Report & Highlights: Injury-time equaliser earns Palace Women draw with Leicester

Summary:

• The team is significantly rotated from the defeat against West Ham, including a return to the line-up for Blanchard
• 2: It's a very strong start for Palace, with Leitzig forced into two good saves in the opening exchanges
• 14: Blanchard intercepts the ball and chips a nice ball to Sharpe, whose effort stings the gloves of the Leicester goalkeeper
• 28: Eiríksdóttir latches on to a misplaced back-pass, but misses her effort in the one-on-one
• 40: Green's snapshot from the inside the box forces another excellent save from Leitzig
• 43: Eiríksdóttir gets on the end of a fine cross from Cain, but can't turn her shot goalward
• 45+2: GOAL - Cain opens the scoring with an accurate side footed finish inside the box
• HT: Palace 0 - 1 Leicester
• 53: Fingertips save from Yañez denies a second for the visitors
• 69: GOAL - Palace are awarded a penalty, and Blanchard fires the ball into the right corner
• 73: A fantastic Larkin cross is headed over the bar by Sharpe
• 90+3: GOAL - O'Brien grabs an injury time goal after a fine pass from Thibaud
• 90+8: GOAL - Larkin pops up at the back post and finishes into an empty net to earn a draw for Palace
• FT: Palace 2 - 2 Leicester

Palace's last home game of the season ended up in a dramatic 2-2 draw, as the Eagles came from behind twice to draw with Leicester City.

Palace dominated the first half in south London but could not convert one of the many chances they created.

The Eagles set the tone from the first whistle, as Molly-Mae Sharpe forced Leicester goalkeeper Jarina Leitzig into a fine double save just two minutes in.

On 14 minutes, Annabel Blanchard nearly earned an assist on her return to the starting line-up, after the midfielder chipped a cute ball in behind the defence and into the feet of Sharpe.

Sharpe was not able to generate enough power on her effort though, and Leitzig smothered the ball with ease.

Josie Green was the next player to test the Leicester goalkeeper, but Leitzig pulled off an outrageous reflex save to deny Palace an opener.

It was the away side that took the lead in Sutton though, with Hannah Cain sweeping the ball home just before the half-time whistle.

Palace came out determined in the second half and the pressure did eventually tell on the 67th minute, when Josie Green was brought down after a powerful run into the Leicester box.

The referee pointed to the spot, and Blanchard converted emphatically from 12 yards - marking her fourth WSL goal of the campaign and her third against Leicester this season.

Palace nearly took the lead just four minutes later, but Sharpe couldn't get her header right after meeting a wonderful Abbie Larkin cross at the back post.

The visitors thought they had won it in the 93rd minute after Shannon O'Brien found the net from close range, but there was even more drama to come.

Sharpe won the ball high up the field and cut it across the goal to Larkin, who finished into an empty net to tie the game up in the dying moments.

It was a thrilling end to a game where Palace had done more than enough to come away with a point.

Not only was this Palace's last home game of the Barclays Women's Super League season, but it also marked Fliss Gibbons' last home game of her career.

After three years at Palace, the defender announced that she would be retiring at the end of the season in April.

Before kick-off, captain Aimee Everett presented Gibbons with flowers, a signed shirt and a framed copy of the DS Eagles' cover of Palace anthem: "Glad All Over".

Palace Women's final game of the WSL season will kick off next Saturday at 12:00, at the Joie Stadium against Manchester City.

Away tickets for that game are available, and you can get them here!

Palace: Yañez (GK), Veje, Sharpe, Blanchard, Weerden, Green (Larkin, 70), Potter, Nolan, Gejl, Stengel (Cato, 70), Swaby

Subs not used: Majassaari (GK), Gibbons, Arthur, Hughes, Öling, Woodham

Leicester: Leitzig (GK), Nevin, Tierney, Cayman (Rose, 86), Ale, Eiríksdóttir (Chossenotte, 59), Thibaud, Goodwin (O'Brien, 59) Cain (Lasova 72), Momiki (Takarada, 72), Swaby

Subs not used: Clarke (GK), Howard, Torres, Sherwood