Grabban grabs late winner for Palace

LEWIS GRABBAN’S injury-time goal gave Crystal Palace a 3-2 Coca Cola Championship victory over West Brom at The Hawthorns, denting Albion’s promotion hopes.

Grabban grabs late winner for Palace

Neil Clement gave the hosts the lead direct from a free-kick in the first half but Republic of Ireland striker Clinton Morrison kept up his good recent scoring record when he levelled with a low right-footed effort in the 36th minute.

Palace led at half-time after Ben Watson netted from the penalty spot in the 40th minute after Michael Hughes had been brought down by West Brom substitute Martin Albrechtsen – who was sent off as a result of the challenge.

Albrechtsen had replaced Albion captain Curtis Davis, who limped off with a foot injury.

Kevin Phillips set up a rousing finale with a 76th-minute equaliser – but Grabban won it to keep alive the Eagles’ outside hopes of reaching the play-offs.

The Baggies were desperate to get a win having failed to win in their past three league fixtures, including successive defeats in March, to dent their hopes of an instant return to the Barclays Premiership.

Martin Devaney’s stunning double gave Barnsley a vital 4-2 victory at Plymouth to aid their battle for Championship survival.

Plymouth took the lead through Lilian Nalis after dominating the early stages, but Lewin Nyatanga levelled matters before Devaney’s superb 25-yard volley put the visitors in front.

Sylvan Ebanks-Blake levelled the scores just before half-time, but Devaney was at it again just after the hour-mark with another fine long-range effort to restore the Tykes’ advantage.

And the win – Barnsley’s second in a row away from home – was sealed in stoppage-time when Hungarian striker Istvan Ferenczi slammed home his sixth goal since his January move to Oakwell.

The win moves Simon Davey’s men four points clear of the drop zone, while Argyle stay comfortably in mid-table.

Bayer Leverkusen eased into the quarter-finals of the UEFA Cup after comfortably beating Lens at the BayArena.

Goals from Andriy Voronin 10 minutes before the break and Sergej Barbarez 10 minutes after it set the Bundesliga side up for victory.

Juan rounded off the 4-2 aggregate win with a header in the 70th minute, making Leverkusen the first team in the hat for tomorrow’s quarter-final draw.

Werder Bremen became the second German club to advance into the quarter-finals with a 2-0 win over Celta Vigo.

Hugo Almeida and Clemens Fritz provided the goals early in the second half to complete a 3-0 aggregate win for Thomas Schaaf’s side.

Celta, who sent a largely second-string side to northern Germany, rarely looked like overturning the 1-0 deficit from the first leg and, apart from having two Jose Perera goals disallowed, did little to test Bremen goalkeeper Tim Wiese.

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