March 15 2008

Tom Soares

Crystal Palace kept up their hunt for the play-offs with a 2-0 win at home to Barnsley.

Tom Soares and James Scowcroft were on target for the Londoners who are now unbeaten in the last five matches.

Palace almost opened the scoring in the 15th minute as a Scowcroft header from Soares' cross was brilliantly diverted away by keeper Luke Steele.

When the ball went down the other end, the Eagles were grateful to Shaun Derry who cleared Kayode Odejayi's header off the line.

Then a combination of Eagles stopper Julian Speroni and defender Mark Hudson kept out Istvan Ferenci after he was sent through by Odejayi.

Before the break, Ben Watson launched a long range drive that was easy for Steele.

Just a minute into the second half, Soares broke the deadlock with a surging run to the edge of the Barnsley box which resulted in a low shot in the far corner.

Sean Scannell fired right at Steele, before the keeper showed great reactions to push Derry's curling shot from 25 yards onto the post. Watson nodded the rebound off target.

Watson and Clinton Morrison had chances before Scowcroft grabbed his 100th career goal on 84 minutes.

Soares flicked on Scannell's throw-in and Scowcroft eveded his marker and swept home from six yards out as Palace move into seventh spot.

Palace: Speroni, Lawrence, Hudson, Fonte, Hill, Soares, Watson, Derry, Scannell (Robinson 86), Scowcroft, Morrison (Kudjodji 90).

Not Used: Fletcher, Hughes, Hills.

Barnsley: Steele, Nyatanga, Foster, Souza, Kozluk, Van Homoet (Campbell-Ryce 72), Macken (Coulson 82), Howard, Togwell, Odejayi, Ferenczi (Nardiello 60).

Not Used: Devaney, Leon.