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Crystal Palace logo
Championship
Mar 9, 2013 at 3pm UK
 
Leeds logo

2-2

Murray (27', 84')
FT(HT: 1-0)
Morison (56', 69')

Live Commentary: Crystal Palace 2-2 Leeds United - as it happened

Read how Crystal Palace extended their unbeaten home streak to 18 by equalising late on against Leeds.
2

Glenn Murray was at the double as Crystal Palace avoided throwing away a half-time lead by netting a late equaliser against Leeds United.

Murray, the Championship's leading goalscorer, broke the deadlock before Steve Morison bagged a quick brace of his own to put Leeds in front.

Read how it all unfolded in our minute-by-minute live coverage below.


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A point leaves Palace in third place, level with Hull just below them and a point behind Watford, who were shocked by Blackpool, in second. Leeds are still six points adrift of the playoffs.

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If you've only just joined us and want a concise report on the match then click here to read Michael Penkman's match report.

Either way, it was an enthralling game of football at Selhurst Park. Palace controlled the ball and were electric in much of their attacking for 70 minutes or so of the match. Leeds, however, took their chances, especially in a good second-half period when Morison struck twice.

Controversy at the end as Warnock slices a clearance out for a corner but referee Whitestone blows his whistle anyway. The Palace players are fuming as they wanted the corner but the allocated four minutes had gone.

FULL-TIME: Palace 2-2 Leeds

YELLOW! Hall is booked for taking a shot on after the whistle had been blown for a Palace free kick.

LEEDS SUB: Leeds two-goal man Morison is replaced by Habib Habibou (yes, that's right!)

FOUR minutes added on.

YELLOW! Tonge is booked by referee Whitestone.

LEEDS SUBS: Ryan Hall on for Ross McCormack, Rodolph Austin replaces David Norris.

Lovely goal from Murray. Delaney hoofs a huge crossfield ball into the area and Murray sidefoots a volley first time past Kenny. Great finish.

GOAL! Palace 2-2 Leeds (Murray)

PALACE SUB: The impressive Dobbie comes off for Andre Moritz.

AS IT STANDS: Click here to see the Championship table as it stands. Leeds moving closer to playoffs, Palace falling away from automatic promotion.

Williams finds Phillips on the edge of the box and he flicks it on one more for Dobbie but he leans back, scooping his shot a long way over.

Leeds could get a third on the counter as Palace pile more men forward. McCormack flashes the Whites' latest chance just wide of the far post after a good run down the line from Morison.

Ramage is back on the field with a head bandage. We're bound to have at least four minutes added time once the 90-minute mark comes.

PALACE SUB: The veteran striker replaces Bolasie, who has not had the best of games and put in quite a petulant performance.

Break in play as Ramage is down injured. Kevin Phillips is soon to come on. Remember, he scored a hat-trick in midweek.

Route one football at its best! Kenny's long kick beats all the Palace defenders and Morison runs onto it before volleying into the far corner first time. Excellent control to finish there.

GOAL! Palace 1-2 Leeds (Morison)

UPDATE: There's been plenty of goals elsewhere. Find all the scores here.

INCHES! Palace are rampant right now as Murray nods a ball down for Dobbie on the edge of the area and he volleys inches wide of the far post. Wonderful effort.

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WIDE! Palace have responded to that goal very well and it's Dobbie at the centre of things once more as he drills a shot a yard or so wide.

Warnock slides in late on Zaha and Palace have a free kick right on the edge of the area. Dobbie takes it but that's straight into the wall.

What a couple of minutes for Varney. First he hacks down Dobbie, then makes a dive-of-the-season contender before now setting up Morison with a perfect cross that the number nine touches onto his left before finding the far corner.

GOAL! Palace 1-1 Leeds (Morison)

DIVE! This is horrific from Varney as he goes down without a single touch in the box. No penalty given, thank god.

Man of the match so far Dobbie is hacked down by Varney and the Palace number 11 isn't happy with the challenge.

CLOSE! Leeds win a free kick at least 25 yards out and McCormack has a pop. His curler over the wall is perfect for height but not quite direction as it whizzes past the post.

Dobbie cleverly nutmegs the onrushing Green before shooting but gets under it and it flies over. Palace have begun this half phenomenally but the only lead by a single goal and as long as it stays like that then Leeds will know they have a chance of grabbing something.

JUST WIDE! Zaha is played onside by the Leeds backline and he almost has too much time to take a shot. He drags it back over to his left foot before searching for the far corner but it bobbles just wide.

KICKOFF: Palace get the second half underway but the lose the ball straight away as Zaha oddly miscontrols.

Both sides have only just returned to the field of play because of the delayed kickoff to the first half but we're just about ready to go. No changes from either manager at the break.

As it stands, Palace will be going above Hull into third while Leeds will be seven points off the playoffs if things stay as they are.

Some stats from the opening 45 at Selhurst:

Palace:
Shots 7
On target 5
Possession 57%
Corners 1
Fouls 3

Leeds:
Shots 6
On target 4
Possession 43%
Corners 4
Fouls 5


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UPDATE: Here are the other half-time scores from the Championship:

Birmingham 0-1 Derby
Bolton 1-0 Brighton
Bristol 1-0 Middlesbrough
Huddersfield 0-1 Charlton
Leicester 0-0 Sheff Weds
Forest 1-0 Wolves
Peterborough 0-0 Ipswich
Watford 1-0 Blackpool


An entertaining half of football at Selhurst Park, then. Leeds began well considering the Eagles' hot streak here but soon the hosts were in control and went ahead in the 27th minute through Murray's easy header.

HALF-TIME: Palace 1-0 Leeds

Dobbie makes Byram look very slow by streaking past before clipping a cross that Leeds's two centre-backs almost make a hash of dealing with but just about get away with it.

CHANCE! Oh what a chance for Leeds to equalise. Green is on goal and his one-on-one is well saved by Speroni but the ball spins across the area for the incoming Varney. He slides in to get there first but the trio of Palace players on the line manage to keep it out.

Leeds come forward for the first time in a little while and it's Warnock who crosses low for Morison but it was a tad behind him and the striker was only able to prod it harmlessly wide.

That's ridiculous. Bolasie goes in very hard on Tonge and should have been called up for it. He wasn't and was able to break clear. All he has to do is feed Dobbie with an easy pass but overhits it before having a go at his teammate. Not sure why but it was an awful pass.

That goal for Murray was his 28th in the league this season. He's now five in front of his nearest contender.

Zaha and Bolasie have switched wings in the last few minutes and the former has just shown some silky feet. Two white shirts come to confront him but he beats them both before firing a cutback against Peltier.

SAVE! Parr nips past Byram and he's bearing down on goal and decides to shoot instead of searching for a teammate, hitting it straight at Kenny who beats away.

The hosts lead and it's Murray again. Williams's cross ricochets off his standing leg and loops over Kenny for Murray to nod into an empty net from no more than a couple of yards.

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GOAL! Palace 1-0 Leeds (Murray)

SAVE! Fine raking pass from Ramage picks out Dikcagoi down the right and he takes it in his stride perfectly before cutting back to Murray whose shot is held by Kenny.

Neat interplay between Dobbie, Murray and Bolasie. The latter dinks a cross for Murray but Kenny is alert to come and claim.

Warnock fizzes a corner low and Murray has to slide in to balloon it up and onto the roof of the net. Warnock takes the next but this time it's headed out by a Palace head.

UPDATE: Second goal of the day in the Championship and it comes in the important playoff clash between Bolton and Brighton. The hosts have the lead through Marcos Alonso.

SAVED! Zaha is getting boos from the visiting fans because of his move to Manchester United (he's back on loan at Palace) but he's just silenced them briefly with a wonderful curling cross that Murray meets but Kenny holds on low to his right.

Jedinak looks for Murray with a quick free kick but teenage full-back Byram does well to beat the big frontman for pace and clear. Byram has played each of Leeds's 35 league games this season.

UPDATE: Just one goal so far in the Championship and it's come at the Galpharm, with Charlton one up on Huddersfield.

Morison and McCormack haven't been playing together for too long but the pair have just linked up very nicely, although they can't quite work an opening. From a corner, Morison pulls away from the six-yard line and volleys at goal but doesn't wrap his foot round it.

JUST WIDE! Warnock does well to hold up Zaha and slide it out for a corner. Dobbie floats in the set piece and it's flicked back for Dikgacoi who loops a header back across goal that bounces just wide of the left upright.

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Dobbie's floated free kick is headed out but straight to Bolasie who fires into the danger zone and Leeds again do well to head it out.

Just seeing replays of that Dikgacoi challenge on McCormack. It was reckless from the Palace man but he just about got the ball and I think referee Whitestone made the right call.

Varney breaks clear of the defence and the linesman is a little late raising his flag but he correctly does so. Positive start from the visitors.

Leeds fans screech for a penalty as McCormack goes down in the area but that looked a fair challenge from Dikgacoi.

Good run down the left from Bolasie but there was no-one in the middle to pick out and he just crossed it to goalkeeper Kenny.

SHOT! First attempt of the match comes from Luke Varney as he spins and volleys but Speroni watches it over his crossbar.

KICKOFF: That means we're a little late kicking off but it's now a raucous atmosphere as we get underway in South London.

Before kickoff we're going to have a minute's applause for former Eagles manager Dick Graham.

Remember, you can keep up with all the scores by clicking here.

The two sides are out of the tunnel and we're moments away from kickoff. Both are in their home colours, with Palace in red-and-blue stripes and Leeds in all-white.

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PREDICTION TIME! With five minutes until kickoff, it's time for my prediction ahead of the match. I'm going for a 3-1 home win. Palace's record in front of their own fans is sensational and I can't see Leeds doing much to change that.

Leeds won't be the easiest team to dispatch of though, especially with former Palace boss Neil Warnock at the helm. They're on a four-match unbeaten run themselves, although they haven't won away from Elland Road in eight.

The Eagles are also on a 17-match unbeaten home streak at Selhurst Park. Impressive eh?

An away victory seems unlikely, however, as Palace have won three on the bounce and five in a row at home.

If Leeds can complete the double today then it will be the first time they have done so over Palace since they were both in the Premier League back in 1994-95.

In the reverse fixture at Elland Road, Leeds upset Palace by ending their 14-game unbeaten run.

Find all our live commentaries this afternoon by clicking here.

It's a big afternoon of football as always on a Saturday and the lunchtime FA Cup kickoff between Everton and Wigan has gone horribly wrong for the hosts as Wigan struck three goals in four minutes before half time.

REFEREE WATCH: This afternoon's man in charge is Dean Whitestone.

Palace, meanwhile, have dropped out of the top two recently but the big win over Hull in midweek stunted the Tigers' push for the automatic spots and clawed Palace right back into the mix. The Eagles are on 64 points, one adrift of Watford in third, two of Hull in second and seven short of Cardiff at the summit.

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That left the Whites in 10th place, six points adrift of Brighton, who occupy the final playoff spot.

In midweek, Leeds were denied an impressive away win at Leicester by Michael Keane's late header.

And here are the two substitute benches this afternoon:

Palace: Price, Richards, Butterfield, Phillips, Wilbraham, Moxey, Moritz
Leeds: Ashdown, Pearce, Austin, White, Brown, Habibou, Hall


For the visitors, Neil Warnock names an unchanged side for the fifth game in a row.

The surprise news for Palace is that hat-trick hero from midweek Kevin Phillips doesn't keep his place in the side as Yannick Bolasie returns for the hosts.

PALACE XI: Speroni; Dikgacoi, Ramage, Delaney, Parr; Williams, Jedinak; Zaha, Dobbie, Bolasie; Murray

LEEDS XI: Kenny; Byram, Lees, Peltier, Warnock; Green, Tonge, Norris, Varney; Morison, McCormack

With just under an hour to go until kickoff, we're still waiting to hear the two lineups for today's match.

Afternoon everyone. Our feature match in the Championship today is at Selhurst Park as Palace take on Leeds. It's one of nine matches in the second tier this afternoon and you can see all the other fixtures by clicking here.

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