Palace vs Southampton
by Gene Sylvester
at Selhurst Park

CRYSTAL PALACE’S final home game this side of the World Cup saw the Eagles host a Southampton side who only had one win to their name in the last six games, and their first half performance in South London showed exactly why the Seasiders have struggled to find any type of form so far this season.

The home side’s first half performance, on any another day, may have seen them out of sight by half-time, but they were made to hang on at the end as Patrick Viera’s men ran out 1-0 winners.

The Eagles totally dominated proceedings in the first half of what was a fairly evenly matched game on paper, with the two clubs only separated by a point in the table, but it was the home side who threatened from the off.

Luka Milivojevic whistled a free kick over the Southampton crossbar early on, and Michael Olise’s free kick two minutes later was punched over the bar by the Saint’s goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu.

Milivojevic had another effort from the edge of the box deflected wide for a corner after great work from Jeffrey Schlupp and this was all within the first 10 minutes of the match.

Palace chances continued to flow with Wilfried Zaha fizzing a 14th-minute shot across the Southampton goal after a couple of sublime Eberechi Eze touches created the opening for him and Eze himself stung the hands of Bazunu from distance a short while later with his effort being tipped around the post.

The home side were finally rewarded for their first half dominance in the 37th minute when the impressive Zaha dispossessed Southampton defender Lyanco in his own half.

The Palace winger swiftly fed the overlapping run of left-back Tyrick Mitchell, whose first time cross was steered past the Southampton keeper from close range by Odsonne Edouard to give Viera’s men a well deserved lead.

Frustrated Southampton manager Ralph Hasenhuttl highlighted his team’s deficiencies in the first half.

“We played too slow with too many mistakes against a very aggressive counter pressing team, and when you don’t play quickly, you get under pressure. This is how we conceded the goal today.”

Hasenhuttl’s half-time team talk certainly did the trick as Southampton came out of the traps swiftly, pegging the home side back for large periods after the interval.

The chance of the game for the away side fell to Saints top scorer Che Adams in the 52nd minute when James Ward-Prowse’s no look pass played the striker in with just Vicente Guaita to beat in the Palace goal, but the striker’s shot was straight at the advancing keeper.

Stuart Armstrong then picked up the baton with a couple of chances in quick succession, with his first near post effort being turned around the post by Guiata following a jinking run and his second almost identical effort cannoning back off the near post.

Hasenhuttl’s men continued to threaten the Palace goal and Adams again was presented with a glorious opportunity to pull the Saints level following a great one-two with Joe Aribo, but again the Scottish international’s strike was too close to Guaita who was able to get down quickly and smother the shot to preserve his side’s fragile lead.

Hassenhuttl bemoaned his striker’s missed chances following the match.

“It is very frustrating because he is working for this team, but he knows he had two good chances today.”