CALLUM’S CRACKER
CALLUM WILSON netted a goal befitting the richest club on the planet as Graeme Jones picked up the first point of the owners’ reign. The Newcastle striker produced a superb overhead kick to deliver a share of the spoils for the loaded Magpies as they battled as though their lives depended on it.
Wilson sent an acrobatic volley high intovicente Guaita’s net to level up matters after Christian Benteke finally took one of his glut of chances.
The spotlight was firmly on the Toon’s interim head coach Jones in the wake of Steve Bruce’s exit and, despite being second-best for the majority of this feisty scrap, the Tynesiders hung in there.
They even survived a late scare when Benteke
(right) sent a header into the net only for
VAR to strangle
Selhurst Park’s screams of delight.
Jones paid tribute to
Wilson, calling him the
“best matchday finisher” he has ever worked with. He said: “As a goal, it’s right up there. It’s not even half a chance, which tells you something about him.”
Jones set out his stall to make the Magpies more defensive. Despite Wilson’s magnificent effort, Eagles’ scorer Benteke could easily have taken home the matchball.
He found the net with one header, thumped another one against the post and missed a hatful of chances.
Benteke had already missed one glorious chance, set up bythe impressive Michael Olise, before he found his range, shortly after the break.
Connor Gallagher held off two challenges on the edge of the area to feed the ball to the left, where Tyrick Mitchell lifted a lovely centre to the far post.this time there was no reprieve for the visitors.
Benteke then smashed another header against the crossbar – another goal then and you suspect it would have been game over.
Palace boss Patrick Vieira said: “It was frustrating because I think we did enough to get the three points.we were unlucky to concede the way we did.”