Guest blogger Adam Johnson remembers that day at Hillsborough that turned out in our favour. You can catch Adam on Twitter @AdAmCpFc91.
The date 26th January 2010 will be known forever as a dark day for all Palace fans, sitting at home watching Sky Sports News as reporter Bryan Swanson broke the news that Crystal Palace were facing administration for the second time. Fast forward four months later and with Paul Hart and former player and hero Dougie Freedman now at the helm after Neil Warnocks unceremonious departure to London neighbours QPR and having lost Academy starlet Victor Moses in the transfer window to help out financial troubles. We were in front of the Sky television cameras at Selhurst Park and needed all three points against West Brom to clinch safety. However the baggies themselves were seeking promotion to the big time so the stakes were very high for both sides.
A 1-1 draw was all that could be mustered and a very daunting trip to Sheffield on the final day of the season was necessary to decide who would be playing their football in the third tier of the English league next season (I would have paid any price for Freddie Sear’s goal to have stood that day at Ashton gate). So when 1pm arrived a packed Hillsborough crowd watched one of the most tense 96 minutes of football ever played. Palace had the advantage of only needing a point whereas our relegation rivals needed a win to survive. Chances were few for either side until a Darren Ambrose corner found the head of Alan Lee who fired an unstoppable header into the back of the net and Palace fans were able to breathe a little easier. However, the joy was short lived as just before half time Danny Butterfield was caught in possession by Clarke who curled the ball past Speroni.
The second half began and was just as nerve racking as the first, however Sean Scannell broke free from the Wednesday defence lashing a ball along the box for prolific scorer Darren Ambrose to score for Palace right on the hour mark. As full time drew closer the nerves began to fray, made even worse by a Darren Purse equaliser with seven minutes to go made for a roller coaster of a finale. Every Palace fan watching held their breath as Stern John and Darren Ambrose went two on one with Lee Grant only to see the ball scrambled off the line.
An intense spell of pressure from Sheffield Wednesday made it increasingly difficult to see Palace surviving the onslaught, however, when the ball was floated in by ex-palace boy Tom Soares and headed out by Skipper Paddy McCarthy it looked like Sheffield Wednesday would have one last opportunity to score, but to the adjulation of all Palace fans everywhere referee Mike Dean thought six minutes of additional time were enough and a faint sound of a full time whistle were drowned out by a intense cheer and sigh of relief.
