SATURDAY LIVE SPORT BLOG (From The Advertiser Series)
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SATURDAY LIVE SPORT BLOG
Updated 4:57pm Saturday 16th February 2013 in Sport
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- Crystal Palace vs Middlesbrough (3pm, Scott Wilson)
- Hartlepool vs Leyton Orient (3pm, Nick Loughlin)
4:57pm
CRYSTAL PALACE 4
MIDDLESBROUGH 1
A really bad day for Boro, with the gulf between the two promotion chasers every bit as wide as the scoreline suggests.
4:49pm
GOAL: Hartley heads in a Horwood corner to make it 1-1 . Free header from eight yards.
4:49pm
CRYSTAL PALACE 4
MIDDLESBROUGH 1
(Phillips 85)
Palace rapidly restore their three-goal lead as 39-year-old Kevin Phillips scores his second goal for the Eagles.
Bolasie played the ball to the former Sunderland striker in the area, and Phillips held off Friend to score past Steele.
4:44pm
CRYSTAL PALACE 3
MIDDLESBROUGH 1
(Haroun 80)
Boro pull a goal back with ten minutes remaining, and to be fair, it's a cracker.
Friend plays the ball into Ishmael Miller, and his deft backheel sends Haroun galloping clear to slot the ball past Speroni.
4:41pm
There's a bit more about Pools now with two up front, but it's hard to see anything changing with the score.
Luke James coming on for Jon Franks.
4:23pm
Double sub for Pools - Monkhouse and Howard for Poole and Walton.
It's a 4-4-2 now - Franks and Monkhouse wide, Howard and Wyke up top.
4:21pm
CRYSTAL PALACE 3
MIDDLESBROUGH 0
(Murray 57)
Boro's afternoon goes from bad to worse as Palace add a third.
Friend won a tackle in his own half, but Murray was quickest to pick up the loose ball and after turning towards goal, the in-form striker smashed a 25-yard screamer into the top right-hand corner.
4:14pm
Hartlepool 0 Orient 1
Second half away and it's the same story for Pools.
Need to get more up front to support Wyke and make it hard for the Os centre-halves.
4:12pm
CRYSTAL PALACE 2
MIDDLESBROUGH 0
(Ramage 48)
Awful start to the second half for Boro, who now have a huge mountain to climb.
Murray headed Dobbie's corner back towards goal, and despite having Bikey at his back, Peter Ramage swivelled unchallenged in the area to slot home from eight yards.
3:53pm
CRYSTAL PALACE 1
MIDDLESBROUGH 0
Dreadful for the opening 35 minutes, Boro found a bit of form as half-time approached and were much the better side in the last ten minutes of the first half.
They could have equalised just before the break, but Lukas Jutkiewicz failed to connect with Faris Haroun's cross, and when the ball broke for Josh McEachran, he ballooned a shot over from 12 yards.
3:49pm
Hartlepool 0 Orient 1.
Early penalty the difference in the scoreline, but Orient very much on top.
Crowding Pools out as soon as they get within sight of the penalty area. Couple of half chances, but O's keeper not tested.
Much more needed from Pools second half if they are to do anything.
3:42pm
Crystal Palace 1 Middlesbrough 0
Palace have wasted a couple of decent chances to add to their lead, with Murray heading over from close range after Zaha ghosted past Parnaby on the flank.
However, Boro have finally come close themselves, with Peter Ramage clearing off the line after Faris Haroun met Mustapha Carayol's cross at the back post.
3:35pm
Still 0-1 at Victoria Park.
Orient pretty much in control, Flinders made a decent tip-over from a Batt header.
Referee still not endearing himself to anyone.
Pools not as decent as they have been in recent weeks, rather sluggish today.
3:23pm
Crystal Palace 1 Middlesbrough 0
Boro haven't really recovered from going a goal behind yet. There's precious little rhythm to their play, and Palace look a threat whenever they break in numbers.
And at this stage, the gamble of playing George Friend at centre-half isn't really working.
3:19pm
Hartlepool 0 Orient 1
Goal to Orient - penalty. It's the sixth Pools have conceded in seven home games, bit harsh like, as Austin slid in to cut out a cross.
Pools fuming, this wasn't as obvious as the one Pools didnt get on Tuesday against Portsmouth.
Martin Rowlands rammed it in.
And then Pools didn't get one for a handball in the other area.
Bit fiery and exciteable this one so far.
3:13pm
CRYSTAL PALACE 1
MIDDLESBROUGH 0
(Murray 9)
Middlesbrough behind in the opening ten minutes, and it's an awful goal to concede from the visitors point of view.
Faris Haroun completely missed the ball as he attempted to clear in his own area, Wilfried Zaha picked up the loose ball and went past Andy Halliday down the right, and Glen Murray was on hand to score from the edge of the six-yard box.
3:03pm
Crystal Palace 0 Middlesbrough 0
Game under way at Selhurst Park, with Boro lining up in a 4-4-2 formation with Carayol up front alongside Jutkiewicz.
2:55pm
Cheerleaders The Crystals entertaining the crowd here at Selhurst Park. Mind you, I'm using the word 'entertaining' in its loosest possible sense....
2:36pm
In the early kick-off in the Championship, Cardiff City lead Bristol City 2-0 as they continue their romp towards an increasingly inevitable Championship title. Both goals were scored by former Sunderland striker Fraizer Campbell.
In the FA Cup fifth round, there'll be no giant killing at Loftus Road as Millwall lead Luton 3-0 in the closing stages.
2:28pm
Hartlepool v Orient at Victoria Park - Same XI for Pools.
Change on the bench, Howard back in place of injured Richards.
HARTLEPOOL UNITED: Flinders; Austin, Collins, Hartley, Horwood; Baldwin, Walton, Humphreys; Franks, Poole, Wyke. Subs: McHugh (gk), Monkhouse, Luscombe, Rutherford, Holden, James, Howard.
LEYTON ORIENT: Jones; Sawyer, Cuthbert, Baudry, MacDonald, Odujabo, Cook, Rowlands, James, Batt, Mooney. Subs: McSweeney, Vincelot, Griffith, Smith, Clarke, Grainger, Omozusi.
2:23pm
Confirmed teams from Selhurst Park:
CRYSTAL PALACE (4-2-3-1): Speroni; Richards, Ramage, Delaney, Parr; Jedinak, Dikgacoi; Zaha, Dobbie, Williams; Murray.
Subs: Price (gk), Butterfield, Bolasie, Wilbraham, Moxey, O'Keefe, Phillips.
MIDDLESBROUGH (4-5-1): Steele; Parnaby, Bikey, Friend, Halliday; Haroun, Leadbitter, R Williams, McEachran, Carayol; Jutkiewicz.
Subs: Leutwiler (gk), McManus, Bailey, Dyer, Ledesma, Miller, Emnes.
2:12pm
Early Middlesbrough team news suggests George Friend will be playing at centre-half alongside Andre Bikey, with Andy Halliday at left-back.
It'll be a variation of a five-man midfield, with Mustapha Carayol and Faris Haroun included, but Kieron Dyer and Emmanuel Ledesma missing out.
2:04pm
RT @Official_CPFC: Palace XI (v Boro): Speroni; Richards, Ramage, Delaney, Parr; Jedinak, Dikgacoi; Zaha, Dobbie, Williams, Murray
— @PatrickEagles 16 February 2013
1:59pm
There's around 2,000 Middlesbrough supporters expected at Selhurst Park today, which is an impressive turn out for a game at the opposite end of the country.
Jonathan Woodgate (injury) and Curtis Main (suspension) both definitely miss out, but Seb Hines and Kieron Dyer are available again after sitting out Tuesday's 1-0 win over Leeds.
1:41pm
Good luck to the lads and all our fantastic travelling fans at Palace today #UTB #weallfollowtheboro #3pointsplease
— @Boro 16 February 2013
1:35pm
The goal line. Will #Boro cross it? http://t.co/lqWf1FYn
— @Scottwilsonecho 16 February 2013
1:33pm
With Newcastle and Sunderland not in action because it's FA Cup fifth round day, and Darlington having won at Spennymoor in the Northern League last night, there are only two games for us to focus on today.
I'm down in London for Middlesbrough's trip to Selhurst Park to take on Crystal Palace. After seeing off Leeds on Tuesday, Boro will be looking to make it two wins a row to further cement their place in the play-off picture.
Meanwhile, Nick's at Victoria Park to see if Hartlepool can keep their hopes of a great escape alive with a win over Leyton Orient.
