Benteke’s first for Palace ends Pardew’s
ALAN PARDEW had his record signing and a wantaway star to thank for only his third League win as Crystal Palace manager in 2016.
If pressure was mounting on Pardew following a return of just 12 points from a possible 66, it did not show at the Riverside. He mingled in the press room to watch the Manchester derby before kick-off, then saw his team play with a freedom not associated with struggling sides.
Christian Benteke, the £32million summer signing from Liverpool, opened his account just after the quarter-hour when he nodded in Tottenham target Wilfried Zaha’s precision cross.
Then, two minutes into the second period, Zaha, back in favour after having his head turned by Spurs’ £12m offer last month, seized on Middlesbrough captain George Friend’s defensive error to fire the winner.
Boro had gone in at the break level thanks to Daniel Ayala’s towering 38th-minute header. But their uncharacteristic defensive lapses saw Palace win on the road in the top flight for the first time since December 19 last year at Stoke.
Pardew said: ‘In this division, the spotlight comes on you and it can affect your confidence. The important thing for us is to get a little bit more confidence.
‘The breaks went our way and I was pleased with the first 20 minutes of each half because we controlled those periods.
‘I sent them out early second half to replicate what we did in the first, but the end of the game we were hanging on against a very confident Boro. They didn’t look like a team that had just been promoted. They looked better than that.’
Benteke provided his first dividend on the club’s financial outlay