Basement sides share the spoils
Crystal Palace 0 Blackburn 0
It was a tale of two goalkeepers at Selhurst Park this afternoon, where Barclays Premiership strugglers Crystal Palace and Blackburn played out a goalless draw.
Rovers, though, who finished the match with 10 men, will feel they created enough chances to have taken more than a point away from south London in their battle to pull clear of what is now becoming a very crowded, and tightly-knit, relegation zone.
Hungarian Gabor Kiraly produced good stops from Paul Dickov and Lucas Neill, as well as a brilliant one-handed save to deny Craig Short, in the first half.
Palace looked lively after the restart once youngster Wayne Andrews was brought on to support Andy Johnson in attack, Brad Friedel touching the striker’s low drive on the post.
Substitute Vassilis Lakis headed a great chance wide late on.
In the end, though, a draw was a fair result between two sides who promised much, but who failed to deliver in front of goal.
The frustration clearly got to the players as tempers boiled over during the closing exchanges, and almost all of them were involved in a melee on the half-way line.
David Thompson – only as a substitute for Steven Reid in the 71st minute – had already been booked for an earlier infringement, and was shown a second yellow card followed by a red from referee Alan Whiley.
The hosts had wasted little time in creating the first chance of the match, Ben Watson’s 25-yard free-kick curling just over.
At the other end, Brett Emerton fashioned some space just inside the box after a flick-on from Jay Bothroyd, but the Australian could only blaze the ball high into the stands.
Bothroyd’s shot on the turn from the edge of the area was then too central - and also did not have enough power – to trouble Kiraly.
Palace suddenly created an opening in the 20th minute when Watson picked out Emmerson Boyce’s run into the box with a slide-rule pass between the Rovers defenders.
However, Friedel did well to get a hand to the cut back, with Johnson lurking in the centre.
Then, Kiraly was forced to show some agility, dropping low to his right to collect a 20-yard drive from Bothroyd after he had been rolled the ball from Barry Ferguson at a free-kick.
On the half hour, Rovers should have taken the lead when Bothroyd flicked on a deep free-kick into the box, where it fell to an unmarked Dickov, 10 yards out.
The Scottish striker chose to shoot first time, but the Eagles’ Hungarian ‘keeper stood up well and made a fine reaction block with his legs.
Palace kept possession better after that let-off, but seemed intent on hitting long, hopeful balls forwards to Johnson rather than looking to unlock the Rovers defence along the floor.
Kiraly then made a good block to keep out Neill’s angled effort after another flick-on into the Palace area caused mass panic, and then kicking away Bothroyd’s drive back across his six-yard box.
The Hungarian – a summer signing from Hertha Berlin – was having an inspired afternoon, and pulled off a brilliant one-handed save to keep out Short’s bullet header from a corner.
Diminutive Scottish striker Dickov sent a header over on 50 minutes when well placed in front of goal, just unable to get high enough to direct Emerton’s cross from the left on target.
In the 53rd minute, Andrews replaced midfielder Aki Riihilahti to make his Premiership debut as he was pushed alongside Johnson in attack.
Palace looked to have more life about their front line after the change in formation, but again the final ball into the strikers lacked quality.
On the hour, Johnson almost made the breakthrough.
The Palace striker collected a pass from Joonas Kolkka and holding off Andy Todd and driving in a low shot from the edge of the box, which Friedel touched onto the outside of his right-hand post at full stretch.
Kiraly saved well down low again from Bothroyd, before Kolkka was replaced by Lakis.
The substitute, though, promptly headed a great chance wide from Johnson’s cross when only six yards out with 10 minutes to go.
Tempers boiled over during the closing exchanges, and several players were involved in a melee on the halfway line.
Thompson had already been booked for an earlier infringement, and was shown a second yellow card followed by a red by Whiley following his involvement in the fracas.