Crystal Palace 2-0 (Zrinjski Mostar 3-1 agg): Goals from Maxence Lacroix and Evann Guessand eased the pressure on under-fire boss Oliver Glasner
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Maxence Lacroix opened the scoringopen image in gallery
Maxence Lacroix opened the scoring (Adam Davy/PA Wire)
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Crystal Palace have booked their place in the Conference League last 16, overcoming Zrinjski Mostar with a 2-0 victory at Selhurst Park to secure a 3-1 aggregate win.
The result marks a season-defining moment for the Eagles, alleviating pressure on manager Oliver Glasner following a disappointing 1-1 first-leg draw in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The hosts dominated possession in the first half, eventually breaking the deadlock when Maxence Lacroix headed home from Adam Wharton’s free-kick in the 36th minute.
Despite missing several opportunities to extend their lead, Evann Guessand finally sealed the win with a goal in second-half stoppage time, ensuring Palace remain in contention for silverware.
Glasner’s men, 10 points clear of the Premier League relegation zone but just as far out of the European places, had secured just their second victory in 16 encounters across all competitions with Sunday’s last-gasp league win over 10-man Wolves.
Jorgen Strand Larsen, teed up by Daichi Kamada, had the first real opportunity in the seventh minute, but it was deflected behind by one of the visitors on the slide.
Zrinjski fended off sustained Palace pressure, including a Guessand header, deflected wide, and a Daichi Kamada effort blocked by the diving Igor Savic, who took a Strand Larsen boot to the nose at the half hour.
The contest still had not found a steady rhythm with 10 minutes remaining in the first half when Guessand was fouled twice in quick succession.
Palace finally broke the deadlock from the second set piece. Adam Wharton stepped up to deliver the perfectly weighted free kick, making it straightforward work for Lacroix to plant his header past Goran Karacic and into the bottom right.
Crystal Palace's Evann Guessand scores their side's second goalopen image in gallery
Crystal Palace's Evann Guessand scores their side's second goal (Adam Davy/PA Wire)
Zrinjski looked to respond before the break, but gave Dean Henderson – celebrating his 100th appearance in an Eagles shirt – no work to do when Leo Mikic blasted over the bar.
Palace were hoping to avoid a repeat of the reverse fixture, where they had broken the deadlock in the second half, then conceded an equaliser.
The visitors started the second half more brightly than the first, but Palace still held their advantage at the hour, when Wharton took a knock and was replaced by Will Hughes, who soon won a free-kick.
It was whipped in by Kamada but nodded over by Richards, still sporting the forehead bandage applied when he was lacerated in the Wolves win.
Zrinjski issued Palace a wake-up call when Mikic found the back of the net with just over 20 minutes remaining, quickly chalked off as a result of the offside flag raised for substitute Matej Sakota.
The visitors twice gave away the ball in their own half, and Palace twice failed to take advantage, before Ismaila Sarr came even closer, and should have provided a cushion instead of skimming a header past a post, near enough to sway the side-netting.
Sarr, through on goal and with plenty of time to pick his spot, then somehow failed to find the back of the net with five minutes remaining, instead drawing another Karacic save.
There was a brief pause to pin back a pitch invader, who was stopped behind Karacic’s goal, and Palace perhaps got lucky when Tomi Juric squandered a late Zrinjski corner, nodding wide.
The home support held their collective breath as they saw out the remaining minutes, and were finally allowed to exhale when Guessand – who had opened his Palace account in the Wolves win – latched onto substitute Brennan Johnson’s pass and fired into the bottom corner.