Eze-less Palace have to make do with slender lead as stubborn Norwegians rein in Eagles' ambitions

Let the adventure begin : Picture by @YTJourno

European Conference League play-off first leg

Crystal Palace (0) 1 Mateta 54

Fredrikstad FK (0) 0

It should have been the Europa League. It should have been a night for Eze. There might still not be Guehi before long. But at least Mateta and Wharton were there. And Europe got its first taste of the pre-match pom-pom Crystals doing their thing.

The Eagles made heavy weather of it and will have just a solitary goal advantage in the return leg in Norway but they will hope Oliver Glasner's European know-how with Frankfurt will help them negotiate a potentially tricky Scandinavian evening.

This first proper venture into Europe - if we discount a one-off Intertoto game in 1998 - has not arrived with the flawless backdrop it might have had. The scent of victory at Wembley in the Community Shield and another defiant away performance against one of the elite clubs (Chelsea at the weekend) ought to have left a cloudless sky above the Holmesdale Stand, but hasn't.

The imminent departure of Ebe Eze to Arsenal deprived those expectant Eagles fans of some of the extra feelgood factor which should accompanied this historic moment. And then of course there is the technicality that Uefa were so keen to punish by demoting Palace to their third tier.

At kick-off, Eagles fans followed up Glad All Over with a vociferous anti-Uefa chant - just in case the bigwigs in Switzerland had any doubts about how their controversial decision has gone down in this part of South London.

When all is said and done, however, this is a competition Glasner's men should really be able to get their teeth into. If West Ham can win the Conference, Palace surely can too. A trip to Leipzig for the final in May? No reason why that can't happen. Palace fans were certainly determined to savour the moment, as they always do.

Norwegian cup holders Fredrikstad are not the most formidable obstacle Palace could have faced - they currently lie eighth in their league - but patience was required against a side inevitably sitting deep and hoping for the best.

In keeper Martin Borsheim, the visitors at least had a decent last line of defence and he dealt well with a couple of long-rangers from Adam Wharton.

Jean-Philippe Mateta thudded a left-footer against the base of a post towards the end of a low-key first-half and Borsheim did superbly to get in the way of a close-range header from Ismaila Sarr as the pressure built.

Will Hughes curled one just over at the start of the second half as Palace began to shake off some of that early-season rustiness. Justin Devenny nodded a good chance too high after rushing his effort.

But the 75 per cent possession had to tell and when Hughes smashed a shot goalwards from just outside the area, Mateta was in the right place to deflect the ball into the net with a reflex header.

More goals looked certain as the hard-working Norwegians began to tire from all the chasing. Mateta outmuscled his marker to pull the ball back for Borna Sosa to fire just over. Dan Munoz headed Jefferson Lerma's chip against the far post and Marc Guehi headed a corner just wide. But the second goal remained elusive.

Fredrikstad even fashioned a late chance of their own to make the tie even tighter - sub Henrik Skogvold firing just wide in a rare breakaway. Their boss Andreas Hagen will be proud of their efforts.

So work still to be done then and no time to think about it yet with a another emotional fixture coming up at the weekend when Nottingham Forest visit Selhurst.

God help Evangelos Marinakis' outfit on Sunday, because the Eagles are feeling mad about them right now. Their chairman seemed to play a part in getting his side to usurp the Eagles and claim a spot in the Europa League. It will be a feisty old affair, for sure.

Eagles: (3-4-2-1) Henderson - Lerma, Lacroix, Guehi - Munoz, Wharton, Hughes, Sosa - Sarr, Devenny (Edouard 69) - Mateta

Fredrikstad:(3-5-2) Borsheim - Solomon Owusu (Kvile 76), Fredriksen, Woledzi - Eid, Metcalfe, Leonard Owusu (Shein 80), Sorlokk (Skogvold 64), Molde - Ohlenschlaeger (Bjartalid 76), Holten (Nunez 64)

Attendance: 23,013