Big Ben strikes twice to hand boss Pardew a bit more time
ALAN PARDEW ended a run of six successive defeats with a victory against Southampton that will keep the Crystal Palace manager in his job for another week at least.
He was clinging to his position after that torrid period, but two goals from Christian Benteke and one from James Tomkins sealed a resounding end to what had started as a nervy afternoon.
When the third goal went in late on, Pardew turned and looked up at chairman Steve Parish in the directors’ box. Parish flashed him a smile and a thumbs up. Pardew admitted afterwards he was feeling the heat. ‘Of course I feel pressure,’ he said. ‘The pressure I have is because I want to be successful and this team to be successful.’
He feared they were losing their supporters with their form. ‘They really needed that win to stay with us,’ he said. Pardew had Southampton goalkeeper Fraser Forster to thank for gifting his side an opening goal with an horrendous mistake.
Southampton were retreating with the ball, passing it around their defenders, Jose Fonte received it to the left of his own penalty area and rolled the ball into the path of his goalkeeper to clear.
Forster took a few steps to steady himself and aimed an almighty swing with his favoured left foot — only the ball struck his planted right boot first and bobbled out of the way. Benteke had chased the back pass and tapped in a 33rd-minute opener.
The second was not as fortunate but it involved plenty of luck nonetheless. Jason Puncheon sent in a corner from the left, Joe Ledley flicked on at the near post and it squirmed through four Southampton players, bounced off James Ward-Prowse and rolled into the path of Tomkins, who had the simple task of placing it in from a few yards out.
Palace had been jittery up until then. There were misplaced passes. Puncheon indicated to James McArthur he needed to talk more. Wilfried Zaha and Benteke bickered about their positioning.
Southampton took advantage and caused them problems. Sofiane Boufal’s 360-degree spin beat one defender on the edge of Palace’s box but his shot was blocked by another.
His skill outwitted two more on the left byline soon after but, as he continued into the box unobstructed, his final cut back was poor. The ball was half cleared to Ryan Bertrand outside the area and his shot took a deflection and bounced wide of the left post.
Even after Palace’s two
goals in quick succession, Southampton were dangerous.
In first-half stoppage time, Cedric Soares crossed, Charlie Austin flicked the ball on with his shoulder and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg unleashed a ferocious, well-struck volley that went close. Early in the second period, Austin glanced a header at goal but did not make quite enough contact.
Pardew remained stoney-faced on the sidelines. He had seen a one-goal lead disintegrate into defeat in stoppage time against Swansea the week before. In the final 10 minutes, Virgil van Dijk looped a header on to the crossbar and when the ball came back out, Jose Fonte smashed a close-range chance wide.
This time Palace finished the job through Benteke, so Pardew can keep his.