Times report - "a side transformed by the potent cocktail of momentum and hope"

Patrick Vieira, the Crystal Palace manager, had urged Wilfried Zaha “to be more consistent” — and his point was proved last night. Having produced a sublime piece of skill to curl the ball into the top corner for his side’s equaliser against Norwich City, the forward proceeded to trickle the weakest of penalties wide of the post only three minutes later, leaving Palace to cling on for a point.

This was the first spot kick that Zaha has missed in the Premier League, having scored his previous four penalties, and it left his manager to rue what might have been.

“The goal of course was fantastic, an unbelievable finish,” Vieira said. “Unfortunately [the penalty] was the chance that could give us the three points.”

The draw leaves Norwich in the relegation zone after Newcastle United’s win over Everton on Tuesday. Despite their good fortune, courtesy of Zaha’s miss, they were still left feeling flat, having taken the lead after only 39 seconds through Teemu Pukki — a goal that had left them dreaming of three successive Premier League wins for the first time since December 2012.

“No one knows how big that point could be — it’s important we didn’t lose the game — but we are disappointed; we could have gone on from the goal we scored,” Dean Smith, the Norwich head coach, said.

In the reverse fixture at Selhurst Park, Norwich conceded three first-half goals, but this is a side transformed by the potent cocktail of momentum and hope. Carrow Road is used to fear and anxiety and yet, even before Pukki had put them ahead, there was a feeling that their target of beating the drop was more than just a dream.

There was a fearlessness in the pace and freedom with which Milot Rashica advanced down the left wing. Then came the vision to find Adam Idah, whose lay-off reached Pukki to prod home — his mis-hit finish bouncing off the inside of a post and into the net.

Palace played like a team in mid–table, without the jeopardy of a relegation battle. They made four changes from their FA Cup victory over Hartlepool United, but Zaha, returning to the team after the Africa Cup of Nations, was largely ineffective in the first half.

Pukki hesitated and missed out on the chance to double Norwich’s lead, allowing Tyrick Mitchell to recover and block, while Palace had a goal from Jean-Philippe Mateta correctly ruled out for offside.

Zaha has not quite reached his former heights under Vieira but in his goal, dancing past Przemyslaw Placheta for Palace’s equaliser on the hour mark, there was a glimpse. He sprinted over to hug his manager in celebration.

Three minutes later, Zaha had the chance to give Palace the lead from the penalty spot after Mitchell was fouled, but his effort was weak, rolling harmlessly past the post — to the delight of the Norwich fans, who celebrated as if their team had scored.

Norwich City(4-4-2): A Gunn 7 — M Aarons 5, G Hanley 7, B Gibson 7, B Williams 7 — P Placheta 6 (B Gilmour 64min 6), P Lees-Melou 7 (M Normann 75), K McLean 6, M Rashica 8 — A Idah 7 (J Rowe 84), T Pukki 8 Booked Williams

Crystal Palace (4-3-3): V Guaita 7 — J Ward 5, J Andersen 6, M Guehi 7, T Mitchell 8 — C Gallagher 6, W Hughes 6, J Schlupp 7 (E Eze 80) — M Olise 7, J-P Mateta 6 (O Edouard 80), W Zaha 7 Booked Mateta, Gallagher

Referee P Tierney

Posted By: Old Git, Feb 10, 11:19:48