ROY DOES AYEW TURN
Recalled striker repays Hodgson’s faith with a vital late goal to kill off Wolves
RUI PATRICIO
Early tip over. No-frills display which reflected in those in front BENNETT Booked
Nothing flash about him but one of the steadiest performers COADY
Exceptionally good at his job and can pick out a pass too
BOLY Booked
Early booking and missed great header shortly before break DOHERTY
Always a nuisance for Palace with frequent raids down the right MOUTINHO
Quietly effective but still seems short of his very top level
SAISS Booked
Had to be careful after being booked for tugging Zaha to floor JONNY Booked
So-so display but can’t be faulted for effort and endeavour
COSTA
Seems to be struggling to really set things alight at higher level JIMENEZ
Holds up ball so well. Early shot only cleared bar by inches CAVALEIRO
Busy sort whose bustling style caused problems down right SUBS:
GIBBS-WHITE (Costa 64)
NEVES (Saiss 73)
TRAORE (Cavaleiro 84) Mostly routine stuff but did what was put in front of him well WAN-BISSAKA
Had to curb desire to get forward when Jonny proved a threat TOMKINS
Rather unlucky to see a thumping shot blocked by Saiss
SAKHO
Comical attempt at far post header from corner on half-time VAN AANHOLT
Had his hands full trying to keep tabs on Jimenez
MCARTHUR
Threatened to score but goalbound shot blocked by Doherty MILIVOJEVIC Booked
Lynchpin – forced keeper to tip over dangerous first-half effort KOUYATE
Loping style tends to disguise just how much ground he covers TOWNSEND
Carved open Wolves on a couple of occasions
AYEW
Chance to shine but didn’t really trouble defence until late strike ZAHA
Talent obvious but first-half dive hardly endeared him to rival fans SUBS:
WICKHAM (Ayew 88) WILFRIED ZAHA may have forgotten how to score, but Palace will not be worrying too much.
Jordan Ayew celebrated his recall to the Palace side with a crucial 83rdminute deadlock-breaker to stun Wolves.
Then Palace added a second goal with the very last kick of the game, a Luka Milivojevic penalty after Zaha – who else? – was sent tumbling by Ryan Bennett.
Palace boss Roy Hodgson made only one change – bringing in Ayew for Jeff Schlupp and the decision gave him a bumper pay-off.
Ayew was in the right spot to ram the ball home from eight yards as Palace finally made the breakthrough.
Up to that point it had been pretty uneventful with neither side really taking things by the scruff of the neck.
As the match seemed to be fading into a goalless stalemate, Ayew stepped up and put a whole new look on it.
Zaha was involved and that is just as well because he is not having the best of times in front of goal.
This was the 14th game on the spin that Palace’s main man has failed to find the net.
But in addition to earning the spot-kick, he will point to an invaluable assist in the lead up to Ayew’s decisive late strike.
The winger had already sparked a game of pingpong in the Wolves box which saw about four players having shots blocked.
But when the ball came back out to him on the left of the box, he played it out to Patrick van Aanholt, who sent the ball towards the edge of the six-yard box where Ayew was lurking. He made no mistake, killing it dead with his right foot before steering a shot into the net with his left.
Wolves were stunned and had shown little to suggest they might claw it back, though they gave Palace a real scare when sub Ruben Neves lashed in a 25-yarder, which forced keeper Vicente Guaita into a good save.
Both managers would have fancied nabbing all three points after the shadow-boxing of the first half.
Hodgson would have emphasised to his men that this was an away win for the taking if they could just step things up a gear.
Wolves boss Nuno Espirito Santo cannot have been happy at his side’s failure to make any serious inroads on the Palace goal before the break. When they did, they got it horribly wrong Referee ........................... Attendance ...........................
– Willy Boly messing up a great opportunity from an Ivan Cavaleiro corner a few minutes before the interval.
The big French defender found time and an obscene amount of space eight yards out, but failed to make any contact and the ball was flying out of play wide of the post when Matt Doherty tried to retrieve things.
But in fairness, the ball was travelling at such a pace it restricted his ability to steer it properly and the ball flew over.
Palace huffed and puffed at times, but also rarely failed to trouble Rui Patricio in the Wolves goal. However, the Portugal keeper did have to move smartly to tip over a Milivojevic shot from distance.