Stepped up: Tomkins pounced to rescue a point for his side
(Picture: REUTERS)Patrick Vieira hailed James Tomkins after the Crystal Palace defender marked his return to the side with a vital goal against Brighton.
The defender replaced the injured Chris Richards, who suffered a back problem on Saturday morning and was duly ruled out of the 1-1 derby draw at Selhurst Park.
Palace ceded most of the possession against their rivals but escaped with a point thanks to Tomkins’ header following Solly March’s opening goal.
Tomkins was starting only his second Premier League game of the season but pounced on a glaring error from Brighton goalkeeper Robert Sanchez.
The Spanish international made a mess of what should have been a routine catch from Michael Olise’s cross, allowing Tomkins to head home and salvage a point.
“We’re really pleased [with Tomkins] because when you don’t play really often, it’s difficult to find this kind of momentum,” said Vieira.
“After Chris Richards’ back injury, he responded really well. He’s showed a lot of positives in the last couple of months, and today he was rewarded with the goal he scored. I’m happy for him.
“We don’t know [how long Richards will be absent for] yet. He had his injury this morning, and we have to wait and see how long he will be.”
