City 2 Crystal Palace 0
After the bore draw with Derby County last Saturday the pressure was on Nigel Pearson's men to pick up a home win from this midweek encounter with Crystal Palace. Historically city's record against Palace at the Walkers was good; however our recent home form from the last three matches here had yielded only two points from a possible nine. Fortress it is not! The fans were clearly confident because at kick off there seemed to be well over 21,000 spectators in the ground, the match against the rams had clearly not put people off turning out.
Manager Pearson must have decided in the aftermath of Saturday's poor performance to make some slight changes to the starting line up, dropping both full backs, with ever present Bruno Berner being replaced by Ryan McGivern (making his debut) on the left and Michael Morrison making way for Robbie Nielson on the right. The hope was clearly for both men to make more of an attempt to push forward than the latter two had managed at the weekend. Other than those changes city remained the same with Chris Weale in goal, Wayne Brown and Jack Hobbs in central defence and Ritchie Wellens and Andy King in central midfield, Matt Oakley remained on the right of midfield with Lloyd Dyer on the left, Steve Howard and Matt Fryatt remained as the front pairing.
The Foxes started in positive fashion with Matty Fryatt looking dangerous and getting some decent crosses into the box, first for Wayne Brown and then for Steve Howard. Both chances came to nothing more than a corner and a goal kick. Question marks still remain over whether we should persevere with these front two now that were back in the higher league, and the first half really backed the case for a change as Fryatt more and more had to sit deep and come and get the ball and Howard was largely on his own in the box for much of the half…..
At the other end Wayne Brown was having a busy match making interceptions and vital clearances from first Neil Danns and secondly Alan Lee. Just as they had done in the FA Cup match in January Palace packed the midfield and were dominating the 50-50s, to make up for it Matt Oakley was coming infield and city had no attacking threat on the from the middle other than the lively Lloyd Dyer on the left.
Dyer was having a decent half and linking up well with Steve Howard, in one move big Steve set Dyer away on the left and made his way into the box to get on the end of a teasing cross from the wing man – however at half time, obviously frustrated by city's inability to keep the ball in the attacking third Nigel Pearson decided that a change was needed and Mr. Dyer would be the man to make way. Striker Paul Gallagher went on in his place, many fans around me weren’t happy with this move because Gallagher is not a winger by trade however it was another fine decision from the gaffer.
At the start of the second half a good move involving Matty Fryatt saw his tear away down the right and get in a decent cross allowing Gallagher to make his way into the box and get an awkward looking half volley in at the far post in what was the first real test of the match for Palace keeper Speroni. Fryatt then called the keeper into action moments later in a move which led to a city corner. The foxes were beginning to look like their really wanted it and started to dominate first with a Ritchie Wellens shot which flew over the bar and then by a Wayne Brown effort that was well defended by the Palace rearguard. City had at last seized the momentum and started to play the ball on the floor and through midfield as oppose to the first half which was reminiscent of Saturday's Derby match.
A ball bobbling around the edge of the Palace area in the 58th minute was brought down by Paul Gallagher who moved it into the path of Wayne Brown who had no choice but to loop the ball back over the on rushing Palace defender and back to Gallagher, who in attempting to get into position was tripped and brought down clumsily by midfielder Nick Carle. A cynical a foul if ever there was one! The referee had no choice but to point to the spot.
Matt Fryatt stepped up to take the kick and placed it poorly to the left hand centre of the Palace goal, to which keeper Speroni saved easily, however the ball spilled out to the on rushing man of the moment Gallagher who netted the rebound into the net. Fryatt's blushes had been thankfully spared! Even though it had taken a fortunate passage for play for city to take the lead it was just what city's play since the re-start had merited and certainly a goal the game had most definitely needed.
City were in control from this point on and rather than sit back for the final half hour against a Palace team who offered very little up front they were going for goal number two. Pearson took off Steve Howard and brought on the popular Martyn Waghorn. Gallagher and Waghorn both went close with efforts and city were playing far more incisively and making chances. Palace had made changes of their own brining on strikers Stern John and Darren Ambrose in an attempt to get back into the match. Matty Fryatt was replaced on 78 minutes for DJ Campbell who was making his first appearance at home for the foxes this season. Within minutes of arriving onto the field of play he was sent clean through by Waghorn and sure enough the net was not bulging! However city looked by far the more likely to score again and gaps were clearly emerging in the Palace defence.
Sure enough in the 81st minute a hoofed clearance form Jack Hobbs caused uncertainty for Palace right back Danny Butterfield who miscontrolled the ball and Gallagher took full advantage spotting Palace keeper Speroni off his line and placing a delicate long range chip over his head and into back of the net. Two nil and game over! The decision to bring on Gallagher had been a good one by Pearson and city took their chances in the second half. It was by and large a poor game for large parts and whilst it is encouraging that city were able to find the net twice to secure the three points it still leaves a lot of us scratching our heads asking the question does Nigel Pearson know his best starting eleven.
City: Weale, Nielson, McGivern, Brown, Hobbs, Oakley, Wellens, King, Dyer (Gallagher, 45), Fryatt (Campbell, 79), Howard (Waghorn, 65)
Palace: Speroni, McCarthy, Fonte, Butterfield, Danns, Hill, N'Diaye (Davis, 79), Derry, Sears, Carle (John, 71), Lee (Ambrose, 71)
Referee: Roger East (Wiltshire) Attendance: 22,220
The views expressed in this report are the opinions of the Trust member nominated to file the report only and do not represent the views of the Foxes Trust organisation