With Palace bidding to unlock the UEFA Conference League’s meanest defence at the third time of asking, needing to do so to secure victory in the Round of 16 second leg, Wharton and Sarr took just 13 minutes to make the breakthrough.
The former secured his eighth assist of the season in all competitions – Palace’s highest – with a first-time pass which deflected into Sarr’s path, the Senegal forward clinically converting.
And after a dramatic series of events ensued as Larnaca’s Enric Saborit equalised – and was then sent off – before extra-time, top scorer Sarr struck again, his 15th goal of the season and fifth in Europe proving enough to see Palace through to a quarter-final against Italy’s Fiorentina in three weeks’ time.
“We're really pleased,” Wharton told TNT Sport. “Obviously, it was a different game to the Premier League, tough to break down, but the most important thing is getting to the next round and we're glad to do that.
