Match Report

Crystal Palace

Tottenham Hotspur

Miller, Edworthy, Gordon, Curcic (Hreidarsson, 60), Lombardo, Padovano (Shipperley, 65), Brolin (Billio, 75), Rodger, Smith, Ismael, Jansen.

Attendance
26,116

Referee
M D Reed

Walker, Calderwood, Fox (Brady, 73), Armstrong (Dominguez, 81), Carr (Howells, 30), Vega, Wilson, Campbell, Klinsmann, Saib, Berti.

Subs not used: Nash, Bent.

Subs not used: Mabbutt, Baardsen.

Booked: Edworthy.

Booked: Armstrong, Fox, Dominguez.

Goal Scorer: Shipperley 82

Goal Scorer: Berti 55, Armstrong 72, Klinsmann 77

    Bottom-of-the-table Crystal Palace look doomed to relegation after fellow strugglers Tottenham recovered from a nervy opening to run riot with a 3-1 win in the FA Carling Premiership 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.

	See the goal...		Berti 55'
			Armstrong 72'
			Klinsmann 77'
	Hear the goal...