LFL: CPFC

This was a really hard-fought win and we deserved it. These days if we go behind, I always feel that we’ll get back into the game. We’re back up to eighth spot.

BEFORE

I think we all got a great buzz from our Cup win against Everton while Palace will be hoping to bounce back after their record-breaking defeat against Macclesfield on the same day. They're on a bad run in general with four defeats and two draws in their last six outings so I think we're going to beat them this afternoon. I'm not sure if Guehi has actually signed for Man City yet but he's as good as gone and will be a big loss. Reinildo is back in contention and I imagine there'll be a number of changes in our side after the Cup. I don't suppose O'Nien will start again but he may well feature in the later stages. I'll be at the match and my prediction is a 2-1 win for us.

I got the team-news just after 1.45 and there were a number of changes with O’Nien, Cirkin, Adingra and Mayenda dropping to the bench to be replaced by Ballard, Alderete, Reinildo and Brobbey. I was in my seat in the Upper East Stand around five minutes before kick-off. My friends’ predictions were 2-0, 2-1 and 2-2. The place was really buzzing.

THE GAME

We won the first corner of the game in the third minute and it was turned out for a throw to us with the ball finally going back to Roefs. We kept the pressure up and a delicious pass from Alderete into their box brought cries of delight from many around me. In the seventh, though, Palace caught us on the hop and looked likely to take the lead but a combination of Roefs and Alderete cleared the danger. Roefs was there again a minute later to make a crucial block as Palace carved through us once more. Both sets of fans were making a good racket. The game was ebbing and flowing at a great pace and in the twelfth we were awarded a free-kick not far outside their box. It bounced off Mateta’s face and must have made his eyes water a bit. Palace won their first corner in the fifteenth and Roefs punched it away resulting in us winning a throw. Richards got the first yellow of the game for a foul on Brobbey and it wasn’t before time.

We conceded a corner on our left around the half-hour mark and when it came over, Roefs was struggling to find his way though a pack of players and Pino was lurking to hit the ball into the net and we were one-down. I didn’t feel too troubled really, as I thought that we’d get back into it sooner or later. Thankfully I wasn’t wrong as in the thirty-third Le Fee received a low cross from Mukiele and steered the ball into the bottom right-hand corner to put us level. Wharton was booked not long afterwards and Palace were certainly playing things rough. Referee Rob Jones wasn’t making any friends among either set of fans and he was letting Brobbey in particular be manhandled repeatedly. Mateta had the ball in our net as half-time approached but the assistant-ref was flagging for offside, much to my relief. There were only a couple of minutes of added-time and I remained 1-1 as the whistle went.

I hoped that we’d see Mayenda coming on before too long as he’d be a threat. I could see Isidor replacing Brobbey too. I felt sure there’d be at least another goal in the game and both sides looked capable of getting it.

We conceded a free-kick near our right corner-flag in the forty-eighth and Hume was booked too. The ball was curving as it came across and landed on the roof of our net. Hume had a good header on target in the fifty-first but Henderson in goal managed to get hold of it. The ref came in for more stick when an apparent chop on Hume went unpunished. A period of pressure around the fifty-fifth culminated in an Alderete shot going well over the bar. I could feel our second goal coming, though. Brobbey went down in their box but penalty was never looking likely. Mitchell was booked just after the hour-mark and Brobbey won a free-kick so things were looking up on the refereeing front. Mind you, Jones did book Mukiele and Alderete around the same time. Mundle was looking a lot more effective this half.

With about twenty minutes to go we hadn’t made any changes. Not long afterwards we took the lead with another powerhouse goal from Brobbey, whose shot came off the underside of the bar but then bounced the right way, across the line. He’d taken some stick from their defenders and really deserved his goal. We won a corner in the seventy-seventh when a strong shot from Hume was tipped over. Palace were still looking very pacey when they broke and they won another corner with ten minutes to go. Roefs tipped that one away and Le Fee tidied up. We soon conceded another corner as Palace went for the equaliser. We got that one away too and then Brobbey took his ovation as he was swapped for Mayenda.

Palace kept the pressure on but Roefs was always there to keep us safe. With a couple of minutes left we made another change, bringing on Cirkin for Mundle, who both got lots of applause. Mayenda almost snuck a third goal into the bottom right corner but Henderson cleared it off the line, then Ballard had a go and finally Le Fee blasted the clearance over the bar. Four minutes of added-time were announced and I could well have done without them. We kept at it well and it remained 2-1 as the whistle went to much joy all around me.