[LincolnCanary]

Injury Crisis Deepens

Alan Tate was left today with further injury worries as Tom Soares was added to the injury list, expecting to be out of action until early January.

With defenders Darren Ward and Steven Hammell, winger David Vaughan and striker Clinton Morrison out for various lengths of time, Tate's squad is getting thinner and thinner and with the loan window shut, Tate will need to wait the ten days before reinforcements can be added.

However, despite Tate being down to the bare bones, he is still confident the team can extend their two-game unbeaten run. "Of course I think we can win" commented Tate. "I'm sure of it, in fact. We've still got excellent strikers in Moses and Kuqi. And we've got the midfield flair of players like Ben Watson and Jobi McAnuff. I'm confident this squad can beat any team in the league".

Meanwhile, preparations for the January transfer window are said to be "Coming along nicely".

"I've got one definatly coming in, and another is being negotiated as we speak". Asked who these players are, Tate wouldn't give much away. "One is a defender from a Premiership club. The other is a foreign player I like very much. I've got my fingers crossed for him; he'd be a real coup".

As always, stay tuned to the Official Crystal Palace site for the first news and information about injuries, signings and much, much more.

[_cruel_]

bad luck with the injuries.. hope your team can pull this through..

[LincolnCanary]

25th December 2009

"That's the problem with football, Mum" Tate spoke, down his mobile phone, "You have to work these sort of days. I know you moved to Norwich to be near me, but they fired me! That's hardly my fault, is it?"

"Yeah, Mum. I'll come see you as soon as I can. Sure. Bye".

Slamming the phone shut and shaking his head in annoyance, Tate was in no mood for it to ring again. He still hadn't figured out his final team for the game against Luton at Kenilworth Road. Let alone started on formulating tactics.

But ring again it did. Tate hoped beyond hope it wasn't another member of his family, lamenting his non-appearence at the family Christmas dinner. But it wasn't. It was, in fact, Liverpool's Stephen Warnock. Well, his agent anyway. After talking to Kit, Stephen had agreed to join Palace on loan for a month, and would be selectable for the game tomorrow against Luton.

Tate was overjoyed! Warnock was a class player, with Champions League experience and could play pretty much anywhere down the left. Hopefully, his being here on loan will lead to a permenant deal being thrashed out in early January. Tate could only hope. But now, with the left back position sorted with cover for the injury of Hammell, Tate could release Borrowdale to cover both left and right. It gave Tate a greater peace of mind.

Kit had done well sorting this out, and Tate made a mental note to give the man a clap on the back.

This post has been edited by LincolnCanary: 05 August 2007 - 09:03 AM

[LincolnCanary]

Palace Get a Christmas Present!

Crystal Palace have signed the Champions League winning Liverpool left back Stephen Warnock on a months loan. Warnock has been brought in as cover for the injured Steven Hammell, but asked whether this could be with a view to a permenant deal, manager Alan Tate merely responded, "We'll have to wait and see on that front".

Warnock signed in time to be included in the squad for tomorrow's game at Kenilworth Road, as Palace travel to Luton Town on the back of a three game undefeated streak.

[LincolnCanary]

BIG MATCH PREVIEW

Strugglers Luton Town face fellow strugglers Crystal Palace in battle of the bottom two on Boxing Day. Palace remain bottom with injuries to key players Clinton Morrison, David Vaughan, Tom Soares, Steven Hammell and Darren Ward. However, they received some good news today as Stephen Warnock agreed to join on loan. He is expected to go straight into the team to face Luton.

Luton, meanwhile, will welcome back to the side star striker Adam Boyd and defender Kirk Broadfoot as they look to bounce back from a 1-0 home defeat to Southampton.

[LincolnCanary]

Palace take the Presents

In a hard fought contest, Crystal Palace emerged from Kenilworth Road with all three points thanks to a last gasp strike from substitute Jack Lyons.

Palace had trailed from the seventh minute thanks to a foolish penalty given away by James McEveley. The Palace centre half had been throwing his weight around for the entire match before he slid in hard on Sam Parkin just inside the box. The referee wasted no time in awarding Luton the penalty and gave McEverley a yellow card for his efforts as well. Paul Robinson, the former Millwall centre back, stepped up to neatly convert the penalty, making it 1-0.

Palace proceeded from here on to squander chance after chance to draw the game level. A neat through ball from McAnuff to Kuqi should've seen the Finnish striker make the score level, but Kuqi blasted the ball well beyond the far upright much to the derision of the Luton supporters. Moses was also guilty of a critical miss, again McAnuff crossing the ball for an unmarked Moses to nod far to the right of goal.

At half time, Palace boss Alan Tate made two changes, bringing on youngsters Graham Hubbard for an injured Marco Reich and Jack Lyons for an ineffective Victor Moses. While Hubbard looked a bit like a fish out of water, Lyons looked threatening, and Luton boss Dave Penney switched to a 4-5-1 to combat the sheer amount of time Palace had on the ball.

It wasn't until the 88th minute that Palace would steal an equaliser, with newly signed Warnock crossing the ball for Kuqi to head home. Jack Lyons stole the headlines, though, with a marvelous effort rounding defender Robinson to slot the ball beyond Bialkowski to steal the points for Crystal Palace.

Sides

Luton: Bialkowski (7), Broadfoot (7), Barnett (7), Robinson (7), Gardyn (6), Staunton (6), Heikkinen (7), Lennon (6), Foley (6), Boyd (7), Parkin (7).

Subs: Harrison-Barker (6), Quinn (6), Vine (6)

Crystal Palace: Krul (7), Caddis (7), Warnock (8), McEveley (5), Doherty (7), McAnuff (7), Reich (6), Ben Watson (7), Carl Fletcher (7), Sheki Kuqi (7), Victor Moses (6)

Subs: Hubbard (6), Lyons (7)

Star Man: Stephen Warnock - A solid defensive and offensive display from Palace's newest signing.