Bottom-of-the-table Crystal Palace look doomed to relegation after fellow
strugglers Tottenham recovered from a nervy opening to run riot at Selhurst
Park.
Palace started the game without a home league win all season and needing
victory to move just two points behind 17th-placed Spurs following their shock
2-1 success at Newcastle last week.
But fit-again England international Ian Walker - returning after almost three
months out injured - kept Tottenham in the game during the first half before
Nicola Berti, Chris Armstrong and Jurgen Klinsmann scored to seal victory.
Tottenham did threaten the inconsistent Palace defence early on but both their
final ball and finishing were poor, with Klinsmann looking a pale shadow of his
former self.
The German striker shot wastefully wide from 12 yards out after a shot from
Moussa Saib deflected to him standing unmarked in the box.
Spurs' luck seemed to be completely out when the only side in the Premiership
not to have scored a penalty this season were denied a spot-kick shortly before
the break.
Armstrong, making his first return to Palace after being sold to Tottenham in
1995, was booked for what referee Mike Reed considered to an acrobatic dive in
the box when he was challenged by defender Valerien Ismael.
But despite Palace's confident opening, with new signing Curcic dominating the
midfield and Michele Padovano completely missing the ball when it was crossed to
him on the edge of the six-yard box just after the break, the Eagles went behind
on 55 minutes.
Tottenham, with only two wins in their previous seven games, needed a woeful
error from Palace keeper Kevin Miller to gift them the goal. The former Watford
stopper allowed an innocuous looping header from Berti to squeeze into the top
corner of his goal as he stood and watched.
The Italian midfielder seemed surprised as anyone by his second goal for the
club but Spurs then capitalised on their slice of luck when Armstrong marked his
return to Selhurst Park with a powerful header from Ruel Fox's pinpoint cross on
72 minutes.
Tottenham finally started to play with confidence and victory was secured four
minutes later when Klinsmann raced onto a deceptive through-ball from Saib, who
was making an impressive full debut.
He delicately chipped his shot over the advancing body of Miller to give Spurs
only their third away win this season in the Premiership.
Substitute Neil Shipperley pulled a goal back for Palace with eight minutes
left, capitalising on Attilio Lombardo's through-ball to shoot under Walker's
body.
And Palace showed no signs of giving up, with the Italian player-manager
heading a good chance wide just minutes later.
Their gutsy performance had perhaps deserved a more flattering scoreline but
Spurs even had a couple of late chances to move further ahead, with Miller
rushing out to block from Klinsmann and then tipping over a header from the
German international.
The writing was on the wall for Palace when the final whistle blew, with their
fans realising they now need a superhuman effort to stay up.
As for the Tottenham fans, they were finally given renewed hope in a traumatic
season and stayed behind to cheer the defeats for several of their fellow
strugglers.
Teams
Crystal Palace: Miller, Edworthy, Gordon,
Curcic (Hreidarsson 60), Lombardo, Padovano (Shipperley 65),
Brolin (Billio 75), Rodger, Smith, Ismael, Jansen.
Subs Not Used: Nash, Bent.
Booked: Edworthy.
Goals: Shipperley 82.
Tottenham: Walker, Calderwood, Fox (Brady 73),
Armstrong (Domingues 81), Carr (Howells 30), Vega, Wilson,
Campbell, Klinsmann, Saib, Berti.
Subs Not Used: Mabbutt, Baardsen.
Booked: Armstrong, Fox, Domingues.
Goals: Berti 55, Armstrong 72, Klinsmann 77.
Att: 26,116
Ref: M D Reed (Birmingham).
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