adminCrystal Palace manager Pierre Sage has reacted after his side suffered a dramatic 3-2 defeat to Ipswich Town at Selhurst Park, with the Eagles conceding a heartbreaking late winner after battling with 10 men for much of the match.
Palace made a bright start and took the lead through Anan Khalaili, who scored his first goal for the club after Daichi Kamada created the opportunity.
However, the game changed dramatically when Axel Disasi was shown a straight red card for a dangerous challenge on Jack Clarke.
Sage was forced to reorganise his team, with Yéremy Pino withdrawn for Takehiro Tomiyasu as Palace attempted to cope with Ipswich’s numerical advantage.
The visitors took advantage, with Emersonn equalising before Leif Davis headed Ipswich into a 2-1 lead shortly before half-time.
Despite being a man down, Palace refused to give up.
Sage’s players continued to compete and eventually found an equaliser when Jorgen Strand Larsen finished brilliantly after being played through by Kamada.
At that stage, Palace appeared to have done enough to secure a valuable point, but Ipswich had the final say.
A Leif Davis header struck the crossbar in the closing stages, and Zian Flemming reacted quickest to the rebound to fire Ipswich’s winner and complete a memorable 3-2 victory for Gary O’Neil’s side.
SAGE’S REACTION
Speaking after the match, Sage is expected to face questions about the red card, Palace’s defensive problems and the way his team conceded the decisive goal.
The defeat will be particularly frustrating for the Frenchman because Palace showed considerable resilience after being reduced to 10 players.
Sage had already acknowledged before the match that his team needed to improve defensively, with Palace having conceded at least two goals in each of their previous league matches.
His concerns were again exposed against Ipswich.
Palace’s defensive organisation came under pressure after the sending-off, while Ipswich were able to create opportunities with the additional man.
Nevertheless, Sage’s team demonstrated character by fighting back to 2-2.
That response is likely to be one of the positives the manager takes from the defeat, although the late collapse will undoubtedly leave him disappointed.
The result also means Palace have missed the opportunity to record back-to-back Premier League victories after their 3-2 comeback win over Fulham last weekend.
Sage’s first victory as Palace manager came at Fulham, but even after that result he admitted he was unhappy with aspects of his team’s performance, particularly their defending. He said: “I am not happy with the way we defended, we have a lot of things to move.”
That assessment proved relevant again against Ipswich.
Palace will now have to regroup quickly, with Sage facing the task of tightening up his defence while also ensuring that the players do not lose confidence following such a painful defeat.
For Ipswich, meanwhile, the victory represents a major boost. Flemming’s late goal secured their first league win at Selhurst Park since 2010 and handed O’Neil’s newly promoted side a memorable victory.
Sage will now be hoping his players can respond in their next Premier League fixture and turn the disappointment of the Ipswich defeat into motivation for the games ahead.
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