Fans stay away but Palace can still rely on some cheerleaders

It wasn't long ago that Palace could be sure of between 17,000 and 19,000 come rain or shine. Not any more.

The truth is that while 20,074 came for their last home game, against West Ham, last night's crowd was just over half that as 11,869 saw Glenn Murray's late spot-kick clinch three points.

City aren't a big draw - and only brought 441 fans - but Palace would expect a better turn-out. Not even a half-time show from the cheerleaders of American football outfit Tampa Bay Buccaneers could tempt them to Selhurst Park.

Yes, it was Champions League night but they were a mundane collection of group games that are becoming increasingly predictable.

Yet Palace, who have made their best start to a season for six years, possess an 18-year-old in Wilfried Zaha whose brilliance is worth the admission money alone. A couple of his double dragbacks required a slow-motion replay.

And it wasn't a freak night for bad crowds, as Ipswich, Nottingham Forest, Leeds and Reading were all comfortably above Palace's figure, with Southampton pulling in a record 32,152 against West Ham.

It's not as though recent results have been poor. Becoming the first team to beat bitter rivals Brighton on their own new ground, drawing with West Ham and then winning another derby, at Watford, should have had the punters pouring through the turnstiles.

Something is seriously wrong with the Palace support, even though they are happy with young manager Dougie Freedman and his use of the outstanding youngsters at the club.

Freedman's masterstroke last night was to bring on Jonny Williams, who has just turned 18, for the luckless Darren Ambrose, who was injured again. Williams, who has already been promoted from the Wales Under 21s to the senior squad, provided the effervescence of youth so badly needed against a City side determined to eke out a goalless draw and scramble a point.

It was Williams who earned Palace's penalty after he had bewildered central defender Lewin Nyatanga and was brought down.

City caretaker manager Steve Wigley, in his last game in charge before Derek McInnes takes over tomorrow, insisted Williams had tripped over his own feet.

Wigley was brought up at Forest under Brian Clough where it was a sin to complain about officials but he broke that rule last night.

"If I didn't say anything about what I thought, I would be letting down my players because they didn't deserve to be on the wrong end of somebody not being able to do their job properly," said Wigley.

Replays seemed to back Wigley as Williams tumbled under minimal, if any, contact. Regardless, Murray swept the penalty down the middle past England No1 David James.

Predictably, Freedman saw it differently from Wigley, saying: "Jonny has such quick feet it is difficult to defend. I've not seen the replay but Steve Wigley saying it wasn't a penalty? He would say that."

Palace, in fact, should have wrapped up the points before the penalty decided matters. Zaha had flashed an angled drive wide from the right and the England Under-19 star - who surely deserves an Under-21 call-up from Stuart Pearce - turned provider only for Ambrose to also shoot wide.

Then a James gaffe left the keeper way out of his area only for Ambrose to hit the ball just wide of the empty net.

Freedman refuses to get carried away by Palace's bright start to the season and said: "It's a surprise. I didn't think we'd take shape as quickly as we have. I thought it would take longer. But 12 games in we're bobbing along nicely."

Ambrose cut a depressing figure as he trudged off after being substituted after 56 minutes. Freedman added: "Darren got a knock on his foot. He was disappointed but his appetite for the game is higher than ever and he sees good things happening here."

Unfortunately, there are plenty of Palace supporters who aren't seeing it like Ambrose.