Wasteful Crystal Palace failed to capitalise on a dominant second half performance as Diogo Jota’s 95th minute strike salvaged an unlikely point for 10-man Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Jota fired home from close range late on to cancel out Joel Ward’s 46th mintute deflected strike.

Romaine Saiss second bookable offence for fouls on the mercurial Wilfried Zaha with 20 minutes to go made home victory likely before the late drama.

Substitute Christina Benteke joined Zaha, Jordan Ayew and Jeffrey Schlupp in missing chances in a one sided second 45 and were  made to pay by a lethargic looking Nuno Espirito Santo side who were in Europa League action on Thursday.

First Half Tussle

It was a cagey opening ten minutes with both sides seizing each other up.

The visitors should’ve taken the lead from a corner but the unmarked Leander Dendoncker’s back post volley was well blocked by James McArthur.

Play was largely in the Palace half but Hodgson’s men looked threatening on the break with the Zaha, Schlupp and the tireless Ayew all looking threatening on the counter attack.

Vicente Guaita produced a sublime save to deny Matt Doherty on 27 minutes.

Raul Jiminez picked out the full back at the back-post who was as amazed as the Holmesdale Stand that his header was halted by an outstretched arm of the Spaniard.

Guaita was called into action again before the break as some slick play between Jota and Jiminez allowed the former a strike which the shot-stopper got down well to.

Early Strike

The second half was barely a minute old when Palace struck.

Still cold from the interval Schlupp raced clear down the left only to see his cross cut out but falling to McArthur the Scot coolly set-up Ward to strike home via a heavy Dendoncker deflection.

Buoyed by going ahead Palace were a different and only looked like extending their lead.

Ayew and Zaha tormented the Wolves backline and but for some last-ditch blocks from Conor Coady and Willy Boly they would’ve doubled their lead.

With Palace heavily on top, the task become harder for the visitors when Saiss was shown a second yellow card for cynically bringing down Zaha, for a second time, on the half-way line.

Substitute Benteke should’ve made the extra man count shortly after his introduction for the impressive Ayew on 75minutes, but the gulf in confidence between the two strikers at present is recognizable.  

Cutting inside from the left, he delayed his effort and despite finding himself one-on-one with Patricio, he fired straight at the keeper.

Roy Hodgson’s men looked to be coasting to victory before Jota found himself six-yards out after Traore’s cross fortuitously landed at his feet after a Ward slip.

Making no-mistake from close-range, the Wolves forward sent the visiting fans back to the midlands with an unlikely point to celebrate.