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Crystal Palace send Hull City into second division

Crystal Palace secured their Premier League status on Sunday with a 4-0 demolition of Hull City who were relegated to the second tier Championship.

Palace manager Sam Allardyce (left) consoles Hull City boss Marco Silva after relegating his side to the second tier of English football.
Palace manager Sam Allardyce (left) consoles Hull City boss Marco Silva after relegating his side to the second tier of English football. Reuters/Toby Melville
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Marco Silva's side knew only a victory at Selhurst Park would give them a chance of staying up following Swansea City's 2-0 win at relegated Sunderland.

But goals from Wilfried Zaha after three minutes and Christian Benteke just before half time left the visitors teetering.

Luka Milivojevic's penalty after 85 minutes to make it 3-0 merely confirmed the inevitable and Patrick van Aanholt was the final nail in the coffin.

For the Palace faithful it was a parade. An unexpected 2-1 win at Stamford Bridge against leaders Chelsea on 1 April followed up by triumphs over Arsenal and Liverpool looked to have moved Palace away from the drop zone. But losses to Tottenham Hotspur, Burnley and Manchester City pulled them back towards the mire.

But the south Londoners gained the point that ensured their safety and added more lustre to Sam Allardyce's reputation as a man that can galvanise a flagging team. When he took over from Alan Pardew in December 2016, Palace were 17th and in freefall. They will enjoy Premier League football next season.

By contrast Hull's poor form came at the worst possible time. They won one of their last six games and will return to the second division along with Sunderland and Middlesbrough after one season in the top flight.

"The season has been a long, hard slog and it's a sad day. We just came up short," Hull captain Michael Dawson said. "We were chasing the game all afternoon. The boys in the dressing room and the staff are very disappointed."

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