Crystal Palace captain Joel Ward has described Newcastle United as "a top side" after holding the Magpies to a Saturday night stalemate at Selhurst Park.
Having picked up a point against Manchester United in midweek, Palace will feel they have had a good return from two tough home matches. But Ward was full of praise for Newcastle after the goal-less draw in the capital.
After the 33-year-old said: "You’ve got to take the positives: a clean sheet against a top side. It’s always going to be a tough game against Newcastle because of the way they play and the form that they’re in, so I think it was a great point and something to build upon.
READ MORE: Newcastle expected to loan Karl Darlow out as Championship clubs form queue
"We haven’t always got the results that we’ve wanted this season, and I think today was a great example of our togetherness and resilience, when you’re under pressure, to make sure you come away with something."
Ward felt that a return of two points from Man United and now Newcastle was an exceptional outcome. He told Sky Sports: "Anyone would look on paper and say it’s been a very tough week we’ve had, so to come away with the last two results we’ve had is brilliant, and we can obviously take that momentum into the next couple of games.”
"I think obviously Newcastle possess a lot of threats, so we firstly had to nullify that as a team from back to front. We wanted to try and exploit the spaces they would leave when they pushed players forwards, but obviously it makes it difficult when games don’t always go the way you want them to. I feel like we, as a team, created a couple of chances and defended really well as a unit.
"Some games you’ve got your back up against the ropes, and it takes a lot of character to continue and make sure you don’t concede, and we did that today – as a unit, from back to front. Even from set-pieces, they had a lot of balls they put into the box, and from the size of them you can see their threat, so it was good we saw things out."
READ NEXT
- Newcastle United agree significant outgoing deal that could trigger further business
- Newcastle United learn referee for first League Cup semi-final since 1976
- Vieira discloses mood in Crystal Palace camp ahead of huge Newcastle clash
- Newcastle United's financial power underlined as they are named in football's Money League
- Alexander Isak sums up Newcastle United behind scenes approach in top four tilt
