Hennessey thrown into the spotlight as Palace let it slip
WAYNE HENNESSEY may have wished to lie low amid the FA investigation into whether he was or wasn’t pictured performing a Nazi salute on a night out last week.
Yet the Crystal Palace goalkeeper was forced to come off the substitutes’ bench at Selhurst Park when his team were leading 1-0, only for them to go on to lose.
Watford scored with their only two shots on target and the loss of first-choice goalkeeper Vicente Guaita to a muscle injury was a blow for Palace manager Roy Hodgson.
The Spaniard will be sent for a scan tomorrow morning and if it shows anything serious, Hennessey will be set for a spell between the sticks.
Hodgson defended his goalkeeper this week, saying he believed him when he said that picture was not what it looked like. Whether the FA will buy that remains to be seen.
Hennessey should have done more to prevent Watford’s equaliser but it would be harsh to criticise him for Tom Cleverley’s winner. The substitute’s volley was simply too good to stop.
Hodgson said: ‘If you want to win games, you need to take the chances that come your way. We had our chances but only scored once. That’s what football is.’
Watford boss Javi Gracia said: ‘I’m very proud of all my players. In all of our games, we are competing well. This is our mentality.’
Guaita may have expected a busy evening as Watford bombarded his goal in the opening exchanges.
Gerard Deulofeu nutmegged James Tomkins and struck the woodwork with his shot. Roberto Pereyra collected the rebound but with the goal gaping, he hit the same post.
Watford midfielder Will Hughes suffered a knock to his head in the opening moments, too. Despite appearing dazed, the 23-year-old was adamant he did not want to be removed or receive treatment. Watford’s medical staff came on to treat him a few minutes later before referee Paul Tierney, clearly concerned for the player’s welfare, called them on again.
Finally, 19 minutes into the match and quarter of an hour after the initial incident, Hughes was told he had to go off, seemingly suffering from concussion.
Watford looked as though they
would be the ones celebrating the opener before the break. Mamadou Sakho came close to scooping a clearance into his own net, while Troy Deeney directed a header from six yards wide of the target.
Yet it was Palace who pinched the lead, though this will not rival Andros Townsend’s strike
against Manchester City for Goal of the Season.
The ball bounced around the six-yard box, the way it might when a kid presses the shoot button on his PlayStation controller over and over.
Sakho had a go, then Tomkins had one too. Watford survived those attempts and Abdoulaye Doucoure tried to clear the danger, only for the ball to hit Craig Cathcart and bounce over the line.
Before the break, Guaita was forced off, and on came Hennessey.
With Guaita in goal, Palace had won three of their previous five games, including the one away at Manchester City. With Hennessey, they had won three in 16.
At the start of the second half, Wilfried Zaha should have made it 2-0. The winger, who had not scored or assisted a goal in his last 12 league appearances, was one on one with Ben Foster but aimed his shot directly at the goalkeeper.
Foster was called into action again in the 62nd minute when Luka Milivojevic, Palace’s top scorer this season on six, tried his luck from 30 yards.
Moments later, Watford were level and it came from nothing. Jose Holebas whipped in a corner, it looped over Hennessey, and Cathcart nodded in. Suddenly, it was Craig Cathcart 1, Craig Cathcart 1.
Soon, it would be 2-1. Palace had plenty of opportunities to clear the danger but didn’t, and a tremendous volley from Cleverley found the top corner.
There was no way back for Palace. Hodgson said ahead of this match that he wants a top-10 finish, but that is fanciful.
There are simply too many problems at Palace to fix at the back and front.