Goals:
1-0: Merino (86, towering header from six yards when he rose to meet Ritchie’s corner)
Bookings: Cabaye (29, foul); van Aanholt (30, dissent); Manquillo (60, foul); Joselu (66, foul)
Sending-off: None
Referee: Stuart Attwell (Nuneaton) – got a couple of big decisions right but should have red carded Yohan Cabaye for challenge on DeAndre Yedlin. 5
Attendance: 52,251
Entertainment: ***
Newc CPal
Shots on 3 0
Shots off 4 10
Corners 3 5
Offsides 2 2
Fouls 12 14
NEWCASTLE UNITED (4-2-3-1):
6 Elliot: Didn’t have much to do but showed good handling and decision making;
6 Yedlin: Recovered from a strong challenge from Cabaye to defend reasonably well
6 Lascelles: One of the better performers on an afternoon when the team didn’t get going
6 Lejeune: Guilty of a couple of silly errors but he got away with them and had got stronger
5 Manquillo: Didn’t look comfortable at times but improved as the game wore on;
6 Hayden: A few nice touches without ever really imposing himself on the game like he can
5 Shelvey: Gave the ball far too often by his own high standards in the middle
7 Ritchie: Had struggled in the first half but sent over numerous deliveries including the crucial corner
4 Perez: Struggled to make an impact and was often let down by a poor touch which is not like him
7 ATSU: The liveliest Magpies player until the closing stages when he faded
5 Joselu: Didn’t threaten Speroni in the Palace goal at all even if he still put himself about
Subs:
Merino (for Hayden 55): Headed in a winner from Ritchie’s corner. 7
Diame (for Perez 65): Put himself about to try to cause problems. 5
Mitrovic (for Joselu 78)
(not used): Clark, Murphy, Darlow (gk), Gamez.
CRYSTAL PALACE (4-4-2): Speroni 6; Ward 6, Dann 7, Sakho 6, van Aanholt 5; McArthur 5 (Sako 88), Milivojevic 5, CABAYE 7, Schlupp 6; Townsend 6, Zaha 6 (Loftus-Cheek 76). Subs: Tomkins, Hennessey (gk), Fosu-Mensah, Puncheon, Riedewald.
MAN OF THE MATCH: Christian Atsu - hardly brilliant but very few were on this occasion.
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