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Attendance: 24,960
Crystal Palace logo
Premier League
Apr 9, 2016 at 3pm UK
 
Norwich logo

1-0

Puncheon (68')
FT(HT: 0-0)

Live Commentary: Crystal Palace 1-0 Norwich City - as it happened

Relive the Premier League match between Crystal Palace and Norwich City, in which Palace finally ended their wait for a league win.
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The big game at the bottom on Saturday in the Premier League was at Selhurst Park as Crystal Palace took on Norwich City.

The hosts had not won in 14 league games since before Christmas but put an end to that run today thanks to Jason Puncheon's second-half curler.

See how it all unfolded with Sports Mole's minute-by-minute updates below.


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Afternoon all! Five 3pm kickoffs this afternoon in the Premier League and perhaps the pick of them is at Selhurst Park as Palace welcome Norwich. The hosts have plummeted down the table in 2016 but can they end their wait for three points today?

The Eagles remain the only team in the top four tiers who are yet to win a game in 2016, losing nine and drawing three since the turn of the year. Including the end of last year, Alan Pardew's men have now gone 14 league games without tasting victory; they last went 15 matches without a league win in March 1998.

Alan Pardew manager of Crystal Palace gives instructions as Mauricio Pochettino manager of Tottenham Hotspur looks on during the Barclays Premier League match between Tottenham Hotspur and Crystal Palace at White Hart Lane on September 20, 2015© Getty Images

Palace's last win was at Stoke on December 19 and after that victory they were level on points with Tottenham Hotspur in fourth. Since then, they have managed to pick up just five points from a possible 42 to drop down to 16th. They still have a seven-point gap to the bottom three, but they are certainly not safe yet.

Last weekend they may not have won, but coming from behind to earn a point at high-flying West Ham United was a solid result. Dimitri Payet's stunning free kick turned it around for West Ham after Damien Delaney's opener, but Palace fought back after Cheikhou Kouyata's sending off as Dwight Gayle tucked home an equaliser. The latter is said to be close to agreeing a new deal in South London.

Delaney's goal at the Boleyn Ground means that a league-high nine of Palace's Premier League goals this season have been scored by defenders, with five from Scott Dann, also a league-high figure for an individual defender. The backline is doing well going forward, then, but Palace can't keep teams out having failed to keep a clean sheet in their last 12 league matches.

Not going well for Palace in the league then, but they have been good in the FA Cup and must not think too much about their semi-final at Wembley against Watford later this month. They need to put some points on the board before they turn their attention to that huge match. It's the first time in 21 years that they've reached the last four.

It's a really busy month for Palace, with today's game against Norwich the first of five in a fortnight. It's followed by a visit from Everton on Wednesday and Pardew will be desperate for a home win in at least one of the two matches given that the Eagles have lost six league games in a row at home. No team has lost seven home games in a row in the top flight since Wolverhampton Wanderers in April 2012 (nine consecutive games).

Enough doom and gloom for now, let's turn our attention to Norwich. Only league leaders Leicester have more points than the Canaries in their last three league matches, with Alex Neil's side winning their last two and managing seven out of a possible nine to get out of the drop zone.

Martin Olsson celebrates with his Norwich City teammates after scoring the winning goal against Newcastle United on April 2, 2016© Getty Images

Last weekend Norwich were involved in another six-pointer at the bottom and came through 3-2 against Newcastle United in dramatic fashion. Aleksandar Mitrovic's second-half brace twice pegged the home side back, but Norwich stole it at the death thanks to Martin Olsson's arrow-like low effort in the 93rd minute.

Although Norwich have played a game more than North-East duo Sunderland and Newcastle below them, the gaps are four and six points respectively so things are looking good for a Norwich side that was terribly out of form before their recent run, which came after managing just one point from 27 available in their previous nine league games.

Despite their improved form of late, Norwich's tally of 31 points from 32 games is one fewer than they had at the same stage of the 2013-14 season when they were relegated. They will be desperate to add to that total in their next two matches against fellow strugglers Palace and Sunderland with three of their last four games against Arsenal, Manchester United and Everton.

H2H: This weekend's matches are the reverses of the ones on the opening weekend of the season in August. Eight months ago at Carrow Road it was Palace who triumphed 3-1 for their first-ever Premier League win against Norwich.

Wilfried Zaha of Crystal Palace celebrates scoring his team's first goal with his team mate during the Barclays Premier League match between Norwich City and Crystal Palace at Carrow Road on August 8, 2015 © Getty Images

At Selhurst Park, Norwich are winless in 14 league games, last winning there in May 1996 (D5 L9).

Okey doke, let's have some team news from South London...

PALACE XI: Hennessey; Ward, Dann, Delaney, Souare; Cabaye, Jedinak; Bolasie, Puncheon, Sako; Gayle
Subs: Speroni, Campbell, Lee, Wickham, Ledley, Kelly, Zaha

NORWICH XI: Ruddy; Wisdom, Bennett, Klose, Olsson; Jarvis, Howson, O'Neil, Brady; Naismith; Mbokani
Subs: Rudd, Bassong, Jerome, Bamford, Hoolahan, Mulumbu, Redmond

Pardew makes two changes to the hosts' XI. Yohan Cabaye is back in after returning to fitness, while Gayle is also handed a start after his goal last week. Losing their places are Joe Ledley and Wilfried Zaha, while Connor Wickham is fit enough for the bench after a month out with a thigh problem.

Unsurprisingly, Norwich are unchanged from the late victory over Newcastle as Neil sticks with the winning formula. Canaries captain Russell Martin was expected to be back in the squad, but no sign of him today.

By the way, we have live updates on the other four 3pm kickoffs if you click back to the homepage and you can also read about an incredible 3-3 draw between West Ham and Arsenal in the early kickoff. Do that in a new tab, though, don't leave me!

Here come the two teams at Selhurst Park. Norwich in their forest green away kit today. At least it's not that god awful third kit they have.

PREDICTION: Just before kickoff, here's my prediction: 1-1.

KICKOFF! It's Palace who get us underway. As ever at Selhurst, really loud from the home supporters.

Great start here by Palace. They look very lively and just won an early corner that Norwich dealt with. It really feels like the supporters reckon today is the day they'll end their wait for a win.

First shot of the match comes from Norwich wideman Brady, whose left foot is usually pretty sound but he fires high and wide from 30-odd yards.

"Handball?!" ask the Norwich players as Jarvis's shot is blocked by Dann, but today's referee Michael Oliver is having none of it. Looked like it hit him square in the face.

Dann in fact needs medical treatment after getting whacked, but he will be OK to carry on.

Dodgy moment for Hennessey in the Palace goal as he drops the ball under pressure in his own six-yard box. Oliver allows play to continue and Palace are able to hack clear.

It was a decent start by Palace, but Norwich are seeing much of the ball now. Neil will be pleased.

SHOT! Howson drives forward and decides to have a pop from 30 yards. Well-hit, but it was always swerving away from goal.

CHANCE! Oh dear Jason Puncheon! Bolasie's initial cross somehow goes all the way across the box to reach Souare on the other side. The left-back puts it back into the middle and Puncheon is off-balance but should still get it on target, instead slicing it horribly wide.

OFF THE LINE! Souare's corner comes in and after Ruddy flapped at the ball, Cabaye stabbed goalwards and was denied by an alert Mbokani. The next corner comes in and again Ruddy looks dodgy, but Norwich survive.

BOOKING! First yellow card to Bolasie for a cynical foul on Olsson down the Norwich left.

Pardew will be fairly happy with what he's seen so far, but Palace will want a goal soon to calm any nerves.

Alan Pardew ahead of the Premier League match between Crystal Palace and Norwich City on April 9, 2016© Getty Images

CHANCE! As mentioned before kickoff, Palace's defenders, especially Dann, love a goal. He goes close here, meeting Sako's cross but failing to beat Ruddy in the Canaries' goal.

Oooh, big call for Oliver here. Norwich get the ball forward quickly and it's looped over the top for Jarvis. The winger appears to get there first before Delaney, who then barges Jarvis, but Oliver did not feel there was enough there. Tough call to make.

Mbokani does well to get a cross off down the right and it finds strike-partner Naismith, whose volley is blocked instantly by Delaney.

BOOKING! Klose wipes out Gayle and that's him in the book. The former has picked up a problem making the challenge and it does not look good as he hobbles off the pitch.

Oh dear. Klose came back on but soon crumbled to the floor again. He's going to have to come off here.

NORWICH SUB: Huge blow for Norwich this as Klose, who scored against Newcastle last week, has been arguably the Canaries' best player in their recent revival. On comes Bassong in his place.

A loose ball drops Mbokani's way in the box but he's not facing the goal and can't quite get his angles right to turn it on target.

Norwich almost shoot themselves in the foot as Wisdom inadvertently turns Bolasie's cross towards Gayle. Fortunately for the Norwich right-back, Bennett is alert and gets to the ball first.

We'll have four minutes of added time because of that injury to Klose. Just how big a part could that play in Norwich's battle against the drop?

Bennett again does well, this time getting to a dangerous Bolasie cross and clearing the danger.

HALF-TIME: PALACE 0-0 NORWICH

Yannick Bolasie and Martin Olsson in action during the Premier League match between Crystal Palace and Norwich City on April 9, 2016© Getty Images

All square at the break then and there wasn't much in that half. Jason Puncheon squandered the best chance, while the main Norwich talking point was the apparently serious injury that Klose suffered. Back soon for the second half!

Right then. We're back for the second half and no further changes from either manager. The two teams were both involved in high-scoring games last week, but kind of cancelled each other out in the first half.

KICKOFF! The Canaries get us back underway.

Free kick out on the right wing for Norwich as Souare takes out Jarvis. Brady over it...

Usually reliable, but Brady lets down the visitors with a short free kick that Palace easily clear.

Scrappy start to the second half. Norwich have just had a shot through Brady, but it was a scuffed effort easy for Hennessey to gather.

Not much happening on the pitch, so here's the attendance - 24,960, with 2,823 of those travelling Canaries.

Jarvis and Mbokani combine to set up Naismith on the edge of the Palace box, but the Scot scoops his shot comfortably over the bar.

We reach the hour mark and still there's nothing to separate these two. Would both managers take a point? Looks like it at the moment. By the way, Newcastle are getting beat 3-0 at Southampton, so they won't be gaining any ground today.

Timm Klose and Wayne Hennessey during the Premier League match between Crystal Palace and Norwich City on April 9, 2016© Getty Images

CHANCE! Half-chance for Palace to go in front as Puncheon's cross from the left finds Bolasie, who gets right under his left-foot shot and balloons it over the bar.

PALACE SUB: First change of the day from Pardew - Bolasie on for Sako in a like-for-like wide replacement.

Zaha straight into the action as he crosses low for Puncheon, who misses his kick completely under pressure from a couple of green shirts!

NORWICH SUB: Change up top for the visitors as Bamford takes Naismith's place. The former gets a frosty reception after his unsuccessful loan spell at Palace earlier this season.

GOAL! PALACE 1-0 NORWICH (JASON PUNCHEON)

Deadlock broken and what a big goal this could be for Palace. Puncheon takes a Ward pass in his stride cutting in from the right and then curls past Ruddy into the far corner. Top finish.

SAVE! Palace's fans are in fine voice now, but they are almost silenced as Bennett arrives at the back post to meet a free kick. He does well to get it on target but there's not quite enough pace on it and Hennessey saves.

CHANCE! Lovely feet from Brady as he works a shooting opportunity but his shot is blocked.

SAVES! It's opened up all of a sudden after the opening goal at Selhurst. Palace go close as Zaha is denied by Ruddy before Olsson's looping header from about 16 yards is held by Hennessey.

SUBS: Both managers make a change, with Ledley replacing goalscorer Puncheon and Redmond on for Jarvis.

SAVE! Ruddy denies Zaha again! Great pace from the substitute to get away from Olsson, but he could not beat the Canaries' keeper.

PALACE SUB: Both teams have now made all three changes as Wickham comes on for his first appearance in over a month in place of Gayle.

OFF THE LINE! Action-packed at the moment! A Palace corner comes in and Delaney flicks it goalwards. Bolasie is in the six-yard box and stabs goalwards, but Howson is on the line to hack clear.

SAVE! I can't catch my breath right now! Norwich go close this time as Brady again gets into a good position only to be denied by Hennessey.

The end-to-end nature of the match continues as Jedinak heads off target at one end before Redmond fires wide at the other. Time running out for Norwich.

Very little has happened the last few moments. Palace are doing well to keep Norwich quiet as the Canaries try to find an equaliser.

It's FOUR minutes added on as Norwich see a corner cleared.

That is excellent defending from Souare. He tracked Brady's run inside and did not commit to a sliding block, forcing the winger into more and more traffic before he shot over.

Norwich send Ruddy forward for a corner, but it comes to nothing and the Canaries then survive as Palace try to break forward.

FULL-TIME: PALACE 1-0 NORWICH

At long last, Palace win a league game in 2016. It's their first win in 15 league games since Christmas and moves them 10 points clear of the bottom three. HUGE!

Disappointing for Norwich as their unbeaten run ends, but Newcastle also lost today so it could have been worse. The Canaries are still four above Sunderland, but the Black Cats do have two games in hand! All set for a tense finish to the season. Thanks for joining us today, click back to the homepage to find out what else went on this afternoon. See ya!

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