Towards the end of the season, Ventola was back in the matchday squads against both Liverpool and Newcastle as the Eagles picked up valuable points in the quest for survival.
It meant that a win for Palace over Southampton in the final home game of the season would take Dowie’s side out of the drop zone with just one game left.
Everybody remembers what came next. With the game locked at 1-1 with less than 20 minutes remaining Ventola was off the bench and charging into space to chase down a long ball from Tom Soares.
Showing intelligence with his movement, timing his run to ensure he was still onside, Ventola broke free of the Southampton defence. With one touch, he fired the ball beyond Antti Niemi and into the net.
Regardless of what came next, it remains a beautiful moment.
“It’s funny,” Ventola says. “Because when you look at the images of that day, Dowie is giving me instructions, but I still didn’t really understand a word!
“But it was a game where we were getting chances. I came on and after just five minutes I scored, the feeling was amazing. “It was my speciality to find that space behind the defence and get the goal.
“At the time I thought it would be the goal for our salvation and that we would stay in the Premier League.
“It was a crazy emotion. I can still remember the rush and how happy I was. Sometimes to feel good I will go on the internet and watch the goal.”