ROY: PALACE NEED MORE FROM ZAHA

have so much faith in his ability and always feel, with a bit of luck, there’s more there to give.

“What I will be preaching to him for the rest of the season is that a player of his ability has got more to give and it is not sufficient to just score a few more goals than last season. I want to see him create havoc in the opponents’ defence and he didn’t do that today.”

Only a 90th-minute deflected Brighton equaliser denied Palace all three points, and Hodgson added: “I am very satisfied with what I saw from the team and bitterly disappointed we did not get it through to the end.

“We came so close to taking the glittering prize, but we were robbed of it right at the end. But we weren’t robbed of the result because, in the second half in particular, Brighton asked a lot of questions of our defence.

“I’m very proud of our defence as they answered those questions until the last three or four minutes.

“In the second half, towards the end, we were slightly guilty of trying to protect that lead, not looking to go forward and increase the lead, especially after Batshuayi’s disallowed goal. Would I have liked to have seen a bit more? Of course I would. We worked hard to create chances.

“If we didn’t succeed as well as we would have liked today, it might be because of the pressure the opponents put on us.”

Palace defender Gary Cahill (above) said: “On the basis of the game and the time we conceded we are disappointed. We played direct a bit too much.

“We have the attacking players now. I felt today at time we played into their hands and could have built a bit more. It is difficult but the attitude and the way we went about the game was positive.”