Crystal Palace 0 Watford 2
"What a load of rubbish" echoed around Selhurst Park on Saturday as Trevor Francis and the players headed for the dressing room, after defeat against Watford shattered their remote play-off chances.
Two goals either side of half-time by Watford's Alan Nielsen and Marcus Gayle came against the run of play, but the deflated Eagles could not get themselves back into the game. Palace have only come back from behind to claim draws against Nottingham Forest and Wimbledon this season, and there appears to be a crisis of confidence running through the team at present.
The irony is that the impatient 16,817 Selhurst crowd had done very little to encourage the Eagles when they dominated possession and chances in the first half, before falling to a sucker punch seconds before half-time.
Jamie Smith blocked a Stephen Glass cross on the left and turned his back on the ball, but Glass kept the ball in, and whipped in a low cross which Nielsen tapped home.
Up until the goal Palace had dominated and had the chances to make the game safe. As early as the first minute Hayden Mullins fed Dougie Freedman in the box, but the normally prolific Scotsman scuffed his shot wide. Julian Gray came close with a shot and then crossed for Clinton Morrison whose shot was saved by Chamberlain, who also blocked Mullins' follow-up. Both Palace players were guilty of trying to take a touch too many.
On the half hour, Palace were awarded an indirect free kick five yards out when Chamberlain picked up Galli's back pass.
Freedman's shot was blocked and twelve minutes later he missed from three yards when Morrison's great cross found him unmarked.
Just two minutes after the break the contest was over when Glass again crossed from the right for Gayle to beat Matt Clarke's dive and slot home.
On 53 minutes the first boos were heard as Francis threw on Ade Akinbiyi for the lively Tommy Black in a desperate attempt to pull a goal back. His decision to substitute Gray for Jovan Kirovski was greeted with equal contempt.
But for the fourth successive home match, Palace drew a blank with Chamberlain in outstanding form, saving from Freedman and his own defender Neil Cox's header.
Francis said afterwards: "I don't think it's a question of confidence - their goalkeeper was the best player on the park, and the pitch didn't help."
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