Crystal Palace Beat QPR 3-0

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John Gregory's Post Match Comments - QPR Official Site
WHAT WE DESERVED
"....He said: "If you put in a performance where you are full of ability then you can accept it if things haven't gone your way, but that's three games in a row now where we haven't performed at all.
"Of course that's worrying and a lot of my team have slipped back into their old ways.
"I thought that Michael Mancienne was outstanding today, but other than that it was a disappointing display.
"I pick the team and prepare everybody, so I have to look at myself, but I honestly thought that the team out there today would give Palace a good game."
Comments

Crystal Palace's Peter Taylor Comments - Crystal Palace Official Site
Palace boss Peter Taylor couldn't hide his delight at the performance of striker Shefki Kuqi on Saturday, as he scored one and set up another in the 3-0 win over Queens Park Rangers at Selhurst Park.
The Finn was named as man-of-the-match and caused problems for the Rangers defence all afternoon as well as netting his first goal for the club at Selhurst Park.
"I thought he was immense today," said Taylor.
"A lot of people have doubted him with the way he started his career with us, but the players always knew what a good player he is and gave him a bit of time.
"There was a lot of pressure on him today to come in and play well at home, where he hasn't performed brilliantly, but he answered every question that was asked of him and I'm delighted that he's scored and that he played so well.
"He works hard and he took care of two defenders everytime he went for things. He was fantastic, so I'm delighted for him."
Taylor was also pleased with his defence, who looked solid throughout and kept another clean sheet: "Both Mark Hudson and Darren Ward were fantastic," he added.
"They have been since the Barnsley game when they first played together."
Otherwise, the whole performance and result was a boost to the team's confidence and Taylor now feels that the Eagles can start looking upwards in the league.
"I thought we played some good football today and were a little bit better," he said.
"We had more chances today and that shows how the confidence is growing and we are definitely a little bit tighter at the back.
"We knew that they would ask questions of us with three strikers and they caused problems and we had to be really, really strong so it's very pleasing to get a clean sheet because QPR will get results playing like that."
The only blow was the loss of DannY Butterfield, who came off towards the end of the first half.
"It's not good,it could be two or three weeks as it's a groin injury," he explained.
Crystal Palace

Table after today's game - Table

Today's Teams
With Cook injured (along with Bircham, Ainsworth and Lomas) a change:
QPR: Royce; Mancienne, Stewart, Rehman, Bignot (c); Rowlands, Smith, Gallen; Blackstock, Nygaard, Jones. - Subs: Cole, Milanese, Ward, Furlong, Bailey.
Crystal Palace: Turner; Butterfield, Ward, Hudson, Granville; Soares, Watson, Hughes ), McAnuff; Freedman, Kuqi. Subs: Flinders, Lawrence, Morrison, Kennedy, Green.
Attendance: 17,000+

Half time the score was Crystal Palace 2 QPR 0 with ex-QPR Dougie Freedman opening the Palace scoring. In 75th minute substitutions, Ward came on for Blackstock and Furlong came on for Nygaard. Gallen and Rehman were booked (Apparently Rehman's 5th of the season). Apparently Rehman & Jones will be suspended for next week's game. Right near the end substitute Morrison scored for Palace.

QPR Official Site
The attacking line-up failed to pay off at Palace as Rangers went down by three goals to nil.
First half strikes from Dougie Freedman and Shefki Kuqi gave Palace the advantage at the break, but at half time the scoreline could have so easily have been reversed, for Rangers certainly had their chances.
The Palace rearguard was sliced apart on more than one occasion, but Rangers failed to take make their efforts count.
In the second half, Palace had yet more chances, resulting in Clinton Morrison's late strike which made it 3-0 to the Eagles.
John Gregory opted for fire power in light of Lee Cook's absence due to injury.
In a bid to go for all three points, the gaffer started with Dexter Blackstock, Kevin Gallen, Marc Nygaard and Ray Jones.
Ray Jones took up a place on the left of midfield with Gallen in the centre of the park.
Martin Rowlands took up the right hand flank while Blackstock and Nygaard fronted the attack.
With five minutes gone, it looked as though Iain Turner was going to gift Rangers the opening goal. Marc Nygaard rose to win the header in the box and Turner flapped at his attempt to claim the ball.
Dropping it into the path of Rowlands, the Rangers midfielder picked it up, weaved his way in front of goal and shot staight down the middle, only to have his effort blocked.
It was the same duo minutes later who carved open the Eagles' defence.
Nygaard steamed through the middle of the park and found Rowlands to his right, only too willing to receive the ball and shoot past Turner, but sadly wide of the upright.
But despite the early chances, it was Palace who took the lead.
Shefki Kuqi got in behind Damion Stewart and cut the ball back into the path of Dougie Freedman who made no mistake from close range, rifling the ball down the centre of Simon Royce's goal.
Nevertheless, Rangers continued to expose the far from solid back line of the hosts. Nygaard was guilty of missing a gilt edged chance when he slid in at the far post, narrowly missing Blackstock's ball.
The chances were certainly coming at both ends and Royce had to be alert when Ben Watson decided to launch one from 30 yards.
Thankfully his effort flew over the bar.
How Rangers were being locked out at the other end was becoming more an more of a mystery. Jimmy Smith had the keeper beaten and on the deck, but the ball again slid wide. Not even an on-rushing Rowlands could administer the all important touch.
While Rangers were squandering their chances, Palace were taking theirs despite them being few and far between.
And on the half hour, the Eagles doubled their lead. Freedman returned the favour to Kuqi for his earlier assist and squared the ball for his man.
Kuqi fired low at Royce, who seemed to have the shot covered, but somehow the ball flew through his legs and into the back of the net.
Rangers certainly had an uphill struggle facing them in the second half, but Palace looked as though their defence was there to be breached.
Their plight wasn't helped however when Simon Royce took a whack when providing the heroics for Rangers.
Kuqi stormed through, leaving Damion Stewart in his wake, and with the entire half beckoning at him to choose his spot, Royce sensed the need for his attentions to be a litle further out of his box.
The Rangers keeper flew out of his area and slid tackled Kuqi, throwing him off his stride. Kuqi stil managed to get his shot in, but by then Bignot had it covered and watched the ball fly wide.
Royce however needed treatment after limping back to the sanctuary of his goal mouth.
It was just as well he recovered as he had to be alert when Kuqi stormed through again. Royce parried his shot, but was still recovering when Jobi McAnuff followed up. Somehow though, the Palace man skewed his effort over the bar.
Seconds later McAnuff hi the side netting as Rangers were once again on the back foot.
The Holmesdale End were collecting a good accumulation of balls as yet another two efforts escaped the grasp of Royce's net and Rangers were gifted a let off on two occasions.
In the final throws of the game, Clinton Morrison sealed the points for Palace when he hammered home Tom Soares's cross to make sure of the victory.
Palace: Turner, Granville, Ward, Hudson, McAnuff, Freedman (Morrison 81), Watson, Hughes (Green 88), Soares, Butterfield (Lawrence 42), Kuqi
Subs: Flinders, Kennedy
Bookings:
Scorers: Freedman 12, Kuqi 30, Morrison 85
QPR: Royce, Bignot, Rehman, Stewart, Mancienne, Rowlands, Smith, Blackstock (Furlong 75), Gallen, Nygaard (Ward 75), Jones
Subs: Cole, Bailey, Milanese
Bookings: Gallen
Ref: M Dean
Att: 17,017 (1,159)
QPR

Crystal Palace Official Site
Peter Taylor made a number of changes from the team that drew 1-1 at Wolves in midweek with Shefki Kuqi, Dougie Freedman and Ben Watson coming into the side in place of James Scowcroft, Clinton Morrison and Mark Kennedy.
Palace, unbeaten in three, took a few minutes to get into the game, but in the third minute Tom Soares' fierce looking shot from Kuqi's knock down was well blocked. A few minutes later though and it was Danny Butterfield who was forced to make a goalsaving block as a cross was dropped by Iain Turner into the path of Martin Rowlands.

Rangers looked dangerous on the break and in the 11th minute Rowlands had another chance to put them ahead but he shot wide following Marc Nygaard's pass.

In the 14th minute Palace took the lead thanks to Freedman. As in the last game against Wolves Kuqi was first to a long Turner clearance and after holding off the challenge of Damion Stewart he squared the ball to the unmarked Scot to finish clinically. It was the 32-year-old's 106th goal for the club putting him level with George Clarke and equal fifth in the all-time goalscoring charts.

The visitors hit straight back though and should have had an equaliser in the 18th minute. Ray Jones' cross from the right was headed back across goal to Nygaard but he somehow failed to connect with the ball from a yard out.

It was a let off for the Eagles and Soares just failed to capitalise on the lucky break with a shot from the edge of the box that flew just wide. A few minutes later Watson also came close with a dipping long range drive which went just over the bar.

Despite creating some decent chances Rangers were also carving put some decent chances and in the 27th minute Jimmy Smith scuffed a deflected shot just wide. But the game was end-to-end affair and it was Palace's turn to have a chance a few minutes later when Kuqi's long ball found Freedman, bu a last ditch tackle from Stewart denied him a second goal of the game.

The Kuqi/Freedman partnership was working wonders for Palace and in the 32nd minute the pair made their third Palace goal in two games. This time Freedman was the provider and his inch perfect pass put the Kuqi in on goal, then with a little bit of luck thanks to a deflection and a fumble from the goalkeeper the ball was in the back of the net.

A great half was somewhat ruined for Palace when Butterfield was forced off through injury just before the break but Taylor was able to call on Matt Lawrence to replace him.
Crystal Palace

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