Sako steps up for Palace to put Hodgson’s worries behind him
Such is the transformation wrought by Roy Hodgson, it is difficult to remember how Crystal Palace could not beg, steal or borrow a goal, let alone a Premier League match point, during the troubled early stages of the campaign.
These days supporters arrive at Selhurst Park anticipating committed, confident and adventurous football and relegation, seemingly inevitable back in the autumn, is a fast diminishing concern.
This latest success was built on Bakary Sako’s well-taken first-half goal, some sparkling moves before the break and a more resilient performance in the second half, when Burnley stirred and began to pose a threat.
Palace have now suffered just one defeat in their last 12 league matches and, while there were still moments of anxiety, mainly in the closing stages as another priceless win was so tantalisingly close, this was another performance to warm the hearts of the fans.
Hodgson said: “It is a massive three points for us. In the first half we created enough chances to have made things more comfortable for ourselves in the second half. We knew more questions would be asked of our back four and goalkeeper in the second half but I’m delighted that we were able to withstand that test. Now at least we can look at the league table for a week or two without having shivers running down our spines.”
Burnley, who arrived winless in six matches, had no reason to panic, and manager Sean Dyche deployed the same formation with the same mindset that has served the Lancashire side so well this term. But they struggled to quell Palace’s positivity and had an Ashley Barnes shot, tipped away by Palace goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey, as their only truly threatening moment of a subdued first half.
They improved significantly after the break and looked the more likely to score in the final half-hour, but Palace’s rearguard stood firm for their second successive home clean sheet.
Dyche said: “Close but no cigar. They were better than us in the first half but second half we were much better. I was pleased with our mentality and thought we deserved to snatch a draw.”
Palace took 21 minutes to open up their visitors and the match could have been over as a contest by the half-hour mark. The goal was an individual creation by the hard-working Sako, who collected the ball wide on the left and ran at a retreating Burnley defence before firing low under goalkeeper Nick Pope. The Londoners could have doubled their lead within seconds. Wilfried Zaha evaded Pope to drill across the face of goal with the inrushing James McArthur, tangling with defender Ben Mee, just unable to turn in.
There was another big reprieve for Burnley when Christian Benteke rose at a corner to head over the crossbar.
Sako could have supplied an even more spectacular goal just before the interval, volleying Timothy Fosu-Mensah’s cross inches over the crossbar. The same combination threatened Burnley soon after the interval, but this time Sako could not muster the necessary power in his header.
Burnley, however, were far from finished, and there were warning signs for the home side as both Barnes and Sam Vokes were not far off target with headers. With the match into its final third, Dyche turned to newly acquired Tottenham loanee Georges-Kevin Nkoudou to reinvigorate his attack.
Palace lost some of their fluidity in the second half as their opponents strove to find a way back.
With eight minutes of the match remaining, Burnley would have been level but for Hennessey’s brave block at the feet of Barnes.
Tempers frayed between Zaha and Charlie Taylor after the Burnley fullback had pushed the Palace flier to the ground. But Palace kept their cool, Benteke almost added a rare goal in a breakaway, and Hodgson’s men took another big step away from danger.