Albion lose unbeaten home record

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Albion 1, Crystal Palace 3: Sarr (2) and Chalobah put visitors in control before late own goal consolation.

Bruce Talbot

2024-12-15T16:00+00:00

Lewis Dunk can't believe it after Palace broke away to make it 3-0 in the second half. 📷 by Paul Hazlewood.

The unbeaten home record has gone as Palace headed back up the A23 celebrating their first win in seven against Albion.

After a bright start the Seagulls were floored by goals from Trevoh Chalobah and Ismaila Sarr in six minutes midway through the first half. Albion surged forward after the break and Palace keeper Dean Henderson denied Lewis Dunk and substitute Julio Enciso with fine saves, but Sarr scored his second of the game before an own goal by Marc Guehi handed Albion a late consolation.

Henderson had a lively start to the game. He did well to block Kaoru Mitoma’s left-foot volley, after Albion’s winger been found by Joao’s clever pass in the third minute, but then came haring out of goal with a raised foot that seemed to catch Yankuba Minteh. Referee Michael Oliver decided not to penalise Henderson, to the surprise of 30,000 Albion fans.

Kaoru Mitoma's first half shot tested Dean Henderson. 📷 by Simon Roe.

Early on Albion were happy to go long to bypass Palace’s press. Jan Paul van Hecke’s precise pass had Minteh surging past Tyrick Mitchell and into the box but he slightly overhit his sideways pass to Mitoma, who couldn’t get a shot away. It had been a promising first 20 minutes from Albion, but things then started to go awry.

On 27 minutes, Will Hughes’ inswinging corner was flicked on by Jean-Phillipe Mateta at the near post, van Hecke couldn’t clear and the ball dropped for Chalobah three yards out to volley into the roof of the net. Albion responded and Mitoma pulled the ball into Yasin Ayari’s path on the edge of the box. He was unmarked but sliced his effort well over.

Dean Henderson went unpunished early on for a high boot on Yankuba Minteh. 📷 by James Boardman.

Verbruggen made a good save to keep out Daniel Munoz’s shot; the visitors were full of confidence and were 2-0 up after 33 minutes. Tariq Lamptey misjudged the flight of a long ball and allowed Mitchell space to measure his cross from the left to the far post where Sarr sent a powerful header past the exposed Verbruggen.

Eberechi Eze should have worked Verbruggen three minutes before the break after another quick break but sent a free header wide as Palace ended the first half in control.

Joao Pedro beats Maxence Lacroix to the ball before being fouled. 📷 by James Boardman.

Julio Enciso replaced Lamptey at the break, Albion switched to a back three with Carlos Baleba dropping deeper and the hosts found their attacking rhythm to push Palace to the edge of their own box.

In the space of a minute Joao Pedro and Mitoma both had goalbound shots from close range blocked. Lewis Dunk met Ayari’s free-kick with a free header eight yards out but Henderson saved well diving to his left. The Palace keeper did even better on 57 minutes, plunging to his left again to stop Enciso’s 20-yarder from curling inside the post. A goal during that spell could have been decisive.

A triple change saw the introduction of Simon Adingra, Evan Ferguson and Brajan Gruda, but Albion's earlier momentum was fading, although Gruda’s free-kick from the edge of the box was deflected onto the roof of the net.

Lewis Dunk had his header kept out by Dean Henderson. 📷 by Paul Hazlewood.

With nine minutes to go the afternoon got worse. Henderson’s long clearance was headed on by substitute Eddie Nketiah and when Dunk failed to deal with the bouncing ball Sarr nipped in and placed his shot beyond Verbruggen.

Albion got an 87th-minute consolation after a bout of pin-ball in the six-yard box following an Adingra corner with the last touch past Henderson coming off Guehi, and deep in stoppage time Henderson denied Enciso with a save to his right but the damage had been done.

Albion: Verbruggen, Lamptey (Enciso 45), Dunk, van Hecke, Estupinan, Minteh (Adingra 70), Baleba (Wieffer 86), Ayari (Gruda 70), Mitoma, Rutter (Ferguson), Joao Pedro.