Robin Roefs Heroics Earn Sunderland Deserved Point At Crystal Palace

First nan affirmative news for Crystal Palace. Oliver Glasner’s broadside are now 15 matches unbeaten successful a tally that stretches backmost to their 5-0 thrashing by Newcastle successful mid-April.

But having endured a melodramatic extremity to nan transportation model that saw chair Steve Parish propulsion nan plug connected skipper Marc Guéhi’s move to Liverpool, Glasner will person been hoping for more. While Guéhi was hardly troubled arsenic he eased backmost into his domiciled connected nan near broadside of Palace’s three-man defence pinch nan minimum of fuss, a spirited Sunderland deservedly near pinch a constituent aft thriving successful their domiciled arsenic spoilers.

Régis Le Bris had intelligibly done his homework arsenic his broadside disappointment Palace and Robin Roefs was outstanding successful extremity for nan visitors, who picked up their first constituent of nan caller run connected nan roadworthy and look a decent stake for endurance connected this evidence. For Glasner, it was a disappointing consequence that will beryllium tempered by encouraging performances for caller signings Yeremy Pino and Christantus Uche, who some came adjacent to making themselves instant heroes but couldn’t find a measurement past Roefs.

Survival utilized to beryllium nan limit to nan ambitions successful southbound London but nary longer nether Glasner. Eighteen months into nan Austrian’s tenure, Palace’s players cognize their roles truthful good that moreover nan departure of Eberechi Eze to Arsenal has not halted their momentum from last season’s FA Cup triumph. The absence of Wembley heroes Adam Wharton and Ismaïla Sarr owed to injuries they picked up successful nan triumph against Aston Villa earlier nan world break meant a reshuffle successful midfield, pinch Pino handed his first start. The Spain world has large boots to capable if he is to switch Eze and showed immoderate awesome touches, though he will still beryllium wondering really he didn’t score.

Le Bris had recognised nan situation facing Sunderland aft losing their opening distant lucifer of nan run against Burnley, though his squad arrived successful southbound London afloat of assurance acknowledgment to their 2 victories to commencement nan play astatine home. A speedy free-kick aft Daniel Muñoz was shown an early yellowish paper caught Palace’s defence napping but Noah Sadiki changeable wide.

The visitors’ midfield, anchored by nan evergreen Granit Xhaka, gave Palace nary abstraction arsenic nan location supporters became progressively disappointment pinch nan referee Thomas Bramall. When they did find a measurement done courtesy of Daichi Kamada’s superb pass, Pino could only put his changeable wide pinch nan extremity gaping. It needed a well-timed artifact astatine nan different extremity from Tyrick Mitchell to support retired Chemsdine Talbi’s effort astatine nan backmost station aft he was picked retired by Simon Adingra.

Yeremy Pino went adjacent to scoring nan victor connected his location Crystal Palace debut. Photograph: Andrew Couldridge/Action Images/Reuters

It wasn’t overmuch of a spectacle but a delightful shimmy from Pino that near Xhaka for dormant astatine nan commencement of nan 2nd half sewage nan crowd retired of their seats. Suddenly Palace smelled humor and nan playmaker was presented pinch his 2nd aureate chance of nan day erstwhile Roefs pushed Jean-Philippe Mateta’s volley from a Mitchell transverse consecutive into his path. But Pino couldn’t judge his luck erstwhile his effort was deflected complete by nan awesome Omar Alderete, a Paraguay world who was signed from Spanish broadside Getafe successful nan summertime and hardly put a ft incorrect each afternoon.

A dense downpour of rainfall made conditions difficult and Wilson Isidor – 1 of nan fewer remaining faces from nan squad that won nan playoffs a fewer months agone – was almost capable to return advantage erstwhile Palace grounded to clear a agelong throw, only for nan Frenchman to volley wide. Palace seemed to beryllium emotion nan effects of their dense schedule truthful acold this play arsenic they struggled to create different opportunity to snatch nan triumph until Kamada forced Roefs into a full-stretch prevention astatine his adjacent post.

Mateta saw nan Dutchman someway support retired his volley from Muñoz’s transverse pinch his head. Nigeria guardant Uche almost won it 2 minutes from clip aft coming disconnected nan bench, pinch Roefs past producing an moreover amended extremity to support retired Kamada’s follow-up.