Crystal Palace are heading for the Second Division after another miserable
defeat at Selhurst Park.
Winger Andy Sinton fired Wolves in front in the 16th minute and despite Keith
Andrews being shown the red card, Wolves added a second after the break to put
Palace on the brink of relegation.
The Eagles started brightly as Michael Oakes was forced to make two saves from
Clinton Morrison. But Wolves stunned the home side with their first serious
attack.
Palace failed to clear from the edge of the box and the ball fell loose to
Sinton, whose precise 20-yard lob caught Alex Kolinko off his line and the ball
drifted under the bar and into the net.
Just before the break, Andrews clattered heavily into Andrej Rubins and the
referee immediately gave the midfielder his marching orders.
The stage was set for Palace to bounce back against a depleted Wolves, but in
the 48th minute the home defence were caught square and Adam Proudlock latched
on to Michael Branch's midfield pass and the Wolves hitman cleverly slipped the
ball past Kolinko for his 11th goal of the season.
Alan Smith's Palace never really got going, although Wayne Carlisle did hit
the side-netting and Hayden Mullins then saw his effort cleared off the line.
Towards the end, Palace turned on manager Alan Smith with chants of 'Stand up
if you want Smith out' and 'We want Stevie Coppell back.'
Teams
Crystal Palace: Kolinko, Mullins, Austin, Harrison,
Frampton (Fuller 46), Hopkin (Berhalter 58), Riihilahti,
Rubins (Gray 45), Carlisle, Freedman, Morrison.
Subs Not Used: Forssell, Gregg.
Booked: Harrison.
Wolverhampton: Oakes, Muscat, Naylor, Lescott, Dinning, Branch,
Robinson, Andrews, Sinton, Ketsbaia (Emblen 45), Proudlock.
Subs Not Used: Stowell, Roussel, Robert Taylor, Camara.
Sent Off: Andrews (43).
Booked: Branch.
Goals: Sinton 16, Proudlock 49.
Att: 18,993
Ref: M Ryan (Preston).
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