going to spoil an enjoyable day for the natives as substitute Kevin Phillips added the fourth moments later.
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You can see more pictures from Crystal Palace v Middlesbrough here
On-loan Chelsea youngster Josh McEachran had the first effort of the afternoon with a shot which looped up from a deflection, but Julian Speroni caught the ball with ease to his right.
But it was the Eagles that took the lead after just nine minutes when great work from Wilfried Zaha down the right saw the winger beat his marker and deliver a ball across the six-yard box for Glenn Murray to tap home his 26th goal of the season.
Midway through the half, Murray had two great chances in quick succession to extend Palace's lead.
The first, he couldn't quite get a full connection on Zaha's cross from the left, while the second, he headed just over after some quite brilliant play again from the winger in front of England boss Hodgson.
Stephen Dobbie was pulling the strings through the middle for the Eagles and on the half-hour mark he played in a great ball to Murray, but the ball was flicked away for a corner.
And from the set-piece Dobbie took Boro keeper Jason Steele by surprise with what looked like a shot, but he managed to punch the ball away off the goal-line.
In a rare Boro attack after 39 minutes, Eagles defender made sure Palace went into the break leading when he headed the ball off the line from Fa Haroun's effort at the far post.
And then a minute later, McEachran cut the ball back inside the box, but luckily Delaney was on hand to clear before being on the end of a late challenge from Rhys Williams.
You can see more pictures from Crystal Palace v Middlesbrough here
On the stroke of half-time, Jazz Richards nearly gifted Boro a way back in when he nearly headed the ball into his own net from a corner, but luckily it went out past the far post.
However, just three minutes into the second half and Palace extended their lead.
After Williams had won a corner, Dobbie sent the ball towards the far post for Murray, who headed back into mix and Peter Ramage was on hand to fire the ball home on the turn.
It was his fourth goal of the season and you would have thought he was a striker with such an accomplished finish.
However, if that took you by surprise, it got even better nine minutes later when Murray scored an absolute belter in front of the Holmesdale Stand.
Picking the ball up 20-yards out, he teed the ball up onto his left foot and unleashed an unstoppable left-foot shot into the top corner.
It was arguably his best strike of the his 27 goals this season - and what a way to do it in front of the national boss. Was he really there to watch Zaha?
Middlesbrough gave themselves a lifeline on 80 minutes when Haroun latched onto a ball inside the box before slotting the ball under Speroni.
But Phillips killed the visitors off when he scored his second goal in consecutive games with a left-footed finish from another Zaha assist.
With Hull City and Watford also winning this afternoon, Palace remain fourth on 55 points as the race for promotion hots up.
Palace: Speroni, Richards, Parr, Ramage, Delaney, Dikgacoi (Butterfield 76), Jedinak (c), Williams (Phillips 70), Dobbie (Bolasie 81), Zaha, Murray.
Subs Not Used: Price, Moxey, O'Keefe, Wilbraham.
Attendance: 17,213
By Croydon Advertiser Sports Reporter Mark Ritson
26 Comments
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by Loftysmate
Wednesday, February 20 2013, 12:46PM
“rambo_3
Is it possible for you to have a word with your friends at the CA to find out if Mark Ritson has gone missing.
No Palace Bristol Report, appalling.
Get with it CA.”
by gelend
Wednesday, February 20 2013, 12:19PM
“looked at fixtures and without rose tinted glasses reckon 25 probable a far summary.So at 83 points automatic promotion be touch and go.In last 8 seasons 83 only managed it twice and an average of 86 would be required.However if current form continues and no injuries(although squad much stronger)is possible”
by gelend
Wednesday, February 20 2013, 12:09PM
“reckon 25 points from remaining fixtures .Can any anorak say whether 83 is generally enough?”
by rambo_3
Wednesday, February 20 2013, 11:14AM
“Disappointing to Concede,Bizarre Own Goal,in Last Minute from a Poor Jon Parr,But,Another Glenn Murray Goal,from,a Smashing Mile Jedinak Set-Piece & a Cracking Free-Kick from Stephen Dobbie for a Deserved Win.”
by PorkChop
Wednesday, February 20 2013, 9:33AM
“It was a funny old game we never looked like we were going to get anything but the 3 points.
Richards goal looked perfectly ok, denied by the woodwork on a few occasions.
The pleasing thing is your team is 1-0 up with half to go & Holloway brings on Philips & Dobbie for Zaha & Williams, i wonder what Freedman would`ve done maybe brought on Marrow & Moxey & sat back to try & hold onto that 1 goal advantage.
I wasn`t very impressed with Adomah. i know you cannot judge a player on 1 game but i thought he was poor.
It should be a tough game on Saturday at Sheff Wed but a very winnable game & if we really are going to challenge for automatic promotion we must start winning away.
Totally agree Mandy, once a Sexist, R..... & Ageist, always a Sexist, R..... & Ageist a leopard cannot change his spots, a Weasel will always be a Weasel & a Rat is a Rat!”
by MandyCroydon
Wednesday, February 20 2013, 9:15AM
“petetheeagle,
refresh our memories did you not admit saying to Julie, get back into the kitchen?
Is that not Sexism?
Also did you not tell us the comment to Cosmos happened 3 years ago & to get over it, is that not admitting you made the comment.
petetheeagle, how old are you because why did you Abuse the age of OAPeagle?
What a strange goal for Parr to give away, was it Parr or Speroni`s fault.
Maybe it is us, Watford & Hull looking for that automatic 2nd spot or will Cardiff bottle it again?”
by petetheeagle
Monday, February 18 2013, 4:32PM
“Frank, touche old son. If I am unsuccessful in winding you up then why do you feel the need to falsely accuse of all sorts. It's because I talk sense that you try to discredit me by using defamatory language.
So why do you think Mandy has put me in my place. '' banish you to the kitchen ''. Aren't you accusing me of sexism???”
by frankbromley
Monday, February 18 2013, 8:11AM
“petetheeagle,
sorry for being pedantic but i feel i have to correct you, in your comment to OAPeagle, you said redicule but it is ridicule, i`m quite sure you wont mind.....................................
OAPeagle, Racism, Sexism & now Ageism the guy is a nasty piece of work that is completely out of his depth on this site, he always was & he always will be, he was Peter, Northants & he come on here to try & wind people up, unsuccessfully.
He then disappeared & came back as Peter Stone, Croydon, yet again he came on this site & made controversial comments but he always got put in his place by Sensible Palace Fans.
Now he`s back as petetheeagle, he`s denied making the controversial comment to Cosmos & yet Azuma, Cosmos`s Son came on here & made a statement from his Dad that the guy who made the comment was Peter, Northants.
OAPeagle, sorry to hear he made a comment to you regarding your age but i would expect that because he has had run ins with most people on here & is it a coincidence that most of the people he has runs in with, people that have put him in his place by telling the truth, have been banned from this site.
The guy is a total embarrassment & his comments are embarrassing & that is why is he `redicled` sorry ridiculed on this site.”
by OAPeagle
Sunday, February 17 2013, 5:08PM
“"peteteheagle"
You ridicule yourself, and yes you have been abusive to me in the past. I have recently moved to the the south coast, only spitting distance from Henfield Village. Previously I lived in North Wales and was known as "pwllhelieagle", and a comment I made on this site caused you to abuse my age by making ageist comments, at about the time you were also making sexist and racist comments to others on the site, but with your selective memory you will no doubt deny this too. This is a great site and I enjoy all the football banter but because of your lack of knowledge about the game you can only come on here to wind people up and abuse them. I guess you are some saddo with nothing better to do..”
by frankbromley
Sunday, February 17 2013, 4:41PM
“MandyCroydon,
Well done for putting Potty petetheeagle, Peter, Northants, Peter Stone, Croydon in his place regarding the Orange 1, Simon Jordan.
Mandy,
no doubt he will banish you to the kitchen!”