Sam Allardyce had said how he would be content with a bore draw, but he got so much more as goals from Scott Dann and Christian Benteke secured his first league win as Crystal Palace manager.
Palace defended magnificently, nullifying Bournemouth, to record their first away victory since September and a first clean sheet against top-flight opposition under Allardyce.
A combination of heavy fog, sea mist and rain showers made for a largely untidy contest, but Palace relished the battle. Allardyce’s teams have always put up a fight and he was delighted with his team’s resolute display, capped by Benteke’s injury-time header that put the gloss on a priceless result in their fight for Premier League survival.
“I have been a long time waiting,” Allardyce said. “I have been asking the players to make some slight changes and working around different ideas to help them perform better and get better results. I thought we executed the gameplan exceptionally well.”
Allardyce was not so effusive on the January transfer deadline, however. “I had a player asking me today if I have put him up for sale,” he said. “You have players being told information that is not true and when you have a player saying that, it shows just how bad this window is and our job is already hard enough.”
It was fitting that Harry Redknapp, part of the deadline-day furniture in years gone by, watched on from the stands. Also in the posh seats was Steve Parish, the Crystal Palace chairman, on his phone for much of the first half, presumably wrapping up the signings of the Liverpool defender Mamadou Sakho and Luka Milivojevic, who officially joined from Olympiakos shortly after the full-time whistle. Everton’s Arouna Koné was also on their wish list, Allardyce said.
Palace made seven changes from the FA Cup defeat at home against Manchester City on Saturday, with Wilfried Zaha back in the starting lineup for the first time since returning from the Africa Cup of Nations with the Ivory Coast. Andros Townsend, a loan target for his former club Newcastle United, was among Allardyce’s substitutes.
It was 10 days since Bournemouth’s last match, a draw here against Watford, and it showed with Eddie Howe’s side sluggish out of the blocks.
Zaha was back with a bounce, causing no end of problems for the home side, twirling away from Brad Smith one moment and leaving Joshua King for dead the next. Zaha rattled the post inside four minutes after toying with Andrew Surman on the edge of the box before Patrick van Aanholt, making his first appearance in a Palace shirt since his £12m move from Sunderland, kickstarted another move. The wing-back drilled in a cross that pinballed off Benteke and Steve Cook before Zaha’s fierce shot was kept out by Boruc.
Allardyce must have worried, with little to show for an impressive 45 minutes. But Palace were rewarded for their efforts 60 seconds into the second half, when Bournemouth were punished for failing to clear their lines. Jason Puncheon picked up the ball on the left flank and his cross was stabbed home by Dann after Damian Delaney’s flick-on.
Bournemouth grew increasingly frustrated in the physical battle and Jack Wilshere was fortunate not to be booked for dissent by Jon Moss after walking away from the referee after a petty challenge on Yohan Cabaye. King had a couple of half-chances but Palace forced Bournemouth to feed off scraps.
Bournemouth searched for an equaliser in vain as Palace stood firm, led by Dann, and urged forward by Allardyce in the closing stages.
The four minutes of added time were agonising for Palace, with Wilshere’s low free-kick hitting the upright after a fingertip save by Wayne Hennessey. But soon Allardyce could relax, high-fiving his assistant, Sammy Lee, and the coaching staff, safe in the knowledge of victory, when Benteke nodded home Townsend’s lofted cross.
Bournemouth struggled to cope with Palace’s aerial ability and were second best for large spells. In the buildup to the fixture Howe said his squad have been stimulated by different team-bonding exercises, including a visit from Sir Clive Woodward, who won the Rugby World Cup with England in 2003, and a spending an afternoon watching the local 6 Rifles regiment, based at Poole, go about their business. But Bournemouth, who have not added to their first-team squad this window, lacked bite and have won one of their past seven matches.
Even more worrying is their defensive resolve, conceding 15 goals in their past seven home games. “We are going through a difficult period and the players’ confidence has been knocked slightly,” said Howe, who also confirmed attempts to re-sign the Chelsea defender Nathan Aké on a temporary and permanent basis. “There were a lot sideways and backward passes that we do not want but when you are not feeling good about yourself it’s the easiest thing to do.”
This was a huge stride forward for Big Sam and Palace, though.
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