QPR Draw at Crystal Palace

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Final Score Crystal Palace 1 QPR 1
QPR Leading 1-0 at half-time through Sinclair, and supposedly dominating...and then, a defensive error and Morrison scored in the 88th minute. And QPR Drop back into the bottom three. Table

QPR OFFICIAL SITE

Rangers' nemesis Clinton Morrison denied them a deserved three points as he bagged his 100th Palace goal to cancel out Scott Sinclair's opener at Selhurst Park.

Morrison has now netted five times in the last six meetings between the clubs - but the R's should have sewn up victory after squandering a host of chances in the second half.

Rangers dominated the early stages, passing the ball around with confidence while the home crowd were quick to show their displeasure at their own team's efforts.

Akos Buzsaky threaded a pass through to Rowan Vine, who held off his marker and struck a good effort that Julian Speroni did well to push behind.

Palace began to find their feet and went close when Mark Kennedy got away from Martin Rowlands and pulled the ball back for Paul Ifill, whose header whistled over the bar.

Morrison looked anxious to reach his personal landmark, turning Chris Barker to blaze a chance just over and then pouncing on a slip by Sami Timoska, but stabbing the ball wide.

The Eagles supporters felt they should have had a penalty late in the first half when Morrison tangled with Michael Mancienne inside the area, but referee Philip Walton waved play on.

And the Rs took advantage to snatch the lead on the stroke of half-time as Rowlands' cross was headed out to Buzsaky and the Hungarian's cross was glanced into the far corner by Sinclair.

Palace almost equalised just after the restart when Ifill's effort was cleared off the line by Adam Bolder and, in the aftermath, Morrison's finish was ruled out for offside.

Bolder almost made it 2-0 soon afterwards when Buzsaky's pinpoint pass found him in space, but Speroni denied him at the expense of a corner.

The Palace keeper then foiled Sinclair in a one-on-one and also produced an excellent low save from Vine while, at the other end, Ifill escaped from Mancienne and sent a curling shot inches wide.

But it looked as if QPR would hold on, with Damion Stewart outstanding as he produced timely challenges to halt both Morrison and substitute Dougie Freedman in their tracks.

Morrison has made a habit of scoring against Rangers, though - and he maintained that three minutes from time as he rose to head Kennedy's free-kick past Camp.

Freedman dragged a chance wide in the closing stages as Palace pressed for a winner they never deserved.

Attendance: 17,110 (away supporters 2,205) QPR

CRYSTAL PALACE OFFICIAL SITE

Clinton Morrison's 100th Palace goal was enough to clinch a draw for the home side.

But in a game that also saw Ryan Hall make his landmark first team start, it was the goalkeeping of Julian Speroni that really saved the day for Neil warnock's men.

The Palace manager made two changes, both in attack, from the side that drew 1-1 at Cardiff on Tuesday night.

Paul Ifill made his first start of the season, at the expense of 15-year-old midfielder John Bostock, who started from the bench, and Morrison was selected in place of James Scowcroft to form a pacy Palace strike force.

Elsewhere, the Palace boss decided to keep the same back four and midfield quartet that performed so reiliently in Wales. He did include another academy graduate in his squad, though, in the shape of 17-year-old left winger Hall, who was named as one of the substitutes.

The bench also comprised of young left back Lee Hills, fit again after a back injury, alongside attacking duo Dougie Freedman and Besian Idrizaj.

The opening exchanges were, for a London derby, typically frenetic. Mark Kennedy's cross was flicked harmlessly towards goal by Morrison, before Rangers skipper Adam Bolder had an effort that caused no real danger to Speroni in the Palace goal.

The Argentine was, however, tested by Rowas Vine's 8th-minute strike, but he was up to the challenge and dived acrobatically to his left to keep the ball out.

With the visitors looking sharper, Palace changed approach and lined up with a 4-3-3 formation. Ifill was deployed as a left-sided striker and Franck Songo'o was pushed further forward on the right. The pair swapped sides throughout the opening period.

The move seemed to work, as Palace enjoyed a good spell. On 17 minutes, a mazy run by Mark Kennedy set up Ifill in the middle, but his header flashed over the bar.

But QPR looked dangerous on the counter-attack, and Scott Sinclair caused mayhem with a low cross that flashed across the face of goal after the on-loan Chelsea man got the better of Palace defender Matt Lawrence.

On 25 minutes, Tom Soares fed Morrison, who turned and drove a shot just over the bar. Eight minutes later, Ifill executed a similar move from Kennedy's pass, but his left-footed shot was gathered by Superhoops' goalkeeper Lee Camp.

Palace had a penalty shout on 39 minutes when Michael Mancienne appeared to trip Morrison in the area. Referee Peter Walton waved away the appeals of the Holmesdale End fans.

Yet it was Rangers who took the lead on the stroke of half time when Sinclair nodded in fellow loanee Akos Buzsaky's slick left wing cross into the far corner of the net.

The Palace team that emerged from the tunnel at half time included a new face in the first team. Ryan Hall replaced Songo'o to become the fourth youth academy graduate to be given a debut under Warnock's guidance, and took up poisition on the left wing.

The Eagles started the half much the better, and came desprately close on two occasions. First, after 49 minutes, Kennedy's corner was headed across goal into the path of Ifill who, with the goal gaping, could only find a Rangers' defender on the line and the ball was cleared away.

Then, a minute later and again from a Kennedy corner, Ben Watson headed towards Jose Fonte, who steered the ball into the path of Morrison. The 100th-goal chasing striker found the net and seemed to have made history, only for the referee to rule him offside.

Rangers enjoyed a spell of real pressure around the hour-mark when Bolder was presenetd with a great opportunity that forced Speroni into an excellent save. A frantic scramble in the Palace area followed and then, on 61 minutes, Sinclair was put clean through and looked a cert to bag a second, only for Speroni to make another outstanding stop. The danger was not completely over as Sinclair got hold of the rebound, but thankfully for Palace, he lashed wide of the target.

Bostock then replaced Ben Watson and, again, the change coincided with an upturn in Eagles fortunes. On 66 minutes, Hall set Ifill through and he turned in onto his right foot and powered a potentially devastating effort inches wide of the far post.

It was not long before QPR regained the initiative, though, with midfielder Mikele Leigertwood and Sinclair causing a number of problems, but they continued to lack the killer touch in the home penalty area. Rowan Vine was the next to be denied by Speroni, who impressively showed a strong left wrist to save his 78th-minute shot.

Rangers were dominant but they were made to rue their missed chances with two minutes remaining, Palace were awarded a free kick and Kennedy, after dummying, delivered a pin-point free kick for Morrison to head home his 100th Palace goal.

The striker ran the length of the pitch to celebrate the landmark moment in front of the Holmesdale Road End. The goal got Palace out of jail and they could even have grabbed a winner in stoppage time, but substitute Dougie Freeman's strike screwed wide of the far post.

As Palace's players left the field at the final whistle, they reserved their loudest applause for Speroni, whose numerous saves made an unlikely draw possible.

Crystal Palace: Speroni, Lawrence, Hudson (c), Fonte, Hill, Songo'o (Hall HT), Watson (Bostock 65), Soares (Feedman 72), Kennedy (Soares 72), Ifill, Morrison.

Goal: Morrison 88.

Subs not used: Idrizaj, Hills.

QPR: Camp, Barker, Stewart, Mancienne, Bolder (c) (Rahman 90), Buzsaky, Rowlands (Ainsworth 87), Vine (Sahar 90), Timoska, Leigertwood, Sinclair.

Goal: Sinclair 45.

Subs not used: Cole, Nardiello.

Attendance: 17,110. Crystal Palace


Sporting Life Match Report - By Andy Sims, PA Sport

Scott Sinclair opened his goalscoring account for QPR as Luigi De Canio's side went in ahead at the interval against Crystal Palace.

Yorkshire grit looked like cancelling out Italian style as Neil Warnock's no-nonsense Palace had the better of the opening 45 minutes against De Canio's Rangers, who played some neat football while rarely threatening the hosts' goal.

But Palace were undone a minute before the break when Sinclair, the highly-rated on-loan Chelsea starlet, capitalised on some lazy defending to head Rangers into the lead.

Clinton Morrison, who has been stranded on 99 Palace goals since mid-August, wasted their first opportunity when he back-heeled Mark Kennedy's cross into the arms of Lee Camp.

At the other end QPR's on-loan Birmingham striker Rowan Vine forced a fine save from Julian Speroni with a shot from just inside the area.

Ben Watson should have done better with a free header from Matt Lawrence's cross, his effort flying into Camp's arms, before Paul Ifill headed wastefully over from six yards.

Ifill, playing as a second striker, was then denied by a last-ditch Damion Stewart tackle after being put through by Kennedy.

QPR should have gone ahead in the 23rd minute when Sinclair crossed from the right and Akos Buszaky just failed to connect with the goal gaping.

Morrison sent a shot narrowly over and Ifill drove straight at Camp as Palace, still without a win under Warnock, pushed for the opener.

Morrison was denied a penalty when he went down under Michael Mancienne's challenge as Tom Soares crossed, referee Peter Walton waving away the striker's claim.

And Palace paid for their wastefulness in front of goal when Buzsaky curled in a cross from the left and Sinclair expertly diverted the ball past Speron

Report

Teams:
Palace: Speroni, Lawrence, Hill, Hudson (c), Morrison, Ifill, Watson, Kennedy, Soares, Fonte, Songo'o
Subs: Freedman, Idrizaj, Bostock, Hills, Hall

QPR: Camp, Barker, Stewart, Mancienne, Bolder (c), Buzsaky, Rowlands, Vine, Timoska, Leigertwood, Sinclair -- Subs: Cole, Nardiello, Ainsworth, Sahar, Rehman. (Sahar, Ainswoth and Rehman came on as late subs)