PAYBACK FOR PULIS
West Brom close to safety after former Palace manager enjoys a happy return to Selhurst Park
TONY PULIS returned to Selhurst Park for the first time since he left Crystal Palace and masterminded a victory which pulled his West Bromwich Albion side to the brink of safety.
Palace manager Alan Pardew tried some new ideas on the pitch to outwit Pulis but an early goal from James Morrison and a stunner from Craig Gardner meant he could not deliver a satisfying result against the man who left Palace two days before this season kicked off.
Despite the timing of Pulis’s departure, however, there was little bad blood between Palace’s fans and their former boss, who was roundly applauded as he came out in a ground where the seats are close to the pitch and the crowd can be unforgiving.
A few boos broke the surface but they were drowned out by waves of the respect he deserved for saving them from relegation last season during a nine-month tenure that saw him win the Premier League LMA Manager of the Year award.
‘You never know what to expect,’ Pulis said about returning to a former club. ‘They did well for me last year and I hope I repaid them a bit in respect of what we did in the dressing room and on the pitch.
‘It is a good club. It has got unbelievable potential. The supporters are wonderful and they have a good manager. They can push on — if Alan is given the money and the opportunity to push them forward this club could be a really good club.’
Yannick Bolasie even made the effort to go over and shake Pulis’ hand as he strolled down the touchline. Yet the south London locals would not have been expecting what came within two minutes of kick-off when West Brom took the lead.
Chris Bunt swung in a corner from the left and Morrison managed to lose Palace midfielder Jason Puncheon and nod in, completely free, from five yards out. Some of Puncheon’s team-mates looked around in disbelief that the West Brom man was afforded so much space in the box.
‘That was a weakness in our set-up that Tony exploited,’ Pardew admitted. ‘It was well worked. Their guy took Puncheon to the edge of the box where he is not comfortable marking. ‘We knew Tony would know the players well, know the strengths and weaknesses, I tried to throw a few ideas in but they didn’t come off. ‘Our fans are terrific in terms of their understanding of what Tony did here last year, they respected that. People know Tony does an honest job, he plays the game his way and we respect that.’
Despite that early setback, however, Pal- ace started to play the eye-catching football that has made Pardew so popular in these parts during his short spell in charge. And it was all coming through their main man, Bolasie, on the left.
In the 24th minute he weaved into the box, played a one-two then poked an effort towards the near post which West Brom goalkeeper Boaz Myhill did well to save with his feet. Three minutes later he cut in from his flank and bent an effort towards the far corner that Myhill clawed out. Then, just after the half-hour, a ball came in from the opposite flank from Joel Ward, was headed on by Glenn Murray and Bolasie executed a sublime bicycle kick, only to be denied by Myhill once again.
If Pulis, dressed in his usual full tracksuit, trainers and cap, provided this Crystal Palace team with the spine and solidity to compete in the top flight, Pardew, resplendent in suit and tie, has given them the flair to delight.
In this instance, Pulis’s resilient style prevailed and against the run of play they added a second on 53 minutes. The ball came out from a West Brom corner and Gardner took a touch before, 30 yards out and slightly to the right of goal, he buried a right-foot strike over Julian Speroni into the left of goal.
It is almost mission accomplished for Pulis at The Hawthorns as they moved to 36 points and put a healthy gap between themselves and the bottom three.