Crystal Palace 1-1 Nottingham Forest: Roy Hodgson completes Eagles job with a point as Will Hughes cancels out Taiwo Awoniyi strike to see teams share end of season spoils
- Roy Hodgson ends Crystal Palace spell with a 1-1 draw against Nottingham Forest
- Taiwo Awoniyi put Forest ahead on the half hour for Steve Cooper’s men
- Will Hughes equalised for the Eagles in second half to draw Hodgson’s team level
if Roy Hodgson’s wave to the Palace fans after this tame draw was truly farewell rather than au revoir, then although he leaves them still in the Premier League, he also leaves them without the stability that his presence in the Selhurst Park dugout has always seemed to guarantee.
The former England head coach has repeatedly said that no discussions have taken place with the club about staying on despite his record in steering the club away from relegation, taking 18 points from his ten games in charge.
Significantly, the future of Wilfried Zaha – absent with injury yesterday – is also undecided. The Ivory Coast forward’s contract expires this summer and a lucrative new deal is on the table, but no decision has been reached.
Forest, although they ended up closer to the drop, may actually be in better shape with no suggestion that manager Steve Cooper will leave.
Their summer issues concern a bloated squad after 25 players arrived at the City Ground over the past two transfer windows for an outlay well north of £100m.
Will Hughes netted for Crystal Palace as they drew 1-1 with Nottingham Forest on the final day
Tawio Awoniyi gave Forest the lead on the half hour mark with his 11th goal of the season
Roy Hodgson’s future remains unclear after his interim post ended with the Forest game
Taiwo Awoniyi put Forest ahead in a largely irrelevant match with his tenth goal of the season after 31 minutes, but Eberechi Eze sparked a Palace revival at the end of a week when he celebrated an England call-up, and Will Hughes headed home a cross by Michael Olise after 66 minutes.
The home side were wearing new red and blue halved shirts, but left back Tyrick Mitchell seemed to prefer Forest’s yellow jerseys, judging by his strenuous attempts to pull Brennan Johnson’s off him – not that referee’s assistant Eddie Smart noticed.
Eze appealed loudly for a penalty when he was scrummed to the ground by two Forest defenders and then went close to a goal, lurking outside the penalty area to receive a free kick when the defenders expected a cross and shooting just past the near post.
Serge Aurier had earlier struck a powerful shot a similar distance wide from outside the Palace enalty area as Forest went in search of a second away win of the season.
But Palace were doing more of the attacking and Joe Worrall did well to block a shot from Cheick Doucoure after an intricate Palace move.
Then an effort by Eze was blocked almost on the goalline by his teammate Jordan Ayew, and the loose ball was fired back in by Will Hughes, Forest goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey touching it past the post.
Naturally, just as a Palace opener seemed imminent, Forest took the lead. After 31 minutes, Morgan Gibbs White’s forward pass found Taiwo Awoniyi just onside, and although Joachim Anderson managed to catch the Forest forward, Awoniyi shimmied past him before beating Sam Johnstone with a low shot.
It seemed Palace must equalise when a free kick taken by Michael Olise on the right found Odsonne Edouard unmarked at the far post, but the former Celtic striker nodded the ball back across goal and wide.
The Palace players celebrate the point that sees them finish 11th in the Premier League table
Forest players again jubilent knowing that they’ll be playing Premier League football again next season
The second half began in a much cagier fashion, with Forest dropping deep and Palace struggling to find a way through. Eze was behind most of their attacks, and although he often ran into heavy traffic, his prompting was behind the move that brought the scores level.
Olise flighted a delicate cross in from the right with his left foot and Hughes’s headed flick was helped on its way past Hennessey by a touch off Willy Boly.
Palace pressed for a winner, and there were vain penalty appeals when Jordan Ayew fell under challenge from Worrall and when a cross brushed the arm of Harry Toffolo.
But without Zaha, Palace were missing that edge, that guile that he has given them over many years. If the new mural in Holmesdale Road is to be all the fans see of him after this season, they will feel they are missing something.