PREVIEW: Crystal Palace v Coventry City
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Venue: Selhurst Park
COVENTRY City's league plight has taken a turn for the better since the last time these two sides met earlier in the season. The Sky Blues currently sit 11th in the Championship table, seven points off the play-offs although their recent five-game undefeated run was ended in midweek with a 4-1 defeat away to league leaders Newcastle United. OVERVIEW CRYSTAL Palace's season was turned on it's head recently after the club's mid-season descent into administration. The Football League's resulting ten-point deduction has turned the Eagles from a side challenging for a play-off place to one scrapping to avoid relegation. Palace's midweek home defeat to Reading made it two consecutive defeats on the bounce for Neil Warnock's side who currently lie 21st in the Championship, level on points with fellow drop zone contenders Ipswich Town. HEAD-TO-HEAD COVENTRY City edge the all-time stats in meetings between the two clubs, having won 34 of their clashes with the Eagles, losing 30 with 32 ending in stalemates since their first meeting on January 11, 1908! Last five fixtures Coventry City 1 Crystal Palace 1, Coca-Cola Championship, 21/11/2009 THERE are plenty of current connections between Coventry City and Crystal Palace with two current players, one Sky Blues legend and one manager all having pulled on the blue and red stripes in recent years. Current City striker Clinton Morrison was an Eagles apprentice at the time when now-City manager Chris Coleman and ex-Sky Blue Richard Shaw were fully fledged first-team members.
Morrison went on to achieve legendary status himself at Selhurst Park after netting 103 goals in just over 300 games for the South London side. Current Sky Blues loan striker Freddie Sears is also a former Selhurst Park regular having spent the first half of the 2009/10 season at the club. LAST GAME Crystal Palace 1 Reading 3
A DOUBLE from Royals striker Simon Church moved Crystal Palace closer to the relegation zone and Reading further from it. Church opened the scoring for the visitors with a volley that bounced off the turf and over Palace 'keeper Julian Speroni after 25 minutes and Jimmy Kebe added a second for the visitors two minutes after the break. Palace substitute Sean Scannell pulled one back for the hosts on 55 minutes but Church made sure of the points for Reading with his second goal with nine minutes to go. INJURIES AND SUSPENSIONS Coventry City will be without central defender Leon Barnett who serves a one-match suspension after his dismissal for a second yellow card in Wednesday night's defeat away to Newcastle United. Striker Freddy Eastwood and midfielder Gary Deegan are both being watched closely ahead of the weekend because of respective groin problems. David Bell will also be examined to see if he has recovered from a bruised shin. However, central defender James McPake may be considered fit enough to enter the breach at the weekend after missing the Sky Blues' last two fixtures with a stiff back. Crystal Palace midfielder Neil Danns appears to be manager Neil Warnock's only injury worry ahead of Saturday's clash. The pacy wide man was substituted during the midweek defeat to Reading and is in a race against the clock to recover from the back injury that sparked his withdrawal. DANGER MAN Darren Ambrose The pacy wideman has been a revelation for Crystal Palace since his free transfer from last season's relegated outfit Charlton Athletic. The 25-year-old has found the net 16 times in all competitions so far this season and has formed part of a quick and complicated front line at Selhurst Park under Neil Warnock.
The Eagles boss is currently getting the best out of him and the Sky Blues will have to keep an eye on a Palace front four which, lately, have appeared to love chopping and changing their positions across the park and rarely finishing a game in the same position as they started. BETTING WITH Clinton Morrison having reached a double figures goal tally at the weekend why not back him at 7/1 to be first goalscorer against his old club or 9/4 to score anytime at his old stomping ground Click below for more details!
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