BHappy: It’s a stultifying game of football. All the more so in contrast with that most epic of awaydays which it’s impossible to navigate this fixture without reflecting on. I’ve only been to St Andrews once in the 21 and a half years since… but this one could scarcely be in sharper contrast to that encounter. Most obviously where the was rabid, deafening noise coming from the stands in 1999 here there’s silence, punctuated only by what must have been a consciously noisy Blues entourage. Where there were intimidating walls of Bluenoses there are now plastic cut-outs, statically swaying down one side of the pitch. I was hoping that Watford would instigate something similar but I was wrong – the sight is melancholy, a silent parody of how it ought to be. And on the pitch… in 1999 it was furious intensity, no quarter asked or given by either side. Drama and epic conflict. Nothing epic about this. It’s blancmange. Nathaniel Chalobah and Lukas Jutkiewicz appear to shake hands as the game kicks off for pity’s sake.
clips of Jon Marks BBC 3CR commentary Goal: 
Manager Roy Hodgson said Crystal Palace’s problems are far from over despite two late goals in a dramatic win over Watford moving them out of the Premier League relegation zone for the first time this season.
Crystal Palace moved off the bottom and out of the Premier League relegation zone with a sensational late rally to see off 10-man Watford 2-1 at Selhurst Park.
Now Crystal Palace have hope. How could they not when after spluttering in arrears for almost the entire match, blunted and diminished by an imposing Watford team, they still plucked an improbable win from the jaws of defeat?
The game started brilliantly for the Hornets as Richarlison crossed for Janmaat to head home to give the visitors the lead in the third minute. The Dutchman threatened the Palace goal again soon after, but his cross was too close to Speroni. Watford looked sure to score their second on 10 minutes after Carrillo found Richarlison, but the shot was headed off the line by Tomkins.
The phrase ‘a game of two halves’ could not be more appropriate for what followed. Palace began to pin Watford back straight from the restart.
1-0 up at half time, should have been three. A great chance to make it 2-0 in the second half. A red card in the 87th minute and then two goals in the final five minutes to give the hosts the win. It just screams Watford.
