Ricardo Fuller was controversially sent off, apparently for gestures made towards the crowd, as the Blues drew 2-2 at Crystal Palace. The Jamaican was given his marching orders on 76, 10 minutes after netting Town's second equaliser of the game, the first having been a Tom Soares own goal.

The Blues lined-up as expected with skipper Jim Magilton coming into the side for the injured Jimmy Juan. The Northern Irishman, considering a switch to Oxford as player-coach and perhaps making his final appearance for Town, took the very poor Selhurst Park pitch ahead of the rest of his team, to a rapturous reception from the away support.

Chances were rare in a scrappy opening spell and the first penalty area excitement resulted in the first goal. Andy Johnson escaped beyond the Town defence and was felled by Fabian Wilnis who received a yellow card with the former England international still having plenty to do to turn the break into a goal.

Ben Watson slammed the freekick into the wall, the ball cannoning out to Jobi McAnuff on the left, his cross finding Aki Riihilahti free on the edge of the six-yard from where he headed the ball past Shane Supple.

Town's first chance didn't come until the 12th minute but Ricardo Fuller's 25-yard shot was little problem for Gabor Kiraly in the Palace goal.

The Blues gradually took control of the game, Ricardo Fuller just failing to make a shooting opportunity from a Matt Richards pass.

But Palace, and particularly Andy Johnson, were looking dangerous when in and around the Town penalty area and in the 18th minute Jason De Vos did well to block a shot from Soares which appeared to be goalbound. Soon after, Johnson headed wide.

Town got back on terms on the half hour. Sito crossed from the right, the ball was cleared out to Owen Garvan on the edge of the box, the Irish youngster finding Jim Magilton to his left, the skipper then moving the ball on to Matt Richards wide on the left.

The England U21 cap sent in a low cross towards Fuller and Lee but Darren Ward's clearance struck Soares and sent it beyond Kiraly, whose desperate grab at the ball came after it had crossed the line. The goal had been coming, even if it's eventual source was somewhat fortunate.

Soon after the goal, Alan Lee became the second Town player to get his name in the referee's book for a late tackle on Emerson Boyce. Shortly afterwards, Andy Johnson sent a 25-yard freekick wide.

Ben Watson had a good chance to put his side back in front in the 39th minute after being played through one-on-one with Shane Supple. However, the Town keeper stood his ground and Watson shot weakly straight at him.

Town went close to going in front three minutes later, an exchange of passes between Magilton and Lee giving the Republic of Ireland international space to cross from the right towards Fuller, but the on-loan frontman flicked the ball just wide of the post.

On 44 the Blues had another good chance, Magilton again the architect, the 36-year-old finding Fuller on the left with a sublime pass. The Jamaican sent a looping ball into the box towards Matt Richards but the midfielder's shot from 10 yards was high and wide, the bumpy pitch having made the chance harder than it otherwise would have been.

Late on, Darren Currie twisted and turned before hitting a 25-yard strike which Kiraly comfortably claimed.

Palace had started the better of the two sides but after their goal the Blues had come back and had deserved to equalise. It was the Town supporters who were the happier as the players left the field.

Jason De Vos, who had eight stitches after Tuesday's game at Preston, required treatment for his eye injury shortly after the break, the Canadian briefly leaving the field and Alan Lee dropping into an emergency centre-half role, before the more regular defender returned with a bandage on his head.

Six minutes into the new half, Palace went back in front. Fabian Wilnis had harshly been ruled to have fouled Andy Johnson by referee Kevin Friend on the left, the Dutchman having won the ball. Ben Watson whipped in the freekick and Clinton Morrison rose unmarked to head past Supple.

The second goal was a touch unfair on Town who had started the half the better of the teams, but like the first goal an individual defensive lapse had been punished.

Barron blocked a Soares shot then a Johnson strike pole-axed Morrison as the Eagles went looking for a third.

But as in the first half, the Blues recovered from conceding the goal and scored one of their own in the 66th minute. Matt Richards made himself room to cross from the left and found Fuller six yards out, the loanee heading the ball under Kiraly for the second goal of his three-match spell with Town.

On 66 Chris Casement came on for his first team debut, taking over from Scott Barron. The Northern Irish youngster, normally a centre-half, slotted in at right-back with Sito moving to the left.

Lee wasn't far from putting the Blues in front in the 73rd minute when he seized on a loose ball in the area but Kiraly was out quickly to block.

Town had the ball in the net in the 74th minute when Lee and Fuller broke away, the Jamaican elegantly chipping Kiraly only for referee Friend to pull play back and show the Town striker the yellow card.

There was more official-related woe a minute later when Alan Lee appeared to have got away beyond the Palace defence but the linesman ruled, perhaps wrongly, that the Irishman had strayed offside.

Soon after the Blues were reduced to 10 men, inexplicably to virtually everyone in the ground. Referee Friend was called over by his linesman and, after a short chat, went over to Fuller in the centre circle and showed him a straight red card to the huge surprise of the Town players and support.

It took until after the game to discover that Fuller had made a two-fingered gesture towards supporters, the linesman apparently taking offence.

The red card wasn't the final arguable refereeing decision to afflict the Blues. On 82 Lee managed to get away from Fitz Hall put was pulled back. However, as seems typical of Town's luck with referees at present, Mr Friend indicated a foul against Lee and awarded Palace a freekick.

On 83 Norwegian Vemund Brekke Skard became Town's second debut maker when he took over from skipper Jim Magilton.

Andy Johnson shot well wide after a promising break on 88, before Supple made a superb save from sub Dougie Freedman at his far post, the Scot having headed a freekick flicked on by Riihilahti, but Town's 10 men remained solid.

Yet another game affected by controversial refereeing, Kevin Friend putting in a performance on a par with Eddie Ilderton's at Preston on Tuesday. No one in the ground had any understanding of why Fuller was sent off.

It took until after the game to discover why and even after explanation the decision was wholly surprising; how often have opposition goalkeepers gestured towards the North Stand and received no sanction?

As at Preston Town again appeared to have the worst of every contentious decision, the incident which would have seen Fuller score his second and the clash between Lee and Hall late on, two of the game's more frustrating moments.

Aside from the first 20 minutes, Town were the better side, although the individual errors from set pieces which led to the two Crystal Palace goal will be a concern to Joe Royle and Willie Donachie.

Chris Casement did well on his debut, getting forward well on a number of occasions and making some telling interceptions. Vemund Brekke Skard wasn't really on the field long enough to seriously get involved.

Town's drop to 11th probably ends any lingering hopes of the play-offs and we can expect a last few weeks of the season where the likes of Casement, Skard and others on the fringes of the side are given a chance to show what they can do ahead of next season's more serious promotion challenge.

Town: Supple, Sito, Barron (Casement 68), De Vos, Wilnis, Magilton (Skard 83), Currie, Garvan, Richards, Lee, Fuller. Unused: Price, McDonald, Clarke. Att: 22,076.

Photo: Action Images

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