Spurs
0
C Palace
1
- Away team scorers
Martin Kelly 45 +0:52
- If only Crystal Palace
were as adept at beating Premier League teams in the actual Premier
League their last two months might have been considerably less
vexatious. A frequently dismal two-month winless streak in the top
flight has been punctuated by three impressive Cup wins, against
Southampton, Stoke and now Tottenham, a run that has taken them beyond
the fifth round for the first time since 1995.
A bit of good fortune, some resolute defending and Martin Kelly’s
first goal in more than five years allowed Palace to end Tottenham’s
triple-pronged assault on all available silverware, with the visitors
also celebrating the return of the talismanic winger Yannick Bolasie,
who came on with 14 minutes to play, quickly made two sprints into
Spurs’ penalty area – either of which could have resulted in a goal –
and was obviously exhausted by the final whistle.
After conceding in stoppage time at the end of the first half Spurs
controlled much of the second as Palace sought to frustrate and try
their best on the counter, leaving Emmanuel Adebayor alone in attack.
But while he will no doubt savour the result, this was not to be a dream
return to White Hart Lane for the striker, who made little impact and
will be most remembered for the moment in the second half when he tried
to keep possession on the left wing, twisted, turned, slipped, fell and
let the ball roll harmlessly out of play.
His departure was cheered by both sets of fans, with Palace’s
delighted mainly by the identity of his replacement. Bolasie’s
importance to this team has become increasingly obvious during his
two-month absence through injury, which has coincided with their Premier
League travails, and his return offered some encouragement Palace can
end the season in the highly encouraging manner in which they began it.
Four minutes after he came on Bolasie ran unmarked into the box as
Connor Wickham took the ball down the right and cut inside, only for the
striker to ignore the pass in favour of blasting a shot at the nearest
defender. Two minutes from time, Bolasie’s own shot was turned into the
goal by Wickham in front of the away fans, only for the assistant
referee to curtail their celebrations with a raised flag. They would not
have long to wait before launching into song once again.
Despite Adebayor’s much-hyped presence – “His final pass could have
been better but his hold-up play was terrific,” said Alan Pardew of a
player who “has been a credit to his profession in everything he’s done
for us so far” – Palace’s most potent attacking threat in the first half
was a helpful breeze.
Optimistic punts forward were repeatedly turned into dangerous
through balls that seemed to gather pace the further they flew. Thus
Wayne Hennessey was for a while both goalkeeper and playmaker, with
Scott Dann excellently controlling one long ball before rolling a pass
into the area but just beyond Joe Ledley, while another sent Adebayor
clear on goal – a desperate Michel Vorm just reaching the ball first –
and a third was unintentionally headed over Vorm by Kyle Walker, the
goalkeeper racing back to scramble off the line.
Hennessey played no part in the goal, though statistically he was
hardly less likely to score than the man who decided the game. A
throw-in on the left flank was worked inside to Wilfried Zaha, who kept
possession well, attracted most of the available defenders and then
passed to Kelly, who steadied himself before hammering a shot past Vorm
at his near post.
Dele Alli could have had two goals of his own by then but his diving
header from Tottenham’s first corner flew straight at Yohan Cabaye on
the line, while his 22nd-minute shot, picking up the loose ball after
Son Heung-min’s fine run into the penalty area had finally been stopped,
rolled against one post, trickled across the goalline and bounced off
the other before being cleared by Joel Ward.
As the second half began Alli turned from likely scorer to aspiring
creator, twice feeding Harry Kane for shots that were either saved or
deflected away from goal, before sending a fine low cross from the right
that was missed by Kane at the near post and by Josh Onomah at the far.
Given all that – and the fact he illuminated his last game against
these opponents last month with what may well be the goal of the season –
Alli can hardly be blamed for deciding, when next he got the ball in a
promising position, to attempt a 25-yard shot, even if the ball arrowed
just wide of goal.
For much of the first half a home goal had seemed inevitable as
opportunities were regularly fashioned and squandered, but increasingly
Spurs stuttered where once they had swaggered. For all their recent
shakiness Palace’s defence grew in authority as the minutes passed and
Pardew admitted he “was surprised that we handled the second half so
well”. When Onomah’s 85th-minute cross-shot was booted clear by Dann,
Tottenham’s hopes of a domestic double soared into the distance along
with the ball.
Man of the match Scott Dann (Crystal Palace)
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