2012/13 - Part Five: Magical Murray, difficult December

Over the course of this week, you can follow the account of Club Historian Ian King on cpfc.co.uk, telling the story of a dramatic campaign – with a little help from the stars of When Eagles Dare, now available to watch on Palace TV+.

• Part One: A challenging start
• Part Two: Transfers, fortunes and breakthroughs
• Part Three: Comebacks, changes and derbies
• Part Four: Ian Holloway's arrival

Read Part Five below...

17th November: Palace 3-0 Derby

Fresh off the back of four consecutive wins, it was another dominant day for Ian Holloway's Palace in south London.

By full-time, the Eagles had recorded an unbeaten run of 14 games by tearing apart a Derby side that included a 17-year-old Will Hughes.

André Moritz started instead of Owen Garvan and the Brazilian’s corner led to an unmarked Glenn Murray heading home in the 12th minute.

The Rams concentrated on shackling Wilfried Zaha - who three days before had made a senior England debut against Sweden, which meant Moritz took over the creative mantle, but the Eagles missed several opportunities to score again before the break.

That changed just before the hour-mark when Moritz scored his third goal in three games with a left-footed volley from Murray’s knock-down.

The icing on the cake came eight minutes from time when Murray out-muscled a defender on the right to cut in and rifle home a left-footed shot for his 15th goal of the season.

Palace remained top of the table as Cardiff City defeated Middlesbrough to leapfrog the Teessiders and sit in second place.

24th November: Leeds 2-1 Palace

Seven days later the Eagles travelled to Elland Road to face an out-of-form Peacocks, who hadn’t won in 14 games. Garvan replaced Moritz and Palace gradually dominated the first-half despite wasting several chances.

In drizzly conditions the main talking point came just before half-time when Zaha went down in the area only for the referee to wave aside what seemed a stonewall penalty, followed by some scuffling in the tunnel as the teams walked off.

Following the break Palace handed Leeds the advantage through two avoidable errors, the first coming after five minutes when Peter Ramage headed the ball against Damien Delaney while clearing a cross, allowing Luciano Becchio to sweep past Julián Speroni.

Moritz came on for Garvan and nearly equalised but with 14 minutes remaining Delaney and Mile Jedinak went to head the ball at the same time only for Paul Green to volley it home.

Minutes from the end Ramage headed into the net to ensure Palace had scored in every game so far.

Defeat knocked Palace off top spot as Cardiff took over and Millwall moved into the play-off places.

27th November: Hull 0-0 Palace

Remaining in Yorkshire but crossing over to Humberside, Palace had to do without Murray’s services as he served a one-game ban.

Jermaine Easter took his place in the only change to the starting line-up. Lying fifth, Hull, managed by Steve Bruce, would prove a stiff test following the defeat at Leeds.

Holloway decided to tinker with the formation but the plan didn’t succeed in the first-half as Palace were overrun at times and lucky to get to half-time goalless with just a Yannick Bolasie effort on target.

It was back to basics for the next 45 minutes as the team slowly clawed its way back into the game, and matters improved when Aaron Wilbraham replaced Easter on the hour mark. Zaha was tripped from behind just outside the box but Jedinak’s free-kick was deflected wide.

From then on it was end-to-end, and in the dying seconds Zaha almost pulled off a smash and grab, but goalkeeper David Stockdale beat his shot away.

1st December: Palace 3-0 Brighton

The Eagles were looking for a fourth successive home victory without conceding when an improving Brighton side arrived at Selhurst Park.

Their chances improved after just six minutes when defender Lewis Dunk was sent off for bringing down Yannick Bolasie outside the penalty area.

Despite the man advantage, it would take a further thirty minutes to breach the Seagulls defence, but there was Glenn Murray leapt high to head home a Bolasie corner.

Brighton’s main chance came early in the second half when Mackail-Smith hit the post with only Julian Speroni to beat. They were made to pay when Murray was brought down by the Seagull’s ‘keeper in the area and stepped up to net his 17th goal from 16 games.

Murray could have completed his hat-trick from the spot with twenty minutes left, but he unselfishly turned down the opportunity against his former club by Owen Garvan to successfully dispatch from 12-yards.

Palace remained in second place after the weekend fixtures as all the top six won their games.

8th December: Palace 2-2 Blackpool

Manager Ian Holloway faced his former club just six weeks after joining Palace.

The visitors took the lead during a below-par first half performance from the Eagles, Tom Ince crossing for Nathan Delfouneso to convert.

Palace were back on level terms seven minutes after the break when Owen Garvan found the net – and Holloway seized the initiative.

Andre Moritz, returning after injury, came on for Darcy Blake (making his final Palace appearance) with Kagisho Dikgacoi moving to right-back, and it soon paid off when Murray – who else – powered home a cross from Garvan.

Palace went looking for a third and came close when Bolasie’s free kick was tipped over, but were pegged back in the final minutes when Nouha Dicko stabbed home.

Cardiff extended their lead at the top to three points as Middlesbrough and Hull moved closer to the Eagles, who remained second.

15th December: Birmingham 2-2 Palace

Jedinak had to sit out the Eagles’ visit to lowly Birmingham with Moritz returning to the starting lineup.

Palace were quick out of the blocks with both Zaha and Bolasie going close and the visitors bossed the opening twenty minutes but no reward was forthcoming – until six minutes before half-time when Bolasie and Moritz combined to fashion an opening for Murray to bundle home.

From the restart, the Eagles were on the front foot so it came as no surprise when Zaha played in the overlapping Jonny Parr and his low cross was steered home by Murray.

But the game changed when the hosts sent on the tall Serbian Nikola Zigic, and he soon reduced the arrears. Momentum shifted and the home team rallied, and with eight minutes left an unmarked Diop headed in the equaliser.

Defender Danny Gabbidon came on for his Palace debut, but it was a frustrating night for the Eagles as the points were shared.

The dropping of two points was mitigated by Cardiff’s defeat but Middlesbrough and Hull were now snapping at Palace’s heels as Millwall entered the play-off places.

22nd December: Palace 1-1 Huddersfield

December was beginning to look like a banana skin as the team could only draw with mid-table Huddersfield, the third such result in a row.

Captain Jedinak returned following his ban and nearly opened the scoring from a free-kick inside a minute, but the game was turned on its head when Damien Delaney was dismissed for a high tackle; Garvan was sacrificed for Gabbidon as Holloway tried to adapt.

Things looked to be getting worse soon after when the Terriers were awarded a penalty, but it was a woeful penalty and Julian Speroni saved.

Huddersfield were punished just before half-time when Palace took an unlikely lead, Bolasie finding Zaha who scored with an unstoppable shot.

Palace were facing former players Sean Scannell and James Vaughan, and the visitors equalised with 15 minutes left when a corner was poked through Speroni’s legs. The sides were evened up for the last 10 minutes when Gerrard was sent-off for a tackle on Bolasie.

The Eagles dropped to third and the gap to leaders Cardiff was now four points.

26th December: Cardiff 2-1 Palace

Joel Ward picked up an injury in the Huddersfield game that would keep him out until April, giving an opportunity to Dean Moxey; Gabbidon made his first start for the suspended Delaney.

The Eagles took an early lead against the red-shirted Bluebirds as Jedinak fired home. A minute from the break Noone equalised for the home team after Bellamy beat Parr down the left.

The second-half was one to forget as the forwards were still misfiring. Gunnarsson gave Cardiff the lead, and Whittingham almost doubled the advantage, striking the crossbar.

Moritz and Jermaine Easter came on but the Eagles still huffed and puffed to no effect.

Palace lost further ground with this defeat at the League leaders but still had a buffer of five points to fifth-placed Leicester City.

29th December: Nottingham Forest 2-2 Palace

It took two morning pitch inspections for the game to go ahead, but the Eagles were not perturbed and were quick off the mark, as Moxey ran down the left and found Murray to score after just eight minutes.

The Eagles had a let-off when Forest hit the post on 28 minutes, but the home side levelled just before the break with Andy Reid’s shot from 20 yards.

Forest started the second-half on the front foot, but the Murray was not to be denied and gave Palace the lead nine minutes from time with a looping header.

The three points were within their grasp, but there was a twist in the tail during injury time when Billy Sharp poked home a loose ball following Speroni’s fingertip save onto a post.

Every other team in the top six claimed a victory that day as Cardiff pulled further away - but second-place Hull were still in reach....

Relive the full story of Palace's incredible 12/13 season through When Eagles Dare, now available to watch on Palace TV+.

The series was made in-house by Palace TV and first shown on Amazon Prime Video. You’ll hear the inside story of how Steve Parish and the 2010 consortium won tense negotiations with the fans’ support, how Dougie Freedman set the team up for success and the way Ian Holloway guided them forward.

There are exclusive interviews with all the key figures – including Parish, Freedman, Holloway, Wilfried Zaha, Damien Delaney, Yannick Bolasie, Jonny Williams, Mile Jedinak and many others – and previously unseen footage from behind the scenes.

Palace fanzine Five Year Plan wrote of the series: "This documentary is a love letter. Not just to the Palace team of 2012/2013, but to the people and the moments that make these stories so compelling. To the fans, the players and the club that sits at the heart of a South London community. Our community. Our Palace."