Sam Allardyce and Crystal Palace save themselves to consign Hull to relegation
Crystal Palace 4 Hull 0: Goals from Wilfried Zaha, Christian Benteke, Luka Milivojevic and Patrick van Aanholt secured the Eagles safety and sent the Tigers down
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Your support makes all the difference."Respect the point" has almost been the catchphrase of Sam Allardyce's revival of Crystal Palace.
But today, faced with a relegation showdown, they devoured all three, securing their Premier League status for another year and settling the nerves that many feel need never have descended on Selhurst Park.
Hull City, for their part, return to the Championship. Marco Silva, their intriguing Portuguese coach is unlikely to go with them.
On a day when only a win would do for the Tigers, they never looked anywhere close. A second-minute goal can do that to you, as damaging an opening as Silva could have imagined and one that set his rage ablaze.
Andrea Ranocchia, the on-loan defender whose air-kick allowed Wilfried Zaha to slot the opening goal through Eldin Jakupovic’s legs, will likely never don the black and amber stripes again.
Already facing a mountain to climb, Hull now needed at least two goals to have a chance of survival.
Then Christian Benteke headed home from a corner and that mountain became Everest. Hull hadn’t scored two goals in an away game since their first of the season. That was the last time they’d won an away trip too - nine months of fruitless trekking around the country eventually sapping their early-season verve, their confidence and, now, their Premier League status.
By the second half, basking in survival and the sun, Palace’s players were enjoying themselves. Sitting back and then shredding Hull on the counter attack, this is how the Eagles often play their best football. For the Tigers, already puffing heavily, it was a lot of chasing and disappointment.
When veteran defender Michael Dawson, puffing heaviest of them all, faced a foot race with Jeffrey Schlupp the result was inevitable. A trip, a whistle and a goal from the penalty spot followed as Luka Milivojevic made it three. Hull were toast.
Patrick van Aanholt’s late goal was the icing on the cake or a kick in the teeth, depending on your allegiances. Hull City, visibly deflated and defeated, trudged through the remaining seconds knowing the imminent whistle was both blessed relief from this embarrassment but at the same time a death sentence for their Premier League status.
When it came, Selhurst erupted. Hull slumped to the turf. It was that sort of afternoon, encapsulated in a second but defining a season.
For Palace there is a future of certainty, Sam Allardyce in place and a clear upward trend. For Hull, question marks everywhere and a rusting For Sale sign over the door. They depart into far more unstable waters, exiting with a whimper.
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