Crystal Palace 3 Sunderland 2
Crystal Palace edged a small step closer to the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff with a hard-fought win over Sunderland in the first leg of their Nationwide First Division play-off semi-final at Selhurst Park tonight.
Following a cagey first half, Marcus Stewart put the visitors ahead from the spot after Tony Popovic had fouled Carl Robinson in the box. However, the Eagles were soon on level terms through Neil Shipperley's looping header and a deflected shot from Danny Butterfield then put them ahead.
With the clock ticking, Kevin Kyle lashed home from close range after Palace had failed to clear their lines only for Andrew Johnson to swing the tie back in the Eagles' favour and give Iain Dowie's side the slenderest of leads to protect at the Stadium of Light on Monday night.
Kyle had the first effort on goal after six minutes, but dragged his angled shot from just inside the box wide of the far post. Palace duo Michael Hughes and Wayne Routledge then combined well down the left and Jeff Whitley had to be alert to head the resulting cross out for a corner.
Both sides were not afraid of throwing their weight around, but for all the strong challenges and decent build-up play, the match lacked a clear-cut opening during the first 30 minutes.
Given what is riding on this two-legged affair, the lack of cohesion in the final third was perhaps understandable, but would, nevertheless, have left both managers frustrated as the interval approached.
Popovic was penalised for a push on Kyle in a central position some 25 yards from goal five minutes before half-time. But John Oster could not keep the free-kick down and Nico Vaesen was never troubled.
At the other end, Routledge kept possession well as he surged forward before laying the ball off to Julian Gray, but his snap-shot from just inside the box flew over the bar.
Jason McAteer then tried the patience of the referee once too often when he pulled back Danny Granville and promptly went into the book on 43 minutes. The match sprung into life five minutes into the second half, when the ball broke to Robinson in the Palace box and, as he looked to make space for the shot, he was brought crashing down by Popovic.
It looked a clear-cut penalty, and Stewart needed no second invitation to send Vaesen the wrong way. Palace were nevertheless incensed by the decision and immediately went on the offensive.
The change of pace paid dividends as they were straight back on level terms when Danny Granville's centre from the left was expertly looped over Poom and into the far corner by captain Shipperley from 15 yards out.
Then, after 63 minutes, there seemed little danger when the home side were awarded a free-kick some 35 yards out. With the Sunderland defence expecting a long ball into the box, Hughes simply rolled it along the line to Butterfield. He took one touch to set before unleashing a low drive into the crowded box, and the ball took a deflection off Phil Babb and found its way past a scrambling Poom.
Sunderland almost drew level as the match entered its final 20 minutes when Kyle's clever knockdown fell to Oster, only for his low, curling shot to graze the outside of the far post with Vaesen beaten.
Robinson then fired over after good work involving Stewart down the left before the former Ipswich front man was removed with 14 minutes left for Tommy Smith.
Gray went into the book on 82 minutes after pulling back Smith, and Palace were made to pay for some slack defending from the resulting free-kick. They had a number of opportunities to clear Sean Thornton's deep delivery, but when the ball dropped to Kyle some six yards out, he made no mistake to level matters.
Again, though, Sunderland failed to hold onto their lead. This time it was Johnson who found time and space on the edge of the area, where he held off three defenders before driving a low ball past the diving Poom on 86 minutes. Johnson then saw his low angled drive held by Poom as the home side edged a roller-coaster match.