November 25 2004

Neil Shipperley

The reserves ran out 3-1 winners at Portsmouth in a Premier Reserve League South fixture.

Palace raced into a two-goal lead within the first 20 minutes. The first arrived on 15 minutes when Anthony Danze crossed for Neil Shipperley and the captain went up for the ball with the keeper, but he dropped it and Shipps put it away.

Five minutes later, Wayne Andrews doubled the lead with a good turn on the edge of the area and fired past the keeper via a slight deflection.

Pompey fought back in the second half and Julian Speroni made two good saves from a free-kick and a long-range strike.

Kevin Harper pulled a goal back for the visitors with a header from a 56th-minute corner. They searched for another goal and Speroni made another stop.

But Palace had chances themselves - Sam Togwell, Tom Soares and sub Aaron Fray all going close.

Youngster Louis Grabban, who had just come on from the subs' bench, completed a comfortable victory for Palace with the third goal in the 89th minute.

Palace: Speroni, Butterfield, Borrowdale, Togwell, Hudson, Leigertwood (Fray 73), Lakis (Grabban 73), Soares, Shipperley, Andrews (Black 62), Danze

Subs not used: Wilkinson, Black, Starkey.

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