Report: Palace finish 11th after final-day draw with Forest

Read the report below - then scroll to the live blog beneath it for live blog coverage of the lap of appreciation!

Summary:

• Roy Hodgson makes no changes to the side which drew with Fulham last weekend
• Michael Olise forces Wayne Hennessey into a save early on
• Serge Aurier fires over from distance
• Palace nearly take the lead in the 18th minute through Ebere Eze
• Taiwo Awoniyi strides through to give Forest the lead half-an-hour in
• Sam Johnstone pulls off an acrobatic save to stop the deficit from being doubled
• HT: Palace 0-1 Nottingham Forest
• Olise fires over in search of an equaliser early on in the second-half
• Eze and Jordan Ayew shoot over with their efforts
• Hughes scores his first Premier League goal to level for Palace 66 minutes in
• Substitute Jean-Philippe Mateta’s shot blocked five minutes from time
• Hennessey keeps an effort from Eze out in stoppage time
• FT: Palace 1-1 Nottingham Forest

After earning a point in their final away game of the season at Craven Cottage last weekend, Crystal Palace returned to SE25 to sign off the 22/23 campaign against Nottingham Forest.

Backed by the Selhurst faithful in full voice, the Eagles got off to a strong start. The returning Wayne Hennessey was forced into action early on, initially spilling a Joel Ward cross and then following up with a save from a tame Michael Olise effort.

Nottingham Forest’s one chance of note in the opening exchanges came through right-back Serge Aurier. A long throw-in from Moussa Niakhaté was cleared away and fell kindly for the Ivorian defender, but his speculative effort from 35-yards was always rising.

Palace, on the front foot, had two bites at the cherry to take the lead soon after. The first came from a narrow free-kick on the edge of the box, close to the byline, which was played into the path of Ebere Eze - the No. 10 struck a first-time effort just wide of Hennessey’s post.

The second came from immutable Palace pressure just before the half-hour mark. Player of the Season Cheick Doucouré saw a goalbound effort on the edge of the box blocked, while a follow-up from Odsonne Edouard hit his fellow strike partner Jordan Ayew.

For all of the Eagles’ early dominance in the first half-hour, the visitors took the lead. A perfectly weighted ball in-behind from Forest’s record signing Morgan Gibbs-White found Taiwo Awoniyi and the forward kept his composure after racing towards goal to slot home.

Forest nearly doubled their lead just a few minutes later from a set piece. Centre-back Willy Boly rose highest and saw his goalbound header parried away by Sam Johnstone before any other player could get a touch on it, with Awoniyi lurking.

With just over five minutes before the break, Edouard headed an Olise free-kick across the box in search of a touch to divert it goalwards, but an outstretched Jordan Ayew couldn’t quite reach it.

After the break, the south Londoners came out looking for an equaliser. In a similar attempt to his first-half, Olise cut inside and fired an effort on goal, though his shot was over the bar this time around.

An attempt from Eze, via a direct free-kick, along with a long-range Jordan Ayew strike from 25-yards out did not test Hennessey in the Forest goal as the game ticked past the hour-mark.

Palace made their dominance in the second-half count after Will Hughes headed in the equaliser 66 minutes in. The midfielder found himself in space inside the box as Olise drifted wide to float a ball back in - he met it unchallenged with a deft flick-on to divert it in at the near post, with the aide of a deflection.

Levelling the scores only spurred Palace on for more in the remaining 20 minutes of normal time. On the counter from a Forest throw-in, second-half substitute Jean-Philippe Mateta broke into the visitor’s half to pick out Olise inside the box. The winger was caught in two minds and couldn’t direct his header towards goal or to Ayew in the box.

Palace looked to get their noses in front and nearly did so through Mateta. Outstanding work down the right flank from Olise saw the winger float a ball into the striker, though his header was dealt with by Hennessey.

As the game trickled into stoppage time, Eze had a gilt edged chance to claim all three points. He turned and chested a ball driven towards him to make space for himself to get a shot away in the box, however it was straight at Hennessey.

After three minutes of stoppage time, the referee brought an end to the 22/23 campaign. Palace conclude the season in 11th place - a point and place ahead of south London rivals Chelsea -with 11 wins and 12 draws.

Palace: Johnstone (GK), Ward, Guéhi, Andersen, Mitchell, Doucouré (McArthur, 67), Hughes (Riedewald, 90), Olise (Ahamada, 90), Eze, J. Ayew, Edouard (Mateta, 67)

Subs not used: Whitworth (GK), Clyne, Richards, Adaramola, Sambi, Riedewald.

Nottingham Forest: Hennessey (GK), Worrall, Boly (Kouyaté, 72), Niakhaté, Aurier, Yates, Mangala (Dennis, 72), Lodi (Toffolo, 45), Gibbs-White (A. Ayew, 89), Johnson, Awoniyi (Surridge, 89).

Subs not used: Shelvey, Lingard, Mighten, Freuler.

Live Blog