Afternoon all. So, yesterday passed without any real shocks, so surely we will get one today?! How about here, as
Dover Athletic take on
Crystal Palace at the Crabble Athletic Ground in the third round of the
FA Cup? New Palace boss
Alan Pardew will certainly be hoping that it doesn't happen to him.
First of all, let's take a look at the two teams, starting with Pardew's first Palace side...
PALACE XI: Hennessey; Ward, Dann, Delaney, Kelly; Bannan, Ledley, O'Keefe, Zaha; Gayle, Murray
PALACE SUBS: Kettings, Mariappa, Hangeland, Guedioura, Thomas, Puncheon, Doyle
Pardew may have rotated the team somewhat, but that's still a relatively strong Palace starting lineup. Glenn Murray, who was recently on loan at Reading, will start up front alongside
Dwight Gayle, while Barry Bannan and Stuart O'Keefe feature in the midfield. Meanwhile, between the posts, Wayne Hennessey has come in for Julian Speroni, with
Scott Dann having retained his place at centre-back. As for Mile Jedinak and Yannick Bolasie, they are both on international duty.
And now for hosting Dover...
DOVER XI: Rafferty; Essam, Orlu, Bonner, Raggett; Sterling, Bellamy, Cogan, Deverdics; Murphy, Payne
DOVER SUBS: Wynter, Modeste, Lock, Francis, Reid, Nanetti, Hook
Dover are unchanged from the side that won 2-0 away at Welling United last time out, which means that Andy Rafferty has kept his place in goal. Usual number one Mitch Walker has returned to training following a lengthy layoff with an elbow injury, but this tie has come soon for him to feature. Elsewhere, the attack will be spearheaded by 23-year-old former Fulham trainee Stefan Payne.
Right, with the team news now done, let's take a look at what new Palace boss Pardew has had to say. Moments ago he spoke to
BT Sport:
"This is a FA Cup game that is going to be a bit tricky. Dover are on a good run and there's a great atmosphere here. I'm looking forward to what should be a great cup tie. The guys have conducted themselves really well over the two days that I've been here and now I want to see a bit more exuberance from us today. The attitude and defensive application of this team cannot be faulted by anyone."
Of course, Pardew has fond memories of the FA Cup from his playing career with Palace. He scored one of the goals in the memorable 4-3 semi-final victory over Liverpool back in 1990. It made him a Palace hero:
Meanwhile, here are the pre-match thoughts of Dover boss Chris Kinnear, again talking to
BT Sport:
"The whole team are working for each other - that's our philosophy. Last year we didn't win many at home, but we've turned that around. It's just clicked and things are going well here. After 16 unbeaten, [I'll tell them] to just go out and do the same [things]. You feel as though you should say something special, but there isn't [anything to say]. Go ahead and do what we do."
Also, here are some words from Kinnear's son, also named Chris, who has a knee injury and so will not play in this tie. He told BBC Sport: "I've just been in our changing room and there are no real nerves. We're going to give it a good go."
Right, the players have made their way out of a rather cramped tunnel area and the handshakes are now taking place. Only a couple minutes until we get underway.
KICKOFF! Right, here we go then. The home side get the action underway at a sun-drenched Crabble Athletic Ground. Will we see an upset?
SAVE! What a great start for Palace as Zaha shows trickery on the left flank and stands up a cross towards the back post. Murray leaps highest and heads downwards, but thankfully for Dover, Rafferty gets down to palm clear the effort. What a nightmare beginning to this tie for Dover it would have been had that gone in.
SAVE! This could be a easy afternoon for Rafferty as he's called into action once again. On this occasion it's Bannan that tests him at the near post, although the save is relatively routine. However, had Bannan crossed the ball, Zaha had a tap in. Understandably, the Manchester United loanee is not happy with his teammate.
After facing those chances, Dover have now settled somewhat. They are looking to lift the ball into the channels between the Palace centre-backs and full-backs, in the hope that Payne and Murphy can utilise their pace.
SAVES! But back come Palace and they call Rafferty into action twice in quick succession. First he gets down very well to deny O'Keefe's low shot and then he scampers across his line just in time to turn behind Murray's skidding downward header. Pardew is bound to be delighted with the way that his side has started here, but he'll want a goal.
GOAL! DOVER 0-1 PALACE (DANN)
Well, that's been coming! Palace's pressure finally tells as Zaha sends over a cross from the left, which is flicked on for Dann at the back post and the centre-back has a simple volley from a couple of yards out. Dover are struggling right now and are in danger of being on the end of a hefty defeat akin to Gateshead at West Bromwich Albion yesterday. They need to start competing, which admittedly is easier said then done.
It's all too easy for Palace at the moment. They are being gifted plenty of space in midfield, which is making it easier to pick out the likes of Zaha and Gayle.
This, from Steve Claridge on
BBC Sport, sums up the feeling right now:
"It is no more than Crystal Palace deserve. They look ultra professional and completely different class to the opposition. No way are we going to get a shock here if Palace keep playing like this."
And thanks to
BT Sport's Twitter feed, you can watch the goal that currently separates the two sides:
Meanwhile, it's as you were on the pitch. Palace are stroking the ball around almost effortlessly - there's not enough pressure being put on them. In an attacking sense, Dover striker Payne is finding it difficult up against Dann and Delaney. If possible, the home side need to get more support up to him because he's ever so isolated.
Almost a chance for Palace as Zaha plays a pass for O'Keefe, who is through on goal. However, there is just a little too much pace on the ball from Zaha and Rafferty is able to race off his line and collect just ahead of the Palace midfielder.
Fair play to Dover because slowly but surely, they've battled their way into this tie. Over the last five minutes or so, they've had 63% of the possession. Very little has been created with it, but it's a step in the right direction at least.
GOAL! DOVER 0-2 PALACE (DANN)
Palace centre-back Dann is on a hat-trick! Moments after he misses a chance to make it 2-0, he makes amends very quickly. A corner from Bannan is floated into the box and Dann jumps highest to plant his headed effort into the bottom corner of the net. That could well be tie over.
Very little has happened since that second Palace if truth be told. It's killed the atmosphere inside the ground, that's for sure. A Dover goal before the break would certainly change that!
Half an opening for Dover as Rafferty's long punt forward is in the direction of Bonner, but the defender fails to control the ball at the first attempt and Hennessey is able to collect with ease. Still no shot from the home side.
BOOKING! The first caution of the contest goes the way of Dover and their skipper Essam, who went in hard on Palace midfielder Ledley. Meanwhile, there will be one additional minute of stoppage time at the end of this half.
HALF-TIME: DOVER 0-2 PALACE
There goes the whistle for the break and it was a comfortable first 45 minutes in charge of Palace for Pardew. No doubt he'll be hoping for more of the same after the restart.
He certainly got his players up for this tie because from the first whistle they set about Dover and refused to let them settle. We've seen it so many times that Premier League sides take it easy against lesser opponents, but that's not the case as far as Palace are concerned. Zaha has been lively on the wing, while O'Keefe and Bannan have been creative in the centre of the pitch.
As for Dover, there is bound to be a little bit of disappointment about their performance. Yes they are the underdogs and not expected to win this tie, but it was expected that they would get in the faces of the Palace players. That hasn't happened, though, with the visitors afforded far too much space to pick their passes. Of course, one goal can lift spirits and that's the message that Kinnear will be spelling out to his players.
And before we get back underway, here is how Dann put Palace 2-0 up, again courtesy of
BT Sport:
RESTART! Palace, who lead 2-0, get us back underway on the South Coast. The Premier League side have also made a change during the break, with
Kevin Doyle replacing Murray up front.
It's been a subdued start to the second half really. The onus, of course, is on Dover to push forward, but they haven't really done that yet.
SAVE! It was probably a cross from Doyle wide out on the left, but it looked to be creeping just underneath the crossbar, which meant that Rafferty was forced to tip it over. Then, the resultant corner is headed goalwards by hat-trick hunting Dann, only for the Dover goalkeeper to hold.
SAVE! More top work from Rafferty as Zaha misses his kick from a Kelly cross. It appears that the ball has broken kindly for O'Keefe to try his luck, but the Dover keeper races off his line to thwart the Palace midfielder.
DOVER SUB: First change of the tie for Dover as Italian playmaker Christian Nanetti replaces the hard-working Raggett.
CHANCE! Big opportunity for Palace to put the outcome beyond any doubt. Zaha collects Gayle's lofted pass forward with a neat touch and then he shows good awareness to square a pass for O'Keefe on the edge of the area. However, with the goal at his mercy, the midfielder blazes an effort well over the crossbar.
CHANCE! Here's a tip for Dover - how about marking Dann?! Again the Palace centre-back gets up to meet a corner, but his looping headed effort drops over the crossbar.
GOAL! DOVER 0-3 PALACE (GAYLE)
A thoroughly deserved goal for Palace and Gayle, who has been lively all afternoon. He drives into the Dover box and after he creates enough space for a shot with a clever stepover, the striker fires inside Rafferty's near post. If there was any doubt about the outcome, there isn't now.
DOVER SUB: A second alteration for the home side as Tom Winter, once of Gillingham, takes the place of Bellamy.
SAVE! Almost a second goal for Gayle, although he knew very little about it. O'Keefe strikes the ball from the edge of the area and the ball flicks of Gayle, but Rafferty reads the deflection well to hold.
PALACE SUB: And that is the end of Gayle's afternoon, with winger Jerome Thomas coming on to make only his third appearance of the season.
PALACE SUB: Final change of the contest for Palace and it's Ledley that comes off, with Adrian Mariappa entering the action.
As we enter the 80th minute, Dover still haven't had a shot on target. Surely they will have one before the final whistle!? Although Palace are the Premier League side and have undoubted quality, Dover have been disappointing - they've made no impact on proceedings whatsoever.
DOVER SUB: Final change for Dover as the quiet Murphy is replaced by Ricky Modeste, who receives a big cheer from the home supporters as he enters the pitch.
Considering how muddy the pitch is at the Crabble Athletic Ground, the fact that Hennessey's bright kit is spotless sums up this clash. It won't even need washing at this rate!
GOAL! DOVER 0-4 PALACE (DOYLE)
Now Doyle gets in on the act to score his first goal of the season from the close range, following great work from Bannan and Kelly. All to easy for the away side.
There will be three minutes of stoppage time at the end of this tie.
SAVE! Dover keeper Rafferty has been the best player on the pitch today! He may have shipped four goals, but he's made some decent stops as well. He added another to the collection just now by pushing clear O'Keefe's powerful header.
FULL TIME: DOVER 0-3 PALACE
There goes the final whistle and it tells us what we've known from the 10th minute onwards - Palace have eased into the fourth round of the FA Cup. Hosts Dover are bound to be disappointed because they didn't really compete whatsoever, but to be fair, Palace were on their game from the word go.
That's all we have time for from the South Coast. Thanks for joining us this afternoon and until next time, goodbye.