Olise spoils Pools
STEVE JUDGE
UNBELIEVABLE it wasn’t, Jeff. Well at least not once this tie got underway.
Before kick-off Hartlepool’s 4,000 travelling army made the Sainsbury’s outside Selhurst Park the party place to be. The supermarket car park a rhapsody of fans in blue singing and drinking in hope, fuelled by the content of their cans and a third-round victory over Championship Blackpool.
Pools celebrity fan Jeff Stelling had taken the day off from his Sky Sports Soccer Saturday duties to attend.
But his dreams of a two upsets in one season offer were ripped apart within 22 minutes by Michael Olise, Palace’s summer signing from Reading.
The 20-year-old winger proved harder to handle than a defective shopping trolley for Pools defenders David Ferguson and
Timi Odusina.
Olise won and delivered the free-kick from which an unmarked Marc Guehi opened the scoring on four minutes.
He doubled the lead with a left-foot shot past Pools keeper Ben Killip after turning Odusina inside out.
Palace boss
Patrick Vieira said: “I was pleased with the performance and the early goals.
“Michael is a special player. His work ethic has been terrific.”
At full-time the Hartlepool players went over to a still packed away end to pay homage to their fans.
It topped an incredible week for boss Graeme Lee, after Palace had donated £1,000 to help pay for medication for his wife fantastic. It has been a Gemma’s treatment for a special week. life-threatening brain “What Palace have done tumour. Lee said: “There and the support of the have been special fans... what they’ve done moments for us, we will for me and my wife is never forget. immense. I wish them all
“The atmosphere was the success.”
CRYSTAL PALACE: Butland 6; Ward 7 (Adaramola 86), Guehi 7, Kelly 7, Mitchell 7 (Clyne 70); Milivojevic 7, Schlupp 7 Hughes 70); Gallagher 7; Olise 8, Mateta 7 (Benteke 80), Eze 7 (Edouard 70). Subs not used: Guaita, Ayew, Anderson, Rak-Sakyi.
HARTLEPOOL: Killip 7; Sterry 7, Byrne 6, Liddle 6 (White 60, 6), Odusina 6, Ferguson 6 (Fletcher 90); Morris 6, Crawford 6 (Holohan 82), Shelton 6 (Grey 60, 6); Molyneux 6, Bogle 6 (Cullen 90).
Subs not used: Boyes, Smith, Ogle, Olomola.
MAN OF THE MATCH: Michael Olise. Ran Hartlepool ragged from start to finish. REFEREE: Peter Bankes 7.