Shot-shy Chamakh heads Palace to win on Pulis home debut
Crystal Palace striker Marouane Chamakh ended an 11-game barren streak to help them beat fellow Premier League strugglers West Ham United 1-0 in manager Tony Pulis`s home debut on Tuesday.
|Last Updated: Dec 04, 2013, 10:54 AM IST|Source: Reuters
London: Crystal Palace striker Marouane Chamakh ended an 11-game barren streak to help them beat fellow Premier League strugglers West Ham United 1-0 in manager Tony Pulis`s home debut on Tuesday.
Chamakh had not found the net since Palace lost to Stoke City on August 24 and had mustered only three shots on goal in 886 minutes of league football this season, but his glancing header in the first half proved decisive at Selhurst Park.
Former Stoke boss Pulis, who lost his first game in charge at Norwich City on Saturday, has never been relegated in 21 years as a coach and will have relished seeing his new charges claw themselves off the foot of the table.
Palace moved above Sunderland, who play on Wednesday, to 19th on 10 points, three points behind 15th-placed West Ham, who bossed possession and had a Stewart Downing effort harshly disallowed in the second half for a foul in the build-up.
"I was pleased with the result, but as a performance we can do a lot better," Pulis told BT Sport.
"It`s a great start, and it`s very important that we stay as close as we can to the pack, hopefully the (transfer) window opens and we can do some work from there."
West Ham dominated play in the first half but mustered only one shot on target, a clever free kick routine that deserved a better finish than it got from captain Kevin Nolan.
Mark Noble stood over the ball before flicking it over the wall to Nolan, who swivelled on the spot but could only direct his volley straight at Palace keeper Julian Speroni.
CHAMAKH STRIKES
The visitors were punished three minutes before the break when Chamakh glanced a header into the far corner.
The Moroccan had garnered a meagre return since his move from Arsenal in the close season, but was clinical as he rose unmarked to direct Barry Bannan`s curling cross home.
Three good chances went begging for Palace just after the break with Jason Puncheon and Cameron Jerome drawing fine saves from West Ham keeper Jussi Jaaskelainen and Kagisho Dikgachoi heading over the bar from a Bannan cross.
West Ham did find the net in the second half when Downing rifled home with a left-footed drive from the edge of the area, but the referee`s whistle had already blown for a push on Chamakh as the initial centre was flung into the box.
Television replays showed the decision was tough on West Ham and that Chamakh himself was fortunate not to give away a penalty as he jostled for position with Joey O`Brien.
It was the manner of the goal, however, that most upset West Ham boss Sam Allardyce.
"We gave a way the most ridiculous goal I have seen in a long time," he said.
"Everybody has a marker, you don`t lose your marker but we did and that`s lost us a game that effectively we shouldn`t have lost."
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.
Cookies Setting
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device and the processing of information obtained via those cookies (including about your preferences, device and online activity) by us and our commercial partners to enhance site navigation, personalise ads, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. More information can be found in our Cookies and Privacy Policy. You can amend your cookie settings to reject non-essential cookies by clicking Cookie Settings below.
Manage Consent Preferences
Strictly Necessary Cookies
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work or you may not be able to login.
Functional Cookies
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then some or all of these services may not function properly.
Targeting Cookies
These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They are also used to limit the number of times you see an advert as well as help measure the effectiveness of an advertising campaign. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.
Performance Cookies
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we may not know when you have visited our site, and may not be able to monitor its performance.