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Referee knocked out calming players' fracas

Crystal Palace 2 West Bromwich Albion

Norman Fo
Sunday 21 September 2003 00:00 BST
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Referee Paul Danson was rushed to hospital from Selhurst Park yesterday after a second-half incident that left him unconscious and bleeding from the mouth. As fate would have it, Palace rescued a point in added time awarded because of the referee's injury.

Danson, who has 15 years' refereeing experience, was taken to Mayday hospital in Croydon and detained. The incident had occurred when three players became involved in kicking and pushing and he moved in to sort things out. He fell to the ground on his face and remained motionless as a neck brace was fitted.

The referee's observer, Paul Alcock, said he could not comment other than to say "one of the players could count himself fortunate that the referee went down''.

The match itself was a slow starter. West Brom had added no fuel to their fiery early season determination to regain their Premiership status by losing 1-0 to Wigan in midweek and, with it, top place. Palace had fared even worse - beaten at home by Bradford.

At the outset yesterday, West Brom appeared the more perturbed by their midweek setback. Palace, forcefully led in attack by the returning Dougie Freedman, pestered away, moving the ball comfortably in midfield and using the width provided by Danny Butterfield to useful effect. Albion struggled to keep possession and circumnavigate the hefty Tony Popovic in the centre of Palace's defence.

Not that Palace created more than a small handful of decent first-half chances. The best, made by Butterfield's inswinging cross, was sent a shade over the bar by Neil Shipperley. The rest too often travelled tamely into the hands of West Brom's goalkeeper Russell Hoult.

Palace almost paid for not converting the best of their opportunities, when, shortly before half time, they allowed Jason Koumas too much time to pick his spot. From outside the penalty area he aimed for the far corner, but struck the post.

Early in the second half a great chance fell to Albion's Lee Hughes, who broke clear but shot well wide. However, his embarrassment was quickly erased when Alessane N'Dour played the ball over the Palace defence. Rob Hulse took the ball in his stride and smacked it past Cedrick Berthelin.

The game had badly needed that lift, and Palace reacted positively. Just before the hour Andy Johnson swept the ball low across the goalmouth and Freedman brushed in the equaliser.

What the game did not need was the unhappy injury to referee Danson. It appeared to be meandering towards an almost mutually agreed draw when West Brom were given a 90th minute free-kick by the deputy referee some 25 yards out. Koumas fairly blasted it through defence and into goal. Palace replied almost immediately. Shaun Derry skewed the ball across goal. Hoult deflected it, but Johnson was there to equalise.

Crystal Palace 2
Freedman 59, Johnson 90

West Bromwich Albion 2
Hulse 52, Koumas 89

Half-time 0-0 Attendance: 17,477

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