OTD: Eagles’ escape takes flight vs Preston (2010)

Club

5 Apr 2026

If their win against Watford the previous week had given Crystal Palace supporters a glimmer of hope, their result against Preston North End – on this day 16 years ago – flooded Selhurst Park in a cascade of it.

Following a run of six games without a win, and with the club in both administration and the relegation zone, Palace were scrapping for their lives towards the end of March.

A 3-1 win over Watford, and a hard-fought draw at play-off chasing Middlesbrough at the start of Easter weekend, reignited hopes of remaining in the Championship.

Yet Palace remained third-from-bottom and in desperate need of wins heading into their final five games of the season.

Then came Easter Monday 2010, and with it Preston North End – and hopes at Selhurst Park were arisen.

Aware that a win could take them out of the relegation zone, Palace started with real intent, Stern John, Sean Scannell and current assistant manager Paddy McCarthy all going close in the opening minutes – the latter having a thumping header cleared off the line.

Teams of lesser spirits might have folded when, moments later, Preston broke, Paul Coutts playing in Keith Treacy to slide the ball beneath Julian Speroni with eight minutes gone.

But Paul Hart’s Palace were no ordinary side.

They continued to pile on attack after attack, eventually earning a deserve equaliser through Neil Danns five minutes from half-time – the midfielder slotting the ball in from six yards after a header back across goal from Scannell.

The game was on a knife-edge at half-time – but it was Palace who got the all-important third goal on 51 minutes.

Danns broke down the left, squared up his marker before playing the ball across – via a Preston defender – to Darren Ambrose. Once it reached him, the result was never in doubt: the midfielder instinctively firing an unstoppable drive in via the underside of the crossbar.

Preston would create further chances in the second-half with Palace hearts in mouths – but the win was sealed six minutes from time.

A high ball into the box was spilled by Preston ‘keeper Andy Lonergan, falling to Calvin Andrew, who was able to tap home and send Selhurst Park wild.

With four games left to go, Palace – in spite of a ten-point deduction – had escaped the relegation zone.

They would go on to pick up another two points in their following three matches, setting up that famous final-day fixture at Hillsborough to seal their survival...

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