| Match report
Injury hit Crystal Palace were
missing twelve of their squad, so they patched up the side and sent
them out with a game plan to defend what they started with and it
almost worked, but for the persistence and belief of Harry Kane, who
scored the game's only goal with two minutes of normal time left.
It was a shattering blow for the home team, who had battled away to
keep Spurs out, despite conceding 76% possession and barely
manufacturing an effort worthy of the name, leaving them out of the
relegation positions on goal difference. The loss of this game
could reverberate around Selhurst Park, with tough games ahead and
more added to the queue for the treatment room.
Spurs had to cope with both Toby Alderweireld and Jan Vertonghen
missing, but such is the depth of the squad and the versatility of
it, that Eric Dier and Davinson Sanchez looked rarely troubled by
the Palace striking pair. With two six foot plus strikers, you
could guess what the tactics would be from the home team. But an
early corner was played in low and the ball bobbled around at the
near post before it was booted clear. The game settled into a
pattern of Spurs knocking the ball between them and when Dele was
gone through from behind, Eriksen’s free kick was chipped into the
box and looked like it was Hennessey’s ball, but he and a defender
left it and Davies nipped in to get there first. He managed to knock
it into the six yard box from the left of the penalty area, but the
ball was cleared. Ben was sure he had been fouled as he played the
ball but it only resulted in a corner. It was clear that Hennessey
panicked after Townsend left the ball for him.
In the ninth minute, a ball that looked as though it was going out
at the Palace end was touched down by van Aanholt, only to direct it
straight to Harry Kane three yards out. Taking a touch, the keeper
was out quickly and the resulting shot hit it and flew over the bar.
Palace were looking rocky at the back, so Spurs needed to start
testing the keeper with shots on goal. However, the home team worked
the ball up their left and van Aanholt put in a good low cross that
Hugo dived out to hold and then a long ball down the middle saw both
Eagles central defenders leave the ball for Dele to move onto it,
but it was a little too high for him to get his head on it to help
it over the keeper.
Palace started to get into the Spurs half more readily, but their
final ball was lacking and Tottenham began to build again. The
movement of the ball forward was a little slow, allowing Palace to
get bodies back behind the ball, but they were having to do a lot of
work without the ball to keep Spurs at bay. Some loose play at the
back saw Palace fail to clear the ball and Dele won it on the edge
of the box to take it through to Kane. Harry took a touch and
Fosu-Mensah cleared him out, but rather than a penalty, which the
referee was about to point to the spot for, it was given as offside,
as Kane came back from beyond the last man.
The play in Palace’s last third was a little too precise by Spurs,
who had to try and find a way around the masses of red and blue
shirts that were around them. When they did find space wide, the
crosses were defended well by the home defenders. Sanchez left a
through ball and Benteke almost got in behind him. But Hugo came out
to claim, although he had to play a bit of basketball to keep the
ball inside his box ! The most the home support got worked up about
in the first half was when they thought a ball had gone out for a
throw-in and then something happened you don’t see very often, when
two foul throws were given against Aurier !! A minute before
half-time, McArthur threaded a ball through to Townsend, who cut
inside and hit a shot that bobbled through to Lloris from 25 yards.
The former man was also involved in an incident when he got the ball
and was falling already before Dembele made contact with him. A
yellow card was waved but it wasn’t clear who for until the internet
confirmed Mousa’s tackle was what brought a caution.
At the start of the second half, Dele tricked McArthur, who brought
him down, but play was waved on as Kane hit a shot from 25 yards,
about 25 yards over the bar. Christian also skied an effort when
Davies’ left wing cross came off a Palace defender to the Dane 16
yards out, but he git his shot all wrong. Worse was to come when
Aurier played the ball into the box for Eriksen to help it on from
the right across goal and Kane stole in unmarked and from four yards
out, he put a shot wide with his left foot, when it looked like he
must score. The chances were being created but not taken, as
Palace’s defence was starting to be tested.
Tottenham worked a good opportunity for Aurier, who drilled a shot
on goal that Hennessey beat out and Eriksen couldn’t get much on the
follow-up as the pressure was building and Palace could not get the
ball out of their half that easily. On one occasion they did, a long
ball through the middle almost saw Sorloth get through, but a fine
tackle from Aurier robbed him ten yards out. He still hadn’t learned
from the first half and a third foul throw gave Palace possession in
their own half, but it allowed Lucas to come on in Lamela’s place.
Van Aanholt rashly went in on Dele in the box and then wanted to
continue and argument with the Spurs midfielder, but it looked like
he got none of the ball. From the corner, the ball dropped for Ben
Davies to spin and shoot, but he didn’t make a clean connection,
although Hennessey had to dive full length to palm the ball out at
the foot of his post. This was followed by a ball into the box when
the corner was cleared and McArthur tried to chest it off to the
keeper, but Dele got in and almost toe-poked a goal, but it went
wide.
Into the last quarter of an hour and Palace were sticking to their
game plan and Spurs were failing to find a way through. Pochettino
decided to bring on Son for Dembele and was obviously looking to
find a way to win it in the final stages. A corner fell at the far
post and Kane nut-megged Sorloth before putting the ball on goal at
the near post, where Fosu-Mensah almost diverted it past Hennessey,
but the keeper just got to it. Davies ball across the six yard ball
was behind Kane, but Aurier came in at the far post, only for the
ball to get stuck under his feet with the goal gaping ahead of him.
When the ball bounced around off players just outside the box, Lucas
got it through to Kane, who got a shot away, but dragged it wide
across goal from the right hand side of the penalty spot.
The failure to convert the openings we were making looked costly.
Aurier’s low ball was deflected off Milijovevic and a corner came.
One long ball to the back post found Harry Kane heading it back past
where the keeper had come from and the two men on the line couldn’t
stop it as the ball rustled in the back of the net. His marker
Delaney was too interested in the player rather than the ball and
paid the price for it. The master marksman once more broke the
deadlock.
Dele and Lucas linked well with a couple of nice touches before
Fosu-Mensah took out Moiura, with a tackle much worse than Dembele’s
in the first half. Just outside the box, Eriksen hit the free-kick
and it took a flick off Delaney’s head for a corner. Tottenham were
happy trying to keep the ball in the corner as injury time ticked
on. And the time ticked out for Palace and Spurs recorded their 15th
game unbeaten in all competitions.
Palace put in a dogged display, but they put so much into it, the
effort took its toll towards the end. And surprisingly, with such a
lot of height in their side, they should conceded from a corner.
Eriksen had tried the same one about five minutes earlier and swung
it off at the far post. This time, the ball took the keeper out and
Harry showed his composure to get his header on target and despite
missing a few chances to put Spurs in control, his mental toughness
shows he is up in the top class of strikers in the world.
It was an important three points and the game reflected the way
matches have gone against Palace over the last two or three years.
Tight games, with Spurs dominating and just getting over the line
with the odd goal. A lot of changes in the home team made their
decision making shaky, but their shape was honed on the training
pitches over the last two weeks, as they were without game last week
with it being FA Cup week. Tottenham were patient, but were almost
frustrated, as the clear scoring chances were not taken.
Full credit to the Spurs players for continuing their own style of
play and the win makes it the longest unbeaten run since George
Graham’s time in charge 19 years ago. It also allows Poch to use the
squad in the Rochdale game, with a league game against Huddersfield
Town on Saturday.
Pete Stachio |
