Noble strike stuns Eagles

Injury-time rocket puts City in pole position

By James Pearson   Last updated: 10th May 2008

Noble strike stuns Eagles

Robins celebrate Carey's opener

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David Noble's injury-time stunner has made Bristol City favourites to progress to the Championship play-off final following a hard-fought 2-1 success over Crystal Palace.

The teams were evenly-matched throughout the first leg tie at Selhurst Park, but a well-worked set-piece straight from the training ground put Gary Johnson's side in front on 53 minutes.

After Lee Trundle was fouled 30-yards out from goal the visitors carved The Eagles apart with two passes from the set-piece before Louis Carey curled home his first of the season.

Neil Warnock's side were back on level terms in the closing stages when hero Carey upended Jose Forte. Ben Watson made no mistake from the penalty spot by slotting the ball past Adriano Basso.

However, with the game destined to finish all-square Noble opted for a long-range effort which rocketed into the top corner of the net giving Julian Speroni no chance of a save and the visitors a priceless 2-1 success.

It was City who made the brighter start with Lee Trundle forcing a couple of early corners and Jamie McCombe unable to get his header on target from Michael McIndoe's free-kick.

Millimetres

Palace were millimetres from a being awarded a penalty after 11 minutes when Scott Sinclair was felled by Nick Carle a fraction outside the area.

McIndoe was claiming a spot-kick at the other end after being thwarted by Fonte, but the Portuguese centre-half had timed his tackle to perfection.

City got a sight of goal eight minutes before the break when Dele Adebola outwitted Jose Fonte on the byline and crossed towards Carle, whose shot was bravely blocked by Clint Hill.

Moments later Adebola was acrobatically denied by Speroni as he planted a firm downward header towards goal from Bradley Orr's cross.

After the break Watson fizzed a low shot narrowly wide, but it was City who finally made the breakthrough in the 53rd minute.

Well-worked

A well-worked free-kick routine saw Noble find Carle, who squared for Carey to find the top corner of Speroni's net with a superb first-time curling shot.

Warnock introduced James Scowcroft but the forward lasted just five minutes before being carried off on a stretcher with the hamstring injury which sidelined him for a month - and will surely rule him out for the remainder of the season.

Watson put another header wide as Palace pushed for an equaliser, and they were rewarded four minutes from time when Carey, who had initially stumbled himself, dragged down makeshift forward Fonte.

Watson stepped up to coolly convert his penalty past Basso to level the scores. But City were not finished and Noble collected a loose ball in midfield, took one step forward and unleashed a rocket of a shot which flew into the top corner.