Share

Dann snatches Palace first point of season

London - Scott Dann's last-gasp equaliser grabbed Crystal Palace a 1-1 home draw with Bournemouth at Selhurst Park on Saturday, as both sides picked up their first Premier League point of the season.

Bournemouth striker Josh King put the visitors into an early lead, before Palace midfielder Yohan Cabaye saw his penalty saved by Artur Boruc.

Eddie Howe's away side were hanging on for long periods in the second half, but centre-back Dann powered home a header in the third minute of stoppage time.

Crystal Palace manager Alan Pardew gave a Premier League debut to club-record 27 million ($35.5m) signing Christian Benteke, while Bournemouth were unchanged from last week's 1-0 loss at West Ham United.

It was the Cherries who struck first in south-east London to forge ahead in the 10th minute.

Andrew Surman's free-kick was only partially cleared by the home defence, and Harry Arter, who was sent off at West Ham last time out, lofted the ball back in for Norwegian King to fire in his first goal of the season.

But the Eagles were gifted an opportunity to draw level less than four minutes later, when Charlie Daniels tugged on Benteke's shirt inside the area.

Frenchman Cabaye stepped up, only to see his penalty beaten away to his right-hand side by Bournemouth goalkeeper Boruc.

The away side pushed for a second goal on the counter-attack, but King and Callum Wilson both wasted promising attacks before half-time.

Palace improved after the break, with Arter doing well to nod Dann's header off the line.

Benteke headed wide, before Pardew threw on Lee Chung-yong and Tottenham Hotspur transfer target Wilfried Zaha in search of a point.

The changes worked to some extent, but still Palace did not have a killer instinct in front of goal, as Lee blazed over and close-season signing Andros Townsend fired off target.

South Korean forward Lee did better with his next attempt, but Boruc was on hand to keep it out.

The pressure told though with just seconds remaining.

Jason Puncheon whipped in a perfect cross, which Dann, who scored five times from defence last season and in midweek against Blackpool in the EFL Cup, met with an unstoppable effort to score his team's first goal of the league campaign.

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
Should Siya Kolisi keep the captaincy as the Springboks build towards their World Cup title defence in 2027?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
Yes! Siya will only be 36 at the next World Cup. He can make it!
25% - 1273 votes
No! I think the smart thing to do is start again with a younger skipper ...
29% - 1471 votes
I'd keep Siya captain for now, but look to have someone else for 2027.
45% - 2250 votes
Vote
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE