Report & Highlights: França’s fantastic finale claims Palace point at Southampton

Summary:

• One change for Palace as Clyne replaces the injured Richards.
• 2: Mateta hits the bar with a blazing strike from the edge of the box inside the opening 90 seconds.
• 8: Fernandes’ strike from a dangerous position is deflected over.
• 20 – GOAL: Onuachu’s powerful header squeezes into the bottom corner to end Palace’s long run of away clean sheets.
• 32: Lerma’s long throws cause panic in the Southampton box, with half-chances for Sarr and Guéhi.
• 36: Mateta spins on Clyne’s cross and shoots hard and low, but Ramsdale denies him.
• 42: Onuachu goes close for Southampton twice in quick succession.
• HT: Southampton 1-0 Palace
• 50: Eze pulls a low effort wide of the near post.
• 55: Shouts for a Palace penalty, but Bednarek wins the ball cleanly from Sarr.
• 58: Glasner shuffles his pack as Chilwell, Kamada and Nketiah all come on.
• 71: Nketiah races onto an errant backpass, but his prodded shot is smothered by Ramsdale.
• 90+2 – GOAL: França scores his first Palace goal with a smart header at the near post.
• 90+4: Nketiah’s brilliant snapshot sails inches over the bar as Eagles press for a late winner.
• FT: Southampton 1-1 Palace

Palace went into the game in imperious form, having enjoyed seven consecutive away clean sheets in all competitions – six of them wins, a joint-high in English top-flight history.

And with the Eagles surging with confidence, Oliver Glasner’s side struck the woodwork inside 90 seconds when Jean-Philippe Mateta spun Jack Stephens with a lovely bit of skill.

Racing towards the box, and with defenders backing off, the forward arched a delightful effort towards Aaron Ramsdale’s top corner; the ball crashed off the underside of the bar, and spun away from the chasing Ismaïla Sarr.

Slowly, however, Southampton themselves appeared to gain confidence, and only a timely intervention from Marc Guéhi moments later denied Mateus Fernandes a clean shot on goal inside the box; the ball deflected, thankfully, over Dean Henderson’s crossbar.

The opening stages were back-and-forth – but the opener, after 20 minutes, went the hosts’ way. Fernandes had too much time to pick out Paul Onuachu in between two Palace shirts, and the tall striker’s downwards header – from 12 yards out – beat Henderson’s outstretched hand for pace, creeping into the bottom corner.

It was the first goal Palace had conceded away from home since 18th December at Arsenal in the League Cup – and, in the Premier League, since our win at Brighton three days earlier.

It proved the catalyst for a more solid display from Southampton than many of recent times, with Palace struggling to find many gaps in the final third.

A set-piece appeared the best route to goal for Glasner’s side, with two Jefferson Lerma long throws in quick succession troubling the hosts’ defence: the first did not sit kindly for Sarr before being cleared. A second, moments later, did indeed fall to Guéhi inside the box, but his snap-shot was blocked by the sea of legs in front of him.

As half-time approached, Mateta would go close again, instantly bringing down Clyne’s fizzed cross and spinning sharply inside the box – only for Ramsdale to make a brilliant low save to deny Palace’s top scorer.

It could have got worse for the visitors before half-time, but Onuachu could not capitalise on either an errant Palace pass at the back, or an overhit Kyle Walker-Peters cross, in the closing seconds.

Glasner’s side had work to do heading into the second-half, and set about their task with renewed purpose; a fine cross-field dribble from Sarr made space for the No. 7 to feed Ebere Eze on the overlap.

Seeking to deceive Ramsdale, Eze’s effort towards the near post – rather than across goal – whistled just wide, and instead found the side-netting.

Eze was involved again seconds later as his inch-perfect slide rule pass released Sarr in the box, only for Jan Bednarek to slide in and win the ball as the Palace man prepared to shoot.

Just shy of the hour mark, Glasner sought inspiration from his bench, introducing Ben Chilwell, Daichi Kamada and Eddie Nketiah in a bid to refresh his side.

Palace continued to press for an equaliser and dominate possession in the second-half, but struggled to create against a well-organised home defence.

Yet those same Southampton defenders were almost the architects of their own downfall 20 minutes from time, as a loose Bednarek backpass was seized upon by Nketiah.

With the ball just in front of him, the No. 9 prodded it goalwards – and was desperately unfortunate to see Ramsdale reach it at almost the same time, the ball deflecting off the ‘keeper, then the Palace forward, then behind.

It appeared to all be building towards a frustrating finale for Glasner’s side, with França introduced from the bench for the final 15 minutes to make his first Premier League appearance of the season.

It had already been quite the fortnight for the Brazilian, who two weeks ago celebrated becoming a father – and then his 21st birthday the day before the match.

Good things come in threes, and with time running out, the Brazilian was well placed – and improvised superbly – to produce a brilliant flicked header at the near post from Lerma’s low cross.

Ramsdale got a hand to it, but could not keep it out – and França, his teammates, and the sold-out away end celebrated the attacker’s first competitive Palace goal with jubilation.

There even appeared to be time to win it, with Nketiah doing brilliantly to gather Chilwell’s low cross, spin and half-volley towards the top corner. Ramsdale was beaten – but so too was the crossbar.

Nevertheless, after a battling evening, Palace dug deep to claim a point – and a draw which saw us match our previous club record of 10 consecutive league matches on the road without defeat.

Southampton: Ramsdale (GK), Walker-Peters, Downes (Archer, 89), Bednarek, Harwood-Bellis, Manning (Dibling, 80), Stephens, Fernandes, Sulemana (Welington, 80), Ugochukwu (Aribo, 70), Onuachu (Sugawara, 89).

Subs: McCarthy (GK), Bree, Wood, Bella-Kotchap.

Palace: Henderson (GK), Clyne (Kamada, 58), Lacroix, Guéhi, Muñoz (França, 76), Lerma, Wharton (Devenny, 86), Mitchell (Chilwell, 58), Sarr, Mateta (Nketiah, 58), Eze.

Subs: Turner (GK), Ward, Kporha, Esse.

As It Happened