This victory has been a long time coming for Gary O’Neil. The Millwall supporter from Beckenham, whose son plays for Crystal Palace’s academy, had picked up a solitary point on his previous five trips to this part of south London as a manager. So it was no wonder that he celebrated Zian Flemming’s winning goal in the 90th minute with the same gusto as the travelling Ipswich supporters.
On a topsy-turvy afternoon Palace took the lead before Emersonn and Leif Davis cancelled out Anan Khalaili’s first goal for Palace after Axel Disasi’s red card. Jørgen Strand Larsen equalised with 15 minutes remaining but Khalaili had his head in his hands after missing an open goal minutes later and it was to prove crucial as Flemming – the last of the 14 new players signed by Ipswich in the summer in a record spend of £190m for a promoted side – scrambled home the winner after Davis hit the crossbar with a looping header.
