Just when it looked like Luton’s belief had evaporated, along came Cauley Woodrow. The striker’s first Premier League goal since scoring against Crystal Palace for Fulham almost a decade ago punished the home side for their profligacy in front of goal with a late equaliser to end a run of five defeats in all competitions.
It was some relief for Luton’s manager, Rob Edwards, who had watched his team put in a strangely muted performance as they trailed to Jean-Philippe Mateta’s classy finish in the first half. But the hosts, who have now conceded 20 goals in the last 15 minutes of matches this season, should have put the game beyond their opponents before Woodrow popped up to head home a cross from the former Palace player Andros Townsend with virtually the last action of the game. Suddenly there is hope again.
“Hopefully it can be the springboard for us,” said Edwards, whose side could climb out of the relegation zone with a win over Bournemouth on Wednesday night but may have added the defenders Gabriel Osho and Teden Mengi to a long injury list. “To find a way when we were not at our best is huge.”
Palace head off for Spain at the start of a three-week break, although Oliver Glasner acknowledged that the tendency for throwing points away remains a major concern. Here his side missed a golden opportunity to move 11 points clear of danger and seal a second successive home win for their new manager.
“We are all disappointed,” he said. “We deserved to win the game because we had a lot of chances but in one situation we became passive,. But I’m looking forward to the next three weeks because I see many positive things.”
This was not only notable for being the first time the two clubs had met in the top flight since February 1992: Sunny Singh Gill became the first British south Asian to referee a Premier League fixture and had plenty to keep him occupied, even if he left the field to boos from the frustrated home supporters.
Edwards had promised Luton would continue to go on the attack despite failing to pick up a point since the start of February. But it was a major error from Alfie Doughty that handed Palace their goal. The Luton wing-back did not notice Daniel Muñoz breathing down his neck as he attempted to play a ball back to his goalkeeper. The Colombia international seized on his opportunity, allowing Mateta to execute a clever back-heel finish that left Thomas Kaminski grasping at thin air.
Issa Kaboré was perhaps fortunate not to receive a sterner punishment than a yellow card from Gill after flying into a tackle on Jefferson Lerma, with Joachim Andersen and then Mateta coming close to extending Palace’s lead from set pieces.
All Luton had to show for their efforts was a bloody nose for Ross Barkley after he clashed heads with Joel Ward and a Jordan Clark volley that sailed way over the crossbar.
Mateta was a constant nuisance to Luton’s defence and he should have made Clark pay for a sloppy backpass just before half-time but could only find the side-netting. The scores could easily have levelled at the break had Osho hit the target from Barkley’s free-kick but a frustrated Edwards looked as if he had the weight of the world on his shoulders as he headed down the tunnel.
The manager’s half-time words did not seem to make much difference. Muñoz could have had his first goal for Palace at the start of the second half but messed up his header from Eberechi Eze’s cross when it had looked easier to score.
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It was the England midfielder’s turn to miss the target next after a brilliant ball from Adam Wharton, only for Eze to blaze over after an immaculate first touch. Palace began to tire and Carlton Morris was unlucky to direct a volley from Doughty’s cross straight at Sam Johnstone.
Mateta and Naouirou Ahamada could have made it a much less nervy finish for Glasner, only for the substitute to fluff his lines after Kaminski had saved the initial header with his feet. An outrageous effort from Eze from just inside the Luton half that shaved the bar almost sealed the points in spectacular style before Odsonne Édouard also went close. But it was another substitute who had the final say.
