After a quite inept display mid-week against Southampton in the EFL Cup, I felt more disappointment at losing Scott Dann for the trip to Sunderland due to a hamstring injury rather than going out of the actual competition. Thankfully James Tomkins had recovered from the injury he picked up against Stoke City the previous week.
It does however highlight our lack of strength in depth mind, when we pick up injuries it does seem to identify our squad weaknesses.
There was even more dismay when learning just before kick off Wilfried Zaha was unavailable, thanks to another hamstring injury and that Yohan Cabaye had been recalled back in the starting eleven after getting a much needed runout in midweek.
There was certainly enough about Palace to overturn a poor Sunderland side at the Stadium of Light who are clearly lacking in confidence.
Sunderland manager David Moyes who was still awaiting his first win in the league as their manager probably felt this was a match his team could win and there may have been more belief as he has personally won all seven of his previous encounters against the Eagles.
Palace started well and on the front foot looking like the team with more purpose, quality and more likely to take the lead.
The only Sunderland player proving a menace for the Palace defence was striker Jermaine Defoe who was always a threat and involved with everything the hosts offered going forward.
Midfield machine James McArthur was his usual industrious self while Christian Benteke, Jason Puncheon and Andros Townsend always looked dangerous when pushing forward.
The first real opportunity fell to Sunderland after a cross from Patrick Van Aanholt which found Defoe in the penalty area. The former England international got across Tomkins and instinctively flicked a shot that went just wide of the goal with a diving Steve Mandanda beaten in the Palace goal. A good opportunity for the journeyman striker and a let off for the visitors, a warning that you cannot allow Defoe any opportunities.
Against the run of play and with no danger whatsoever with many including myself not being abe to fathom what Joe Ledley was thinking as he passed a ridiculous ball back towards his own penalty area putting his team mates under unnecessary pressure. The ball found the last person you would want it to in Defoe who controlled it, shook off the challenge of Tomkins and shot past the advancing Mandanda and into the bottom of the net.
In the defence of Ledley, it looked an unnecessary clearance from Mandanda to give him the ball when there were other safer options further up the pitch.
I was flabbergasted. Totally against the run of play and hard to believe that Palace we trailing. Had we not learnt from the earlier alarm bells? You only have to give Defoe a sniff of goal without making his cause any easier for him. A gift for Sunderland.
In first half stoppage time Yohan Cabaye picked up a yellow card after losing possession for Palace in the penalty area. Once again he saw the red mist and kicked out in frustration at substitute Duncan Watmore as the Black Cats cleared the danger.
The half time whistle blew and the Eagles went in at the interval trailing by a single goal but with all still to play for. Plenty of time to rescue something from the match particularly when you consider how confident Pardew’s men had performed in that opening half.
Palace began the second half in the same manner as they had kicked off the game, being the more positive of the two sides. However, another opportunity soon fell once again to Defoe as he hit a powerful shot that forced Mandanda into a standing save that he managed to parry well outside the area. Palace could not clear their lines and Sunderland took advantage by playing the ball back into the box. Watmore slid the ball across the goalmouth and it found the unmarked Defoe who needed no second invitation to hit a left footed shot into the bottom corner past Mandanda and Delaney on the line. The irony is that from the original opportunity he was in an offside position which the linesman failed to spot.
Palace trailed by two goals. I felt numb thinking that I had to write this match report for TEB! I was gutted and consciously aware of the tougher fixtures coming up. We needed something from this fixture against a side that we were far superior than in my opinion. I felt Sunderland were fortunate to be leading, something that even David Moyes eluded to in his post match comments. Surely this was to be their first league win of the season?
Cue a perfect and instant response. Within a minute of the hosts scoring their second, Palace had pulled one back. Damien Delaney looped a ball into the opposition area which was met by McArthur who was having another superb game. The Scot found Welshman Ledley who hit a shot from outside the box which found its way past Jordan Pickford in goal for the hosts courtesy of a wicked deflection. Game on! Ledley had redeemed himself for his earlier mistake.
In search of an all important equaliser, Pardew made his first change when he replaced Yohan Cabaye with former Sunderland striker Connor Wickham with a little over fifteen minutes left to play which provided another attacking option. Cabaye left the field to boos from the Sunderland fans due to his Newcastle association which had been much the theme of the afternoon from the local support. However, Wickham did receive a good reception from a section of the home drowd as he took to the field.
Not long afterwards, Palace made another substitution as Martin Kelly was replaced by Zeki Fryers in a like for like change.
Instantly there was an impact when the ball found Fryers on the left who beat his man and put in a sublime cross into the box. It found the head of the fast arriving McArthur who headed it firmly into the back of the net. Palace had levelled it up, what a comeback by the Eagles but what a cross from the much maligned Fryers.
Sunderland looked shell shocked, Palace were buoyant. Could there be a winner?
With the clock ticking down, Andros Townsend had a great opportunity to win the game for Palace when he ran into the area with the ball after receiving a pass from Puncheon. He cut inside as it opened up for him but his left foot shot flew agonsingly wide. He really should of hit the target and he knew it.
Regulation time was up and the board held up on the touchline revealed that there were four minutes of injury time to play.
One last change for Palace and it was Chung-yong Lee on for Puncheon who had had a good game. Surely both teams would take a draw now, although Sunderland would feel two points had been dropped after being two up.
In the dying seconds of the game, the hosts gave away an unnecessary foul on Connor Wickham after a Palace throw on near the corner flag. The free kick was floated into the box by Lee that was met by the exceptional Benteke who rose unchallenged to head powerfully home. Pandemonium and pure elation from the Palace players and travelling support.
Moyes looked absolutely devastated, a real kick in the teeth for his team at the death. The Stadium of Light looked to be half empty in no time as the Sunderland supporters left in their droves, what was left of them anyway.
The final whistle was music to Palace ears who had fought back to win as the Sunderland players left the field to boos from their supporters. Palace had now won three Premier League games in a row for the first time in over a year.
Post match comments from Defoe where he looked totally deflated, commenting that being two goals ahead and losing at home just isn’t good enough and teams should not be losing games in that position. Too true, but then they were up against a team that never know when they are beaten in Palace.
Pardew has lost the dressing room they said a few weeks back. It certainly doesn’t look like it on this showing.
A superb result for the club which puts Palace up into seventh in the table. It is really no coincidence that the team play better without Cabaye in the team, and that showed again in this game. What will be interesting is when or if Pardew will realise that.
