Clyne reflects on game of two halves against Fulham
Nathaniel Clyne was ambivalent in his assessment of Crystal Palace’s performance in our 1-1 New Year’s Day draw with Fulham at Selhurst Park.
“We managed to take the lead and did well,” Clyne told Palace TV. “We were doing very good in the first half. We controlled the game, and probably could have scored more goals.
“The first-half was really good. I felt like we were dominant. They didn't really look dangerous and we put a good display in.
“We’re just a bit disappointed that we didn't manage to hold on for the three points. We’ll take the one point and we'll move on to the next game.
“It’s just disappointing that the second-half they got back into the game. They got the goal, but we managed to get the point and now we move on to the next game.”
We've got a lot of games coming up thick and fast and we've just got to be ready
—Nathaniel Clyne
Palace’s goal stemmed from an outstanding piece of footwork by Clyne, matched with a wonderfully inviting delivery for Jean-Philippe Mateta to head home from close range.
The Eagles were indebted, however, after Tom Cairney’s last equaliser for Fulham, to goalkeeper Dean Henderson, who made one particularly outstanding injury-time save from Timothy Castagne.
On his assist, Clyne recalled: “I think the ball managed to come up to me out wide and, you know, I managed to win the 50-50 and saw JP at the back stick and just delivered it in. Thankfully, it went in.
“Dean is a top goalkeeper and his saves today were vital in us getting the point today. I’m happy for him, happy for the team and looking forward to the next game.”
Having reached the halfway mark of the 2025/26 Premier League season, Clyne reflected: “We're still involved in a lot of competitions and we're going to try and do the best we can.
“We've got a lot of games coming up thick and fast and we've just got to be ready, keep training hard on the training field, and be prepared for the matches and do the best we can.”