Football: Palace bid farewell to the Premiership with late strike
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Your support makes all the difference.Crystal Palace 1 Sheffield Wednesday 0
CRYSTAL PALACE substitute Clinton Morrison scored in injury time to give the south Londoners a winning farewell to the Premiership.
Fittingly, it was Attilio Lombardo, one of the few shining lights for Palace this season, who produced a short pass from out on the left for Morrison to race on to and score from close range.
Wednesday, however, may feel they were desperately unlucky for they looked to have a perfectly legal goal disallowed after 15 minutes when Paolo Di Canio picked up a through ball and lobbed the ball into the net.
Unfortunately for Di Canio, he had already been flagged for offside though he had looked at least a yard onside when the pass was made.
The volatile Italian can never stop arguing when decisions go against him and he protested so strongly that he was booked for dissent.
Then it was the home team's turn to be unlucky for Marcus Bent, receiving a perfect pass from Lombardo in the 32nd minute, was left with only Kevin Pressman to beat, but his shot struck the keeper on the legs and rebounded to safety.
Di Canio, whose nimble footwork frequently baffled the Palace defence, had a similar chance to Bent early in the second half but he, too, had a close range shot diverted by Kevin Miller's legs.
Palace, with most of the 16,878 spectators roaring them on, might have snatched the lead after 64 minutes but, following a superb centre from Marc Edworthy, but Neil Shipperley headed marginally wide.
Three minutes later Wednesday went close when Miller had to dive to his right to beat out a shot from Di Canio while Bent fired high and wide at the other end with a snap-shot.
It looked as if the game was certain to end in a goalless draw but Morrison, who had come on for Shipperley with eight minutes to go, had other ideas and brought the house down with his late strike.
Goals: Morrison 90.
Crystal Palace: Miller, Edworthy, Gordon, Curcic (Folan 75), Linighan, Lombardo, Warhurst, Shipperley (Morrison 82), Rodger, Bent, Hreidarsson. Substitutes Not Used: Nash, Boxall, Quinn.
Sheffield Wednesday: Pressman, Atherton, Walker, Carbone (Rudi 73), Di Canio, Hyde, Stefanovic, Hinchcliffe, Thome, Barrett, Sanetti. Substitutes Not Used: Whittingham, Clarke, Briscoe, Magilton.
Booked: Palace: Hreidarsson, Lombardo. Booked: Sheff Wed: Di Canio, Thome.
Attendance: 16,876
Man of the match: Lombardo.
Referee: M D Reed (Birmingham).
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