Crystal Palace 1-0 West Ham: Chamakh Scores In Scrappy Win
Marouane Chamakh showed former club West Ham what they were missing as the Moroccan gave Crystal Palace a scrappy and hard fought win over their London rivals.
Long ball tactics and head tennis made for a rather ugly beginning to this crunch London derby. Barry Bannan curled a cross-shot over and Jason Puncheon saw another Palace effort saved by Jussi Jaaskelainen. West Ham then began passing and almost opened their hosts up with skipper Kevin Nolan touching a through-ball onto a narrowly offside Carlton Cole. Big Sam's boys quickly took a stranglehold on possession. A training ground free kick almost caught the home team out on half an hour, but Nolan failed to get proper contact when the ball was lofted in. Carlton Cole then got in behind the Eagles defence, but his low cross just eluded Stewart Downing. Palace shocked the ascendant Hammers when they went ahead following a set piece three minutes before half time. Bannan put the second ball in and Chamakh glanced home his second of the season. Damien Delaney then deflected a Downing strike over after good work from Mohamed Diame in an unfamiliar left wing berth. After the break the Eagles went close to doubling their lead on three occasions. First Puncheon forced a last-ditch block from James Collins after great work from Jerome and Palace captain Mile Jedinak to find him. Kagisho Dikgacoi then headed over the bar from Bannan's second ball following a corner. Jussi Jaaskelinen came off his line smartly and kept out Jerome one-on-one as the Eagles flurry continued. Allardyce reacted to this passage of play by making two changes and a tactical switch. Carlton Cole and Nolan came off for Joe Cole who scored when he came on against Fulham last time out and Modibo Maiga, meaning Diame moved into the Hammers midfield. The visitors thought they were level after an hour when Downing smashed in the loose ball from a free kick, but a raised flag because of a foul ruled out an equalizer. Palace were then denied a goal too by the linesman. Jedinak strayed offside when nodding down another Bannan free kick back across the box, so sub Jimmy Kebe's finish did not count. Julian Speroni then saved Downing's free kick as West Ham chased a late leveller that never came. Victory for Pulis on his home debut lifted the Eagles up a place and they are now level on points with Fulham. They faced another crunch clash next against Cardiff. Big Sam meanwhile cannot seem to get consistency out of his side.