No Hodgson effect as Palace continue goalless, winless run in home loss to Saints
>> LONDON: Crystal Palace failed to benefit from the Roy Hodgson effect as Steven Davis’s early goal and two saves by Fraser Forster helped Southampton beat t he Premier League’s bottom club 1-0 at Selhurst Park yesterday.
Palace were playing for the first time under new manager Hodgson but were reeling in the sixth minute when Davis steered the ball into the bottom corner after home goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey beat out a low right cross from Dusan Tadic.
Palace are without a goal in their opening five league games, a Premier League record, but not for want of trying with Ruben Loftus-Cheek twice going close after half an hour and Forster also saving from Christian Benteke.
Former England manager Hodgson took charge at Palace this week after Dutchman Frank de Boer was sacked following four defeats and no goals in his debut Premier League season.
On Friday, Bournemouth’s Jermain Defoe scored his first goal in his second spell at the club in a 2-1 win over promoted Brighton as Eddie Howe’s side grabbed a vital first Premier League victory of the season.
The south coast side had lost their first four fixtures and scored only once.
Their miserable run looked like it might continue as, after a goalless first half at their Vitality Stadium, the visitors took a surprise lead 10 minutes after the break when Solly March headed in his first Premier League goal from Pascal Gross’s cross.
Chris Hughton’s side were ahead for 12 minutes before Bournemouth’s Jordon Ibe changed the game. The influential former Liverpool attacker found South African midfielder Andrew Surman in the middle of the box, who finished in the far left corner of the Brighton goal.
Ibe turned provider again little more than five minutes later, showing good control outside the area to hold onto the ball and play it through to veteran Defoe.
The 34-year-old did not need to take a touch as he span quickly and struck the ball low past goalkeeper Mathew Ryan to score his first goal in a Bournemouth shirt since he lined up alongside his now manager 16 years ago.
“He’s an unbelievable professional. He sets the example. He wants to train every day, he doesn’t want to be treated as a special case, he really wants to muck in and be one of the boys... He’s got the finishing ability to score lots of goals for us,” Howe said.
The two sides meet again at the same venue on Tuesday in the third round of the League Cup.