Season 72 - Week 3

[talisman]

Palace teams report for Saturday (late due to a family function...)

Palace Casuals played a Cup 2nd Leg match away at the team currently 2nd in the League. Having won 2-0 at home the Casuals expected a tough game as the hosts sought the win on aggregate, but a superb defensive display kept them at bay, with counter-attacking being the order of the day when going forward. Three minutes before the break left-wing and shadow striker combined for the first goal, Jorge Contera crossing from the left wing for Martin Kozak to head home. The home side equalised four minutes before the hour mark, but it took Casuals only five minutes to go ahead again, Contera again providing a left-wing cross, this time it was right-back Joao Azevedo steaming into the box for the header. Final score 2-1 to the Casuals, through 4-1 on aggregate.

Palace Terriers had an afternoon off in their Cup 2nd Leg as they wandered lonely through the match, eventually losing 0-1 to an 83rd minute goal from the home side, but they progressed 3-2 on aggregate.

Palace Terriers' evening League match saw some starting squad changes made by the Management to shake them out of the malaise that afflicted them in the earlier Cup match, but from the first half performance, he was wondering whether if it was worth it. Goalkeeper Chris Lux suffered a concussion in the 27th minute and Rob Johnston substituted, going immediately into action with a double save from a long-range shot and the corner which followed. Four minutes into the second half, the visitors took the lead, and that had more effect in shaking some sense into the team. In the 63rd minute, striker Waldemar Sanchez chanced his arm from 30 yards out and the 'keeper could only look on and admire as it flew past him into the net, and six minutes later, Julien van der Plas repeated the feat to put the Terriers ahead for the first time. With seven minutes to go, Sanchez had another crack from long-range and this one took a deflection but still ended up in the net, and Terriers recorded a 3-1 win.

Palace Casuals obviously left their blood, sweat and endeavour on the pitch of their Cup opponents as their League match for the day saw them tamely surrender their unbeaten home record against a lower opponent. The visitors seemed to have the freedom of the park as they went two up in the first 35 minutes, before one of their strikers saw red for two yellow-card offences, the second of which left DMC Kiril Rusev writhing in agony and having to be substituted. A couple more substitutions after the break were the Management's response to the situation and the home side began to make more headway. It wasn't until the 87th minute that they crafted a goal, left-winger Juan Manuel Ramirez blasting home from just outside the box, but it was too little, too late...