Stalemate As Playoff Hopes Take A Step Back

scored opener
By Paul Holland
March 11 2003

Palace and Ipswich's hopes of pegging Wolves back have taken a step back , the two playoff chasing sides could only muster a piont a piece.

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C Palace	1-1	Ipswich
Johnson 20		M Bent 67

Att: 15,990

Ipswich knew they had to win this game to keep their play-off hopes a live and to claim some points before Wolves, Reading and Sheffield United play tomorrow night.

However it was not to be at memorable victory at Selhurst Park as the game ended 1-1.

The Eagles took the lead when Tommy Black hit in a inch-perfect cross and Andy Johnson swooped in to head past Blues keeper Andy Marshall.

Palace could and arguably should have made it 3-0 but Marshall made two brilliant saves to denied Julian Gray and Shaun Derry who both shot from close range.

However the Blues soon equalised through Marcus Bent, the former Blade scored past his old club on 67^{th
minute mark to give the away side a valuable point.}

Crystal Palace: Berthelin, Powell, Popovic, Granville, Butterfield, Derry, Mullins, Gray (Borrowdale 87), Black (Thomson 61), Johnson, Whelan (Freedman 61).
Subs Not Used: Kolinko, Akinbiyi.
Booked: Thomson.

Ipswich: Marshall, Wilnis, Holland, Gaardsoe, Makin (Counago 54), Darren Bent (Reuser 82), Wright, Magilton, Ambrose (Richards 23), Marcus Bent, Naylor.
Subs Not Used: Bowditch, Pullen.

Ref: E Wolstenholme (Lancashire)