Bristol City Vs Crystal Palace, Coca-Cola Championship 28th December 2008, kick-off 3pm

Hello and welcome to Ashton Gate for today's game with myself Neil McSteen.

Team news for Palace - Paddy McCarthy is out injured, so that means a big re-shuffle for Palace. Lee Hills starts, and probably at left-back. Clint Hill is suspended, having notched up too many yellow cards. Matt Lawrence, who came on as a sub against Norwich on Boxing Day, starts at centre-back alongside Fonte. Clyne keeps his place at right back.

In midfield and up-front it gets interesting. Shaun Derry starts, so will probably sit in front of the back four. John Oster will play a forward role in midfield, with Alan Lee the lone striker up front. Paul Ifill and Danny Butterfield will be the wide midfielders, with Nick Carle in the centre.

So call it 4-5-1 when Palace are defending, and when the Eagles are attacking Ifill and Oster will be helping out Alan Lee.

On the subs bench, it's Scannell, Danns, Ertl, Griffit and Kuqi.

28 mins - City should be two ahead after a flowing move down the left saw Maynard square the ball to Stern John who's shot is saved by Speroni's right foot.

Bristol City are unchanged from their impressive 4-2 away win over Watford on Boxing Day.

The teams are out on the pitch - Palace kick-off. Clyne is actually at left-back, Butterfield at right-back with Lee Hills wide on the left of midfield.

Nick Carle is geting booed by the Bristol City fans - what short memories football fans have.

2 mins GOAL - Bristol City are ahead, Stern John finding Nicky Maynard on the edge of the D who lashes home past Speroni

5 mins - City win the first corner of the game - Palace give away a second corner. City are putting the Eagles under pressure. Palace finally clear.

10 mins - Palace win a corner after Butterfield's cross for the lurking Alan Lee is turned behind. Oster takes the corner and there is shout for handball against Louis Carey the City captain, but the ref said it was his chest.

13 mins - Palace get out of jail after Butterfield and Speroni bump into each other in the box, the ball falls to Nicky Maynard but his snatched shot from just inside the area goes wide.

23 mins - Derry hooks the ball into the box, headed clear - Hills shapes to shoot, but his shot goes out for a throw-in. Palace aren't at the races quite yet.

26 min - Matt Lawrence concedes a corner. Lee Johnson takes, but City head behind. Palace have started to compete, and are getting back into the game without troubling Basso in the City goal too much.

27 mins - Oster cracks a shot from 25 yard out - flies just over Basso's bar.

28 mins - City should be two ahead after a flowing move down the left sees Maynard square the ball to Stern John who sees his low shot saved by the out stretched leg of Speroni

30 min - Butterfield YELLOW CARD. He's not having a great game.

32 min - Ivan Sproule gets down the left and into the Palace area, before smacking the ball low and hard with his right foot - it beats everyone, hits the inside of the post and away. Palace are living dangerously.

41 mins - Louis Carey brings down Alan Lee just inside the City half. Butterfield pumps the ball forward into the box but Bristol clear.

43 mins - Lee Hills shoots from 15 yards out, left footed - hits the angle of the post and cross bar - and the ball flies up and Basso is able to claim the ball. A let-off for City.

HALF TIME

45 mins - City kick-off. No changes for either side.

47 mins - Alan Lee is fouled by Elliot. Carle takes, Basso tips onto the roof of the net.

48 mins - Oster takes the corner, Fonte is at the near post and tries to flick the ball into the net with his right foot, but Basso is alert.

49 mins - Clyne blocks Sproule's cross. Corner. Palace clear. But City attack again, Fontaine gets forward as Speroni stays on the line. Fontaine, born in Beckenham and raised a Palace fan, scoops the ball over.

51 mins - Carle shoots from range again - and it's just over. He really wants a goal today against his old club.

55 mins - Alan Lee is fouled. Butterfield floats the ball in, but City clear.

57 mins - Palace are looking a lot better since the start of the second half.

60 min - Lawrence clears under pressure, falls to Maynard who curls a shot from 20 yards that flies just wide. Sounds obvious, but Palace need to get that equaliser and soon.

63 min - YELLOW CARD - Fonte

63 min - City have a free-kick 20 yards out, but Johnson shoots straight into the wall. Finds it's way to Sproule, who shoots from the right inside the area. Speroni makes a good save and it's out for a corner.

70 mins - Palace Sub - Hills off, Kuqi ON and Oster off, Danns ON

73 mins - Bristol City Sub - Stern John off, Dele Adebola ON

74 mins - Palace should be level after Kuqi gets down the right and crosses low and hard for Alan Lee in the 6 yard box. Somehow, Basso makes the save and Palace are denied. City then go up the other end Speroni fists the ball away for a corner.

79 mins - Palace Sub - Alan Lee off, Sean Scannell ON

83 mins - Bristol City Sub - McIndoe Off, Cole Skuse ON

91 mins - Bristol City Sub - Johnson Off, Jamie McCombe ON

The game has finished, and Palace's unbeaten run comes to an end. Clyne tried to turn in Butterfield's cross from the right in the fourth minute of injury time but it was not to be. Join us for the FA Cup 3rd Round tie away at Leicester City on January 3rd.