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.