Tony Pulis has had his immediate effect. Crystal Palace, a team apparently bereft of any hope just a few weeks ago, hoisted themselves off the foot of the table with victory in their new manager's first home game in charge here and, in an instant, safety is only three points away. Life near the bottom does not feel quite so oppressive in that context.
These are very early days for the new man at the helm but, with Cardiff City –currently just outside the cut-off – visiting south London on Saturday, Palace can spy an opportunity. There were nervous moments here, the agony partly self-inflicted given an inability to kill off West Ham early in the second period when excellent chances were spurned, but four games have now yielded seven points. Belief is starting to stir.
This had always felt like a contest which Palace had to win. Pulis had sprung down the touchline prior to kick-off, apparently energised by the considerable challenge facing him. But, while the locals have attempted to maintain an upbeat mood since promotion, this has already been a slog of a season. Ian Holloway had gone after a procession of defeats which highlighted a blunt attack and a defence prone to lapses in concentration.
Palave have been desperate for a glimmer of hope to offer the promise of survival and the lead plucked by Marouane Chamakh just before the interval after a period of West Ham dominance had offered precisely that, even if the look of disgust on Sam Allardyce's face as he slumped back on to the bench was a reflection of disbelief that his team were behind. The opportunities up to then had all been West Ham's, but their profligacy and Palace's frantic defence had prevented them from taking advantage.
The visitors should have chiseled out a lead of their own once Palace's initial urgency petered out. Mohamed Diaméflicked a free header over the bar from Stewart Downing's centre, the winger's delivery from the right increasingly menacing. Carlton Cole, in his first Premier Leaguestart since April, had also beaten the offside trap to square across the six-yard box only for the ball to elude a team-mate, while Kevin Nolan could only scuff Mark Noble's cleverly scooped free-kick over the wall for Julian Speroni to claim.
Damien Delaney's block on a Downing volley was just as significant though, because by then Palace led. Their first corner of the half had yielded unlikely reward, Barry Bannan's poor delivery returned to him from the near-post by Joel Ward for the Scot to fizz over a more accurate cross. Chamakh eased himself free of Diamé to send a downward header beyond Noble and Nolan on the goal-line. The majority in the arena spluttered in celebration. This was only Palace's eighth league goal of the campaign, and the second by the Moroccan since moving from Arsenal.
Pairing Chamakh with Cameron Jerome had been bold and the loanee from Stoke should have eased the tension early in the second period as the hosts found a more upbeat rhythm. Mile Jedinak liberated the striker initially, Jerome and Chamakh then presenting Jason Puncheon with a sight at goal only for his effort to deflect from James Collins and on to a post.
West Ham were still recovering from that escape when Kagisho Dikgacoi thumped a free header from Bannan's centre over the bar. It was wasteful, though Pulis was apoplectic in his technical area when a third chance – Jerome bursting clear of Collins only for Jussi Jaaskelainen to save – was passed up in a matter of seconds.
It was a miss to reflect the confidence of a player dogged by 20 scoreless games and, even if the ease at which Palace had pierced their opponents' back-line had been encouraging, merely served to whip up the nerves. The visitors, with Joe Cole and Modibo Maïga introduced and Ravel Morrison flitting through the centre, felt threatening whenever the home side offered space in which they could conjure.
Downing, already infuriated to see a goal disallowed for Joey O'Brien's foul in the build-up, forced Speroni into another smart save but Palace's inability to retain possession continued to invite pressure. This would prove excruciating to the last.
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