GOOD JORD! PALACE WIN WAIT IS OVER Coca Cola CHAMPIONSHIP Mike Allen At Selhurst Park CPALACE 2 Scowcroft 16, Morrison 32 BARNSLEY 0 PALACE chairman Simon Jordan vowed to support struggling manager Peter Taylor before the game and was repaid with the first win in nine matches. Palace have slipped alarmingly down the table since their flying start to the season, but goals by James Scowcroft and Clinton Morrison stopped the rot. Jordan said: "I am strong in the support of my manager and my players and in adversity relationships can be forged and strength gained. "It is very easy for everyone to believe or support a vision when the bloody thing arrives it is much harder to support when things are not going well." Barnsley boss Andy Ritchie could do with similar backing from his chairman after a run of 10 games with just one win. But the visitors were never in the game from the moment goalkeeper Nick Colgan was forced to make an instinctive save in the early minutes to keep out Darren Ward's header. After his words of encouragement Jordan would claim Taylor was not under pressure and certainly his team played with great freedom in the opening 45 minutes. Taylor had chosen to withdraw from his England under-21 duties to address the crisis at Selhurst Park and he will have felt his decision was vindicated. The first goal came after just 16 minutes when Bobby Hassell was booked for a foul on Jobi McAnuff and from Mark Kennedy's resulting free kick Tom Soares' shot was blocked but Scowcroft bagged the rebound. It was no more than Palace deserved as Barnsley struggled to even get out of their own half. The second goal was inevitable but it came in dazzling fashion thanks to a wonderful piece of skill and pace by Soares. The England U-21 international picked the ball up on the half-way line and cut through a non-existent Barnsley defence, although Colgan blocked his shot, Morrison was able to score his fourth goal of the season. After the break Palace sat back and were happy to absorb Barnsley's punchless efforts. They had just one narrow escape when Brian Howard claimed a penalty but his appeal was waved away. HOW THEY RATED CRYSTAL PALACE Turner 6, Butterfield 6, Hudson 6, Ward 7, Granville 6, Hughes 7, SOARES 8, Kennedy 7 (Fletcher 6) McAnuff 7, Morrison 7 (Freedman 6), Scowcroft 7 (Kuqi 6). MANAGER Taylor 7 BARNSLEY Colgan 6, Hassell 6, Reid 6, Kay 6, Heckingbottom 7, Devaney 5 (Rowe 5), Howard 5, Togwell 6, McIndoe 6, Nardiello 5, Wright 5 (Hayes 5). MANAGER Ritchie 6 REFEREE K Friend 7 MAN OF THE MATCH TOM SOARES Moment of first-half brilliance lit up the match
Pretty fair report not quite sure about some of the player ratings Kay and McIndoe marked a bit low, as was Wroe who was much better than Devaney. LOL at the comments about the respective chairmen
