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HUDDERSFIELD (29th January
2000)
With the financial side continuing to slip it became necessary
to unload another player. Not a frequent event recently it must
be said but one that still caused the sinking feeling that a
bit of the class remaining at the club was being whittled away.
The 'lucky' man to leave the adoration of the faithful and settle
for a team heading in the direction of the Premiership while
having to suffer being payed full wages? Step forward Matt Svennson.
I don't think Matt was too popular at the start as the people
who got to see him most frequently were the physiotherapists.
After various knocks including a ruptured spleen (that will make
a trivia question one day) he started this season with the grand
total of one goal from a fitful number of starts. This season
though he proved a revelation. He started with the third goal
against Grimsby before hitting a wonderful patch a couple of
weeks later. It all started with the Portsmouth visit where he
thumped a goal before running over the Alan Ball and showing
him the name on the shirt just to remind him who it was exactly
that he had sold. Ball thought he had done great business unloading
Svennson. So did we at first but we were so glad to be proven
wrong. With Morrison out Svennson started forming a powerful
partnership with Bradbury. Two big, fast, physical strikers were
looking good until the latter was sold (sound familiar?). The
return of McKenzie from injury saw Svennson with his third striking
partner in a little over six weeks. This one, however, proved
to be brutally effective. They scored seven goals in their first
four games with Matt getting a late equalizer at Port Vale and
a late, late, late winner at home to Norwich. During this time
he showed his willingness to lead from the front and woe betide
any defender who hung onto the ball too long. If he played for
another team we may have called his tackling bordering on the
illegal but we saw it merely as robust. With the physical presence
was added a skill which flourished as the season progressed.
While not a player who can dribble around half a dozen players
he can hold up the ball for support, draw defenders, get into
space and be in the right spot for crosses. Sort of like Alan
Shearer only good.
With the ongoing saga he went for a ridiculously low price
and he will be missed. Good luck on trying to make the Premiership
and the national team. I hope you do well but please fail to
do the usual ex-player scoring routine when we next see you.
After losing Svennson (and our next striker will need to be
called Matthew because after Jansen and Svennson we have the
'super Matt' chant down pat) it was going to be hard in the next
game. Coming up against the team who did you 7-1 earlier in the
season wouldn't help. After Barnsley's result teams from Yorkshire
must now be queuing up to come to Selhurst Park. The one good
point is that Huddersfield only had one ex-Palace player.
The game started with us playing the wrong way again. We should
always attack the Holmesdale in the second half. Recently we
have been going the other way and have had more home losses this
season than the last one. Coincidence? I think not. An early
chance came after 90 seconds when a free kick from the right
saw Linighan head the ball just wide. The inaccuracy was caused
by him having to stoop quite a bit. If the ball had been six
inches lower then it would have been a dream start, especially
since Andy scores less frequently than a Trappist monk. The game
then settled down into a rather fractured affair with combatitive
midfields stifling any real attacks. The inability of players
to pass to members of their own team also added to the slow feel
of the game. There were a couple of moments of excitement though.
Craig Foster, wanting to prove that he could score from more
than one inch out, let fly with a couple from outside the box
while a Huddersfield defender slid in for a ball and used what
suspiciously looked like a hand. The referee declined to agree
with the crowd and waved play on. As the game drifted past the
half hour mark it was brought to life by a goal. Unfortunately
for most fans at the ground it was at the wrong end. The ball
went into the Palace area where it was headed out. It fell to
a Huddersfield player who had taken advantage of the straight
defensive line that Palace has placed across the edge of the
box. With no-one covering him he lobbed it near the penalty spot
where Marshall turned and volleyed. A well taken goal but not
pleasant to watch.
Just like buses where there are none for ages then two at
once Huddersfield scored again. A clearance from Fraser seemed
to get caught in the strong breeze. The ball was popped back
over the top and the defense suddenly found that the offside
trap hadn't worked. Marshall went one on one with Fraser who
pulled off a great save to deny his shot. However, the ball rebounded
at the side and allowed an easy tap in to an empty net. It was
looking like one of those days. Saint Coppell's half time pep
talk would have to be good. It's actually fortunate that Steve
isn't the type to shout and throw teacups in the dressing room.
We can't afford to replace any that are broken.
The second half started quietly but was brought to life when
Jamie Smith, in a position similar to the free kick at the start
of the first half, lobbed in a cross which the two Huddersfield
centre halves - so dominant in the first period - completely
missed and allowed Hayden Mullins to nod in. The only two crosses
from out wide had brought us a goal and a near miss. The loss
of Terry Phelan at the end of his loan period was being felt
almost as acutely as that of Svensson. With Morrison recently
returned to the starting line up at less than full fitness the
attack was missing the physical aspect typified by the Swede.
While the M&Ms were beginning to cause some problems the
main attack consisted of a ball popped over the top which the
defence were usually quite happy to deal with. After the goal
though a sense of unease was apparent in Huddersfield as the
next five or so minutes saw concerted Palace attack and more
than a few panicked hoofs to clear the ball. Huddersfield's only
real chance of the half came when Fraser, who was catching crosses
easily, made his only mistake of the match and dropped the ball.
It fell on the penalty spot with a wide open goal. I don't suppose
you can really blame the guy who had the shot as the goal is
only a tiny 8 feet high. The ball cleared the bar by at least
6 feet!
The referee was having a reasonable game and, I suppose, trying
to let the game flow. This meant not booking anyone and for a
couple of challenges made me wonder whether he'd forgotten to
bring his cards as he appeared reluctant to dispense anything
other than a few words. While he missed very little he did fail
to see Clyde Wijnhard's stamp at Austin after a goal kick was
awarded. There was no contact but certainly more than enough
intent. Not to worry as another Palace lob over the top sees
Morrison run onto it, round the keeper and slide it in. Cue cheering
until the somewhat (in)famous figure of Wendy Toms is spotted
holding up her flag. After that it was sustained Palace pressure
with a scorcher from Morrison (outside the area!) being brilliantly
turned away by Vaesen. On one of the rare corners we gained a
Foster delivered ball landed right on the head of well known
goal poacher Andy Linighan. He rose above the keeper (being 6'
6" helps) and directed the ball into the net before collecting
the keeper on his follow through. Cue cheering again until everyone
notices Wendy Toms raising her flag again. The ref trots over,
has a couple of words, then awards the goal. We've cheered three
times for one valid goal! The rest of the game was more sedate
as Huddersfield sat back and Palace seemed to tire. There were
no other real chances and it ended at a fair 2-2 although if
we'd put in a few more crosses from wide balls it could have
been so much better.
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