Diogo Jota’s last-gasp equaliser earned Wolverhampton Wanderers a 1-1 draw at Crystal Palace on Sunday as their wait for a first English Premier League (EPL) win of the season continued.
A mistake by Crystal Palace’s Joel Ward five minutes into stoppage time allowed Jota to score from close range, earning Wolves a fourth draw from their six games.
They had to do it the hard way though as they played the final stages with 10 men after Romain Saiss was shown a second yellow card.
That was for needlessly pulling back Wilfried Zaha.
Crystal Palace, who could have gone sixth with a win, took the lead a minute after half-time when Ward’s powerful shot was deflected into his own net by Leander Dendoncker.
Wolves had been the first half’s better side, but Crystal Palace were on top after the break and had chances to make the points safe with Christian Benteke going close.
But the visitors, already playing their 13th match of the season in all competitions, never gave up.
With the home fans whistling for full-time, Adama Traore crossed into the box and when Ward lost balance and stumbled, Jota scooped the ball home past Vicente Guaita.
Wolves remain second from bottom with four points but manager Nuno Espirito Santo praised the spirit in his side.
“We showed the heart and the character to believe until the end.
“The players were running up and down and tired,” Espirito Santo, whose side lost to Braga in the Europa League on Thursday, said. “We have done it before.
“In the Championship we managed to win games in the last second. I think we can do better in the first half.”
Crystal Palace manager Hodgson was left frustrated as his side stayed in 12th spot.
“It is very hard to take. I am bitterly disappointed,” he said. “You could argue we should have been further ahead.
“It gave (Wolves) a point which after the first half they deserved but after the second we deserved the three.
“Every time you get three points it is a great and every time you don’t, especially when you concede late, it becomes a defeat and it feels like a defeat here.”(Reuters/NAN)