Crystal Palace 2-2 West Ham: Wilfried Zaha rescues point for Roy Hodgson's side with dramatic equaliser deep into stoppage time at Selhurst Park

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Slaven Bilic was on his knees while captain Mark Noble wanted to fight anyone who fancied it. For West Ham it was al too much to comprehend. 

Thirty seconds from a job saving victory, Bilic could only watch as Wilfried Zaha fired home a equaliser for Crystal Palace in the last of six minutes of stoppage time.

The West Ham manager knew the score: victory against would keep him in a job. Defeat…and who knows? This draw should be enough to keep the wolves from his door for now. But how West Ham contrived to throw this one away will keep Bilic awake on Saturday night.

Wilfried Zaha cut an emotional figure as he celebrated scoring the equaliser with almost the last kick of the game 

Zaha twisted and turned on a mazy run before creating enough space for himself to lash a shot into the corner 

The Palace fans celebrated as if their side had won the match and the mood at Selhurst Park was one of jubilation

MATCH FACTS, RATINGS AND MATCHZONE ANALYSIS 

Palace (4-3-2-1): 

Speroni 6.5; Ward 6 (Sako 62, 6), Tomkins 6.5, Dann 6.5, Van Aanholt 5 (Fosu-Mensah 12, 6.5); Milivojevic 6.5, Cabaye 7, Loftus-Cheek 7; Townsend 7.5, Schlupp 7; Zaha 7.5. 

Subs: Hennessey, Delaney, Kelly, Puncheon, Riedewald. Booking: Dann

Hodgson: 7.5

Bookings: Dann 

Goals: Milivojevic (50), Zaha (90+6)

West Ham (3-5-2): 

Hart 8.5; Fonte 6.5 (Rice 76), Kouyate 7.5, Ogbonna 6; Zabaleta 6 (Antonio 62), Noble 7.5, Fernandes 7, Lanzini 6.5, Cresswell 7 (Masuaku 46, 6.5); Ayew 8, Chicharito 7.5. 

Subs: Adrian, Arnautovic, Carroll, Obiang. Booked: Zabaleta, Masuaku

Bilic: 7.5

Bookings: Zabaleta, Masuaku

Goals: Hernandez (31), Ayew (43)

Referee: Bobby Madley - 6.5 

MOM: Hart 

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A fluid team move provided the opening goal of the game for West Ham. Click here for more from our MATCHZONE feature.

 

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Indeed, it was all too much for Noble who was involved with an angry confrontation with Palace midfielder Reuben Loftus-Cheek after the final whistle and had to be led away.

But Bilic shouldn’t take the flak this time. That responsibility lies squarely with two players: Angelo Ogbonna and Michail Antonio.

West Ham were cruising before Ogbonna made a senseless challenge on Andros Townsend in the box to hand Palace a 50th minute lifeline.

Similarly, Antonio’s decision to cross into Julian Speroni’s arms instead of keeping the ball in the corner in the final minute of injury time defied logic.

Seconds later Zaha fired the Eagles level. Fine margins define football matches; stupidity defined this one for West Ham. 

Andre Ayew scored with a powerful drive to put West Ham two goals to the good away from home at Selhurst Park

Ayew's effort was too strong for Julian Speroni who narrowly missed landing a palm on the rocket from 20 yards

The West Ham players surrounded Ayew who is on red hot form after his performance in midweek against Tottenham

Javier Hernandez wheeled away in celebration after scoring the opener for West Ham in front of the Crystal Palace fans 

The former Bayer Leverkusen man showed his typically predatory instincts in front of goal to silence the home support

The Mexican forward finished with aplomb after using the outside of his boot to curl his effort past the goalkeeper 

Bilic felt the same, criticising Antonio for his costly error, saying: ‘All we had to do was keep the ball for five more seconds.

‘Of course I spoke with him. He knows that now. He is the one who should keep the ball one against one on the line. Forever. But he opted for a cross.

‘Do I expect more? Of course, it shouldn’t happen at this level of football.

‘But it’s a team game. But we were naive. You take the good and bad.   

‘It’s very emotional, we knew how important this was. So to concede like that is a killer. It feels like a defeat.’ For Roy Hodgson it felt more like a win, his side staging a stirring second half comeback to breath life into their survival bid.

Palace remain five points from safety but this should galvanise the Eagles.

‘It showed me this team has got more character than maybe sometimes been credited with,’ said Hodgson.

‘It would have been very easy for people to feel a bit sorry for themselves. But I thought it was a strong performance in the second half to put that 2-0 behind us and get out and do what we did and come back.  

Andros Townsend was tripped by Angelo Ogbonna and Roy Hodgson's side earned a penalty in the second half 

Luka Milivojevic brought Crystal Palace back into the game as he dispatched a penalty after Andros Townsend was fouled

Milivojevic sent Joe Hart the wrong way as the England goalkeeper watched on helplessly, diving to his left 

‘I’m hoping that will give a bit of confidence. A bit of security in the minds of the players who know even when things are going against us luck wise they can still come up and turn it around.’ West Ham took a 31st minute lead with an incisive move that ended in Chicharito expertly finishing Aaron Cresswell’s cut-back.

The move was swift and incisive. Palace, in contrast, were slow and indecisive reacting. If it wasn’t for Joe Hart’s lightning reactions, Palace would have levelled just five minutes later.

The England goalkeeper’s point-blank stop for James Tomkins’ close range header was good enough, but to follow that up with a breathtaking instinctive save to deny Jeffrey Schlupp’s follow-up was brilliant.

And to complete Palace’s nightmare first-half, the Hammers doubled their advantage two minutes before half-time as Andre Ayew took full advantage of Luka Milivojvevic’s horrendous error to blast home with an unstoppable drive.

Ogbonna, though, gifted Palace a route back into the game just five minutes after the restart.

Quite why Ogbonna felt he had to challenge Townsend deep inside his own area is anybody’s guess.

Townsend was going nowhere, yet Ogbonna still felt the need to nudge the Palace attacker.  

Wilfried Zaha gestures to the crowd after Palace manage to nick a goal back and haul themselves into the contest

Andre Ayew goes down under a challenge and looks to earn a free-kick for West Ham who started brightly 

Roy Hodgson looks pensive as his side conceded an early goal to heap pressure on the beleaguered Eagles

The Italian pleaded his innocence, but he knew - so did his team-mates. Most importantly of all, so did Bobby Madley, who pointed to the spot.

Milivojevic stepped up to atone for his earlier costly error by sending Hart the wrong way.

Suddenly, Selhurst Park was jumping; Yohan Cabaye hit the post while Hart - who was having his best game since joining on loan from Manchester City - was in inspired form.

The keeper twice denied Zaha and saved Cabaye’s goal bound free-kick before James Tomkins hit the cross bar in the 90th minute.

The Hammers probably thought they were home an hosed by that point.

But Zaha had other ideas, mesmerising Ogbonna and Declan Rice before firing past Hart just seconds after Antonio’s ridiculous error.

Heartbreaking for Bilic. Galvanising for Hodgson.

Wilfried Zaha demonstrates his athleticism as the Palace winger hurdles a challenge from defender Jose Fonte 

Ayew attempts to escape down the touchline with the ball at his feet and two Palace players closing him down

Yohan Cabaye is roared on by the Crystal Palace faithful as Selhurst Park increases in volume for the home side

Slaven Bilic looked a broken man as he watched his side concede the equaliser in the most cruel and dramatic fashion

It was a point gained for Palace but the atmosphere at the end of the game felt like a victory for Roy Hodgson's men