Swansea City v Crystal Palace 14/03/09

Hello and welcome to The Liberty Stadium, or Croeso i Stadiwm Liberty if you prefer, for today's Championship clash with Swansea City with myself Neil McSteen

Neil Warnock has decided to match up Swansea formation wise, picking a 4-5-1 formation that will no doubt change into 4-3-3 when Palace are on the attack. Speroni is in goal, the back four appears to be Clint Hill and Jose Fonte at centre back, Nathaniel Clyne at right back (Matt Lawrence is injured)and Lee Hills at left back. Claude Davis is not on the bench at all, so must be injured

Shaun Derry is captain once more, and will play just in front on the back four. Nick Carle is back, and will partner Neil Danns in midfield. The extra men in midfield will be Victor Moses and Anthony Stokes, with the on-loan striker Stokes looking to join Shefki Kuqi upfront at every attacking opportunity.

Ertl, Ifill, Oster, Rui Fonte and James Comley make up the bench.

Swans welcome back Mark Gower after he was rested for the 1-0 home win over Plymouth Argyle on Tuesday. He comes in for Thomas Butler, and will play on the left of midfield. Injured skipper Garry Monk is still out.

Swansea will no doubt be looking for all three points after Palace's capitulation at Burnley on Wednesday allowed the Lancashire side to leap-frog the Welshmen into the play-off spots. If Palace win they will be the first team to "do the double" over Swansea this season. Lets hope so!

Enjoy the game.

Swansea and Palace enter the field to the sounds of The Clash and White Riot.

Palace are in yellow, with blue shorts and blue socks. Swans all in white.

Zombie Nation is now playing. We could be at Selhurst Park

Palace kick-off, kicking left to right as I look at it.

3rd minute - Lee Hills concedes a corner, Gomez takes it short, whipped in and Palace clear behind. Gomez takes the second corner, whipped in to the near post, flies up in the air but lashed behind and a goal-kick for Palace.

5th minute - Speroni kicks long into the Swans pen area, Stokes collects, turns and pulls in back to the unmarked Carle just inside the area and central. He takes a touch and shoot, but the shot is weak and de Vries is down to make the save.

9th min - Moses is flagged offside. But at least Palace are getting forward.

11th min - Fonte pumps the ball forward from just inside the Swansea half. Serran heads away, but it falls to Moses on the edge of the box. He strikes the ball cleanly, but it's wide.

12th min - Lee Hills is booked for bringing down Nathan Dyer. Ball is fired into the box from the right, falls to Scotland in the box but his shot is blocked. First real scare for Warnock's men

17th min - Stokes is out on the right, fires the ball in and it's a free-kick for handball. Stokes is over the ball and whips it over into the 6 yard box, but the Swans clear. Palace are getting forward in this match, even though Kuqi is up front by himself. Stokes and Moses will be the key to the Eagles scoring in this game.

20th min - Rangel beats Moses and goes to shoot in the box, but Hill makes a key tackle. Gomez takes the corner to the far post and Ashley Williams is there, heads it goalwards but Speroni is there to make the save. Good football from the Swans but Palace were equal to it.

23rd min - Danns crosses after Kuqi finds him, Williams puts it behind for a corner. Carle whips it in, de Vries punches clear and Swansea break.

25th min - Stokes is late on Britton. Talking to from the ref, no card. Good work from the official.

26th min - Carle brings down Gomez. Free-kick on the left, floated in by Gower, Palace head behind and it's a corner. Gomez takes short to Rangel, he gets it back again and crosses. Speroni punches clear, and then the shot comes in. High over the bar and into the Palace fans behind the goal.

27th min - Both teams are keeping the ball quite well, and getting lots of possession.

30th min - Lee Hills takes a long throw on the left. Straight into the hands of de Vries.

30th min - Another throw for Palace , this time on the right. Moses takes, to the near post, de Vries collects again. It's not Rory Delap out there!

32nd min - Hills wins a corner. Carle takes, outswinging. Moses stoops to head but Swans clear.

33rd min - A misplaced pass that goes straight out and the groans are coming from the home fans, who are a touch quiet.

35th min - Palace are getting to the last third, but Carle and Stokes are unable to pick a pass into the box to unlock the defence. No-one is making that run for Palace into the box.

37th min - Palace break through Fonte, who finds Stokes. Britton brings him down.

40th min - Another Lee Hills long throw aimed at Kuqi. Another catch by de Vries.

44th min - Stokes releases Hills down the left, he crosses looking for Kuqi, but Swans clear. Nice play from Palace.

45th min - Fonte tackles Dyer in the box - shouts for a pen, but it's a corner. Gomez takes short to Gower, gets it back, back in but Speroni is off his line to claim with both hands above his head

1 min of added time being played

Palace head in 0-0 at half time, and are well in this game. Both sides have had their chances, but Palace need to get Kuqi in the game more if they are to take the lead

Swans Subs at Half Time - Alan Tate OFF, Matty Collins ON

Swans kick-off the second half. Palace are unchanged.

47th minute - Matty Collins cuts in from the right and unleashes a great shot from 25 yards out - Speroni is diving to his right, but the ball hits the foot of his right post and spins away for a goal-kick. In the aftermath, Derry gives Stokes a shove as if to say "buck your ideas" up.

48th minute - Swans win a corner. Their tales are up and the crowd are starting to wake up. But Palace clear the corner.

49th min - GOAL! Palace take the lead through Victor Moses who gets in on goal, and scores at de Vries near post. A great break away goal from Palace, it was a long ball that was allowed to bounce by the Swans defence.

52nd min - Fonte gives a freekick right on the edge of the area after backing in on Williams. Hit in, cleared. Palace push Swans out.

53rd min - Swans win a corner. Gower takes, it gets knocked in. Speroni takes with both hands.

54th min - SWANSEA SUB - Gower OFF, Gorka Pintado ON

55th min - Long throw to Kuqi. Who handles it. Free-kick to Swans.

58th min - Speroni and Fonte get mixed up as Fonte tries to shepherd the ball back to the keeper, but Dyer is alert to Speroni's poorly timed run and nips in between the two. The goal is open and begging, but the angle is too wide for Dyer and he puts the ball wide.

59th min - The noise level has gone up in the stadium. Swans need a win with Burnley winning.

61st min - GOAL!!!! Danns wins a free kick off Collins. It's out on the right. Carle whips it in to the far post, Stokes keeps it in play and heads in back across the goal. The ball might have gone across the line, but Jose Fonte bundles the ball across the line and claims the goal. 2-0 to Palace, and what a soft goal.

66 min - GOAL!!!! Pintado is put through on goal down the left, and slots it coolly past Speroni's left had and into the net. Swans are back in it at 2-1.

72nd Min - Palace Sub - Stokes OFF, Oster ON.

75th min - Swans are breaking through Scotland. Danns clips him, then gets booked. Yet the Palace man protests his innocence.

78th min - Oster breaks down the right, tries to play Danns in, but Palace concede the free-kick.

80th min - Clyne tugs at Dyer's shirt. Free-kick given, but then Clyne kicks the ball away. Silly really, as he gets booked. Nothing comes from the free-kick.

82nd min - Moses spoons the ball, it goes behind him and across the box into the path of Scotland - he hits it first time, but Speroni is off his line and makes the block save.

83rd min - SWANSEA sub. Dyer OFF, Andrea Orlandi ON

83rd min - Moses teases the Swans defence - gets his shot off. Blocked, comes back to him. He then shoots wide.

84th min - PALACE SUB - Nick Carle OFF, Johnny Ertl ON.

90th min - PALACE SUB - Victor Moses OFF, Paul Ifill ON

5 mins of injury time being played.

90th + 1 - Speroni booked for time wasting, a little harsh.

90 + 3 - Danns wins a soft free-kick off Williams.

GOAL GOAL GOAL - Clint Hill takes the free-kick, pumps it forward. Kuqi picks the ball up in the box, and literally dances his way through the Swans defence, gets to the 6 yard box and pokes the ball past de Vries. That was the cue for the stadium to empty, apart from the delirious 663 Palace fans behind the goal where Kuqi just scored.

All over. Palace win 3-1.

A great win for Palace, who do the double over play-off chasing Swansea. Yes, the first two goals were gifted to Palace but they had to take their chances. The Swans rallied, got back in the game, but at 2-1 down they were chasing the game which left massive gaps at the back for Kuqi to score Palace's third and make the score line a bit more flattering. It's Barnsley away next. Thanks for joining us.