Black Cats strom the Palace

Steve Stammers13 April 2012
Crystal Palace 2 Sunderland 4 (AET)

Sven Goran Eriksson would have felt at home at Selhurst Park. The weather had a distinct Scandinavian feel, with a frost in the air and temperatures hovering below freezing. Guaranteed to make the new England manager feel he was back in his native Sweden.

There would have been plenty to give him optimism, too, as he plots his strategy for the forthcoming World Cup qualifiers and beyond.

In the white corner there was Sunderland's Kevin Phillips, nimble of foot, quick off the mark and never fazed if he misses a chance. He scored twice, earning Sunderland a fourth-round FA Cup tie with Ipswich and certain, it would seem, to figure in Eriksson's plans for the present qualifying campaign.

In the blue-and-red corner there was 20-year-old Clinton Morrison, of Crystal Palace, a raw, largely untapped talent blessed with great power and an eye for goal that will surely take him to the highest level.

His last two goals have come against Liverpool and Sunderland, two of the Premiership's leading lights. He was on target last night and Eriksson would have been encouraged to learn that the conveyor belt of English talent is functioning well.

He will, however, have to be quick if he wants to recruit Morrison. The Republic of Ireland, Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago have all staked a claim on his services and, as his Palace manager Alan Smith pointed out, Ochos Rios in the Caribbean has a touch more appeal than mid-winter in Dublin.

Morrison oozes potential but for the moment he is some way short of the finished article.

He tormented Emerson Thome and Stanislav Varga in the first half and the last thing Sunderland needed was to give him ammunition. Thomas Sorensen had already made one stunning save to deny him but there was no reprieve in the 25th minute when Morrison accelerated on to Alex Rae's misdirected header and this time the Danish goalkeeper had no chance.

Sunderland regrouped at half-time and, under Don Hutchison's orchestration, took control. With their supremacy, Morrison tended to fade and Phillips came to the fore. Despite squandering several openings, he refused to go AWOL and put Sunderland ahead within a minute of Niall Quinn equalising.

The industrious Stephen Thomson extended the match by half and hour with a last minute equaliser but in extra-time it was Phillips who again struck the telling blow with a fierce shot.

Even when substitute Danny Dichio was sent off for two bookings, Sunderland looked in control and the magnificent Hutchison set up the fourth for Kevin Kilbane.

When Morrison was substituted at Nottingham Forest on Sunday, the toys went flying from the pram. Last night, he wore a more forlorn look but when he reflects he would do well to learn from Phillips, who was a threat for the full 120 minutes.

Smith is no doubt about Morrison's talents. "There is something about him that captures the imagination," he said. "I do worry about the amount of attention he is getting above other players in the team but, in fairness, he doesn't seek it."

Goalscorers are the most expensive commodity in football and one of special ability - like Morrison - will inevitably attract attention.

Phillips has had such an existence for two years and his manager Peter Reid may as well make a recording of his responses to persistent inquiries about whether his striker has international class.

"What he needs, what anybody needs is a run - and I don't just mean one or two games," Reid said. "But I have always said that I feel he will score goals no matter what the level."

For Morrison and his Palace teammates it is now Gillingham at home on Saturday that counts as they look to ease up the First Division table.

"I don't want them feeling sorry for themselves and using it as an excuse," said Smith.

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