Crystal Palace 1 Sunderland 3
With 11 minutes of this match at Selhurst Park remaining, Gus Poyet could have been forgiven for coming to the conclusion that he used up all of his luck in last season’s great escape.
Having seen his Sunderland team battered from pillar to post in recent weeks, another calamitous error from Wes Brown had gifted Crystal Palace a way back into this relegation six-pointer after Steven Fletcher’s opener. There looked like only one winner at that stage as Palace, spurred on by a vociferous home support and a rejuvenated Wilfried Zaha, came forward at will.
Yet in an instant, Poyet’s luck appeared to turn at a ground where the former Brighton manager was never going to be afforded the best of receptions. A powerful run across the penalty area from Will Buckley – one of the Uruguayan’s star players during his time on the south coast – set up Jordi Gómez for a first-time strike that flew into the Palace net.
To compound their misery, skipper Mile Jedinak was shown a second yellow card before Fletcher added his second in injury-time as Palace dropped below their opponents in the table.
After conceding 10 goals in their last two matches, Gus Poyet’s reaction was to drop goalkeeper Vito Mannone and central defender Wes Brown - both guilty of horrendous mistakes in the 2-0 defeat to Arsenal. Romanian Costel Pantimilion was handed his first Premier League start since joining from Manchester City, while veteran France defender Anthony Réveillère also came in at right-back, with Santiago Vergini switching to the middle.
But the spectre of the 8-0 mauling by Southampton in their last away game still appeared to be haunting Vergini inside the opening minute. The Argentine’s own goal at St Mary’s had begun their spectacular implosion on that occasion, so Poyet must have been relieved to see referee Phil Dowd not award a penalty when the defender clearly made contact with Fraizer Campbell’s shin.
Having picked up eight points from his opening four matches since returning to Selhurst Park, manager Neil Warnock has since seen his side fail to build on that early promise. They began the match in 16th place, a position that most Palace fans would gladly take at the end of the season, but the onus was certainly on the hosts after throwing away a 2-0 lead at West Brom last week.
Given that Sunderland’s winless run in the Premier League on Monday nights stretched back more than 12 years, there was even more incentive for the hosts. But having weathered the early storm, Poyet’s side gradually began to find their feet.
Their opening goal still came as something of a surprise, however, with Palace defender Brede Hangeland guilty of playing Patrick van Aanholt onside to deliver an inch-perfect cross to Seven Fletcher to head home just after the half-hour mark. Palace were quick to respond as Wilfried Zaha found space down the right flank and appeared to be brought down by Van Aanholt, even if the initial challenge took place just outside the box. Much to Warnock’s chagrin on the touchline, Dowd once again turned down the appeals.
Perhaps buoyed by their lucky escape and no doubt with Warnock’s words of encouragement still ringing in their ears, a different Palace emerged after half-time. Four successive corners eventually came to nothing but it wasn’t long until they were level as all of Poyet’s worst nightmares suddenly returned in an instant.
Wilfried Zaha bamboozled the Sunderland defence with a jinking run before picking out the unmarked Marouane Chamakh at the back post. Somehow, Pantilimon managed to keep it out but when Campbell backheeled the ball into the danger area, Brown, introduced for the injured Van Aanholt in the first half, inexplicably volleyed into his own net.
That seemed to be the turning point as Palace pressed forward but they hadn’t reckoned for Gómez’s intervention. A free signing from Wigan in the summer who has been so far used sparingly by Poyet, the Spaniard has a knack of scoring crucial goals throughout his career in England. None will be as crucial to his manager as this one though.
Guardian Service
