Match ends, Brighton and Hove Albion 0, Crystal Palace 0.
Crystal Palace boss Roy Hodgson says his side can take belief from their first point away from home after a goalless draw with Brighton.
Before this stalemate the Eagles had lost all six of their previous matches away from Selhurst Park without scoring and conceded 13 goals.
"We will take a lot of confidence," Hodgson said.
"A clean sheet is good because we haven't had too many of those. We had some good spells and a draw is a fair result.
"Keeping a clean sheet is a bigger bonus than a 1-1 or 2-2."
Palace's Wayne Hennessey was the busier of the two goalkeepers in a match which had few clear-cut chances.
The Wales international saved well from Jose Izquierdo and Pascal Gross in the first half, while former Palace striker Glenn Murray saw a late header cleared off the line.
Palace's best chance came early in the game when Brighton goalkeeper Mathew Ryan made a fine double save from Christian Benteke and Wilfried Zaha.
Brighton slip down to 10th spot in the Premier League table while Palace remain bottom.
Reaction to Tuesday's Premier League matches
Finally reward for Palace on the road
This was the first time in 36 years that this derby rivalry of quirk rather than geography had been played in the top flight.
Palace fans set off smoke bombs and bangers as the atmosphere crackled at the Amex, but the action on the pitch lacked the same intensity.
A largely scrappy match, which had only fleeting moments of quality, almost inevitably ended in stalemate given the caution with which it was approached.
However, Palace manager Roy Hodgson will not care one iota.
His side's record away from Selhurst Park is abysmal but finally there is something for Palace's players and fans to cling on to - a precious point.
Palace had already equalled the club record for the longest run of away defeats from the beginning of a top-flight campaign, first set in 1980-81.
Hodgson's side were disciplined and organised at the Amex, however, and fully deserved their point.
Dunk oozes class at the back
Lewis Dunk's team-mates and manager have talked up his England credentials this season and the centre-back showed his quality against Palace.
The 26-year-old read the game well, showed excellent composure on the ball and was a commanding physical presence.
Palace recalled Benteke to their starting line-up, but Dunk quickly got the measure of the Belgium international.
He also posed a threat at the other end of the pitch, with a header from a corner in the first half saved by Hennessey.
A booking for a tug on Zaha's shirt in the second half was the only blot on the Brighton-born defender's copybook.
Liverpool's attacking triumvirate of Sadio Mane, Roberto Firmino and Mohamed Salah will pose more of a test at the weekend.
However, on this form England manager Gareth Southgate could do worse than take a look at Dunk in March's friendlies against Italy and Holland.
Man of the match - Mamadou Sakho
'It wasn't going to be rumbustious' - what they said
Crystal Palace manager Roy Hodgson: "Both teams tried to play the game they wanted to play. Chris and myself made it a clear that it was a game played in the head not the heart.
"It wasn't going to be a rumbustious game with people flying into each other. That's not the way either side play.
"Christian Benteke did well for us. He is still feeling his way after such a long lay-off. We hope he will get stronger and stronger and hopefully the team will be more clinical in the final third."
Brighton boss Chris Hughton: "We have to ask did we play well enough to win the game? Probably not. But neither did they. So it's a fair result.
"We had some good opportunities but the longer it went on, the way it went, it was going to be a stalemate, and you felt maybe it would be a set-piece or a mistake that would settle it.
"It was a nervous game and didn't have the flow. Maybe not the style that you would expect a derby to have."
The stats - Palace finally keep a clean sheet
- This was Crystal Palace's first Premier League clean sheet this season; they are last of the 20 sides in the division to achieve a shut-out.
- However, Palace have failed to find the net in nine consecutive away Premier League games.
- Roy Hodgson's side have now failed to score in each of their opening seven away league games of the season. Only Derby County (eight games in 2007/08) have had a longer wait for an away goal at the start of a Premier League campaign.
- Brighton have never lost a top-flight match against Crystal Palace, conceding just three goals in the five meetings at this level (W3 D2).
- Christian Benteke has now gone 10 Premier League games without a goal; he has only gone longer without scoring in the competition once before in January 2014 while at Aston Villa.
What next?
Roy Hodgson returns to former club West Brom, who are also struggling near the bottom of the Premier League, on Saturday as Crystal Palace face the Baggies at The Hawthorns in a 15:00 GMT kick-off. At the same time, Brighton have another home game, with Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool the visitors to the Amex.
Line-ups
Brighton
Formation 4-4-1-1
- 1Ryan
- 2Bruno
- 22Duffy
- 5DunkBooked at 65mins
- 29Suttner
- 11Knockaert
- 6Stephens
- 24Pröpper
- 19IzquierdoBooked at 48minsSubstituted forMarchat 71'minutes
- 13GroßSubstituted forBrownat 82'minutes
- 17MurraySubstituted forHemedat 85'minutes
Substitutes
- 7Kayal
- 10Hemed
- 18Goldson
- 20March
- 21Schelotto
- 26Krul
- 37Brown
Crystal Palace
Formation 4-4-2
- 13Hennessey
- 2Ward
- 5Tomkins
- 12Sakho
- 15Schlupp
- 8Loftus-Cheek
- 7CabayeSubstituted forMcArthurat 66'minutes
- 4Milivojevic
- 10Townsend
- 17Benteke
- 11Zaha
Substitutes
- 1Speroni
- 3van Aanholt
- 6Dann
- 18McArthur
- 24Fosu-Mensah
- 26Sako
- 42Puncheon
- Referee:
- Andre Marriner
- Attendance:
- 29,889
Match Stats
- Possession
- Home53%
- Away47%
- Shots
- Home10
- Away10
- Shots on Target
- Home4
- Away4
- Corners
- Home10
- Away5
- Fouls
- Home13
- Away8
Live Text
Post update
Full Time
Second Half ends, Brighton and Hove Albion 0, Crystal Palace 0.
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Solly March (Brighton and Hove Albion) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
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Foul by Joel Ward (Crystal Palace).
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Attempt missed. James Tomkins (Crystal Palace) right footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses to the left.
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Offside, Brighton and Hove Albion. Isaiah Brown tries a through ball, but Tomer Hemed is caught offside.
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Dale Stephens (Brighton and Hove Albion) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
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Foul by James McArthur (Crystal Palace).
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Attempt saved. Ruben Loftus-Cheek (Crystal Palace) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the top centre of the goal. Assisted by James McArthur.
Substitution
Substitution, Brighton and Hove Albion. Tomer Hemed replaces Glenn Murray.
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Attempt missed. Wilfried Zaha (Crystal Palace) right footed shot from outside the box is high and wide to the left following a corner.
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Corner, Crystal Palace. Conceded by Davy Pröpper.
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Corner, Brighton and Hove Albion. Conceded by Joel Ward.
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Attempt blocked. Glenn Murray (Brighton and Hove Albion) header from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Anthony Knockaert with a cross.
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Corner, Brighton and Hove Albion. Conceded by Andros Townsend.
Substitution
Substitution, Brighton and Hove Albion. Isaiah Brown replaces Pascal Groß.
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Hand ball by Anthony Knockaert (Brighton and Hove Albion).
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Attempt missed. Wilfried Zaha (Crystal Palace) left footed shot from the centre of the box misses to the left. Assisted by Andros Townsend.
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Corner, Brighton and Hove Albion. Conceded by James Tomkins.
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Delay over. They are ready to continue.
Comments
Join the conversation
I am sure a lot of the people who comment on here neither truly support a team, or actually go to live games !!, if you do entertaining is not what Palace vs Brighton is all about, not losing is first on the list, and I am sure there will be lots of both fans pleased with the point, or at least glad not to have lost !!
Looking at the facts, first 7 games = 0 points
Last 7 games = 9 points
= Vast improvement !!
We may not win the league, but we will stay up !!
I keep saying it... Dunk for England!
Quite an achievement
Its a shame that the true palace fans are let down by the small minority that want to take the game back to the 80's. on previous visits the fans were loud but last night seemed to be affected by the "ultras" antics in trying to cause havoc
We (Brighton) did not play particularly well. Too many misplaced passes.
Palace did not play well either.
Good, entertaining match however.
Could have done without the flares & fireworks spoiling our lovely stadium and what is usually a good humoured atmosphere.
Behavior that belongs in the last century really.
You are definitely a Potato
You wish.
Brighton, only seen on TV, but hugely impressed by how Hughton has them playing.
Hope both stay up, the PL is better with them in.
Wish the same could be said of you,regarding never seen again !,
A man who the FA appointed to not question their (then) lack of anyhting progressive after Capello had embarassed their lack of foresight and competence.
Similarly by H&G whilst they quietly bankrupted LFC.
Not a coincidence he looks like the 'oh yes' Churchill dog.
United fans let off flares away from home, it shows great colour and enthusiasm.
Let’s just judge everyone the same, what’s not acceptable at one ground is not acceptable anywhere.