Ismaila Sarr scores late winner as Crystal Palace deny Ipswich vital point

By Rachel Steinberg, PA

Ismaila Sarr scored a late winner in Palace’s 1-0 victory at Selhurst Park to deny relegation-battling Ipswich a much-needed point.

England boss Thomas Tuchel paid another visit to the Eagles’ south London home, but it was a far less entertaining encounter than their 4-1 victory over Aston Villa on his last trip.

The contest picked up in the second half, though neither side was able to make the most of their chances.

Just as it looked like the visitors might be able to cling on and share the spoils, Sarr secured all three points for Palace eight minutes from time.

Kieran McKenna made three changes from Ipswich’s 3-2 loss to Manchester United, bringing Luke Woolfenden, Kalvin Phillips and Julio Enciso into his starting XI.

Eddie Nketiah came in for Jean-Philippe Mateta, now in recovery after requiring 25 stitches for the ear laceration he sustained in Palace’s FA Cup fifth-round victory over Millwall, one of four changes for Eagles boss Oliver Glasner.

There was an early chance for Nketiah – set up nicely by Adam Wharton – who found himself through on goal and tried to outsmart Alex Palmer, who was alert to it and denied the former Arsenal striker a quickfire opener.

Dean Henderson was called into action for the first time on Ipswich’s counter-attack, denying Jaden Philogene from near the penalty spot, while Liam Delap skied an effort.

Palace worked the ball to Jefferson Lerma, who fired wide, then won a free-kick from just outside the visitors’ penalty area when Jacob Greaves clattered into the back of Sarr.

It was taken by Eberechi Eze, but blocked by the man who had conceded it.

Graves’ next intervention was even more influential, sliding in with a perfectly-timed sliding tackle to deny Eze, who was one-on-one with Palmer but watched his effort deflect over.

Eze soon found himself flanked by three pink shirts at the other end of the pitch, eventually conceding possession and allowing Brighton loanee Enciso to call Henderson into a good save.

It was the beginning of a promising spell midway through the first half from the visitors, who then forced the Eagles shot-stopper to punch away a corner.

There was a pause late in the half to treat Leif Davis, who came down awkwardly from an aerial challenge with Daniel Munoz and appeared to feel some discomfort in his shoulder, but was allowed to continue.

What had started entertainingly had fallen a bit flat by the break, neither side looking especially close to breaking the deadlock.

Davis fired over from an early free-kick as the second half got under way then Eze came closer with a cross deflected off Dara O’Shea that clipped Palmer’s right post, and the hosts – second-best in the league at scoring from set-pieces – could not make anything of the handful that followed.

The contest remained stop-start by the hour, when Jack Clarke fired sharply – but straight at Henderson – after Eze lost possession.

Ipswich remained on the attack, Delap next to test Henderson with a header from a corner and Philogene nearly getting enough on the rebound, but denied by Maxence Lacroix’s clearance off the line.

Palace’s main threat was coming from Eze, who could not find the finishing touch on a few chances for the Eagles, while Sarr nodded just wide of the far post.

Munoz missed a huge chance to fire Palace into the lead with less than 15 minutes remaining after some poor work from Davis allowed the Palace defender to pounce.

He had just Palmer to beat, but the Ipswich keeper timed his block perfectly.

The visitors then had their own difficulties finding the target, a succession of missed chances they would come to regret when Sarr finally broke the deadlock.

It was some patient work from the Senegal international that finally paid off when he cleverly worked his way into position before dinking over Palmer, and honoured his goal – paying tribute to his team-mate – with Mateta’s signature celebration.