Eagles swoop to plunder points

IF last Saturday’s agonising draw with Bournemouth had left Crystal Palace feeling like two points had slipped through their fingers, then here were three that were magicked out of nothing.

Once more there were late dramatics at Selhurst Park. Not, this time, in the shape of a missed penalty but instead through the ugliest of equalisers from Bakary Sako and then a stoppage-time winner from James McArthur, two substitutes rescuing a night for Palace that had for so long looked to have been a night to forgotten.

This was a pure steal of a victory, a robbing of a Watford side that were made to pay for their profligacy after Daryl Janmaat’s early blast from the south London cold, and for Tom Cleverley’s foolish red card with just minutes remaining.

It takes Palace off the foot of the table, kick-starts their fight against relegation and extends Palace’s unbeaten run to six games.

Roy Hodgson has said keeping Palace in the division would be the greatest escape of his career. If they manage it, it will be nights like this that make the difference.

Cleverley’s red card, for two wild challenges, gave Palace a boost going into the final few minutes.

But after such a lack of drive for so long, not many inside Selhurst Park expected it to make too much of a difference.

But then Sako barrelled his way through the Watford defence, bobbling the ball into the net off his knee.

Three minutes later McArthur was there to rifle home a powerful shot into the corner after Zaha had raced down the left. (© Daily Telegraph, London)