Palace flop as battling Cypriots Larnaka pull off a Selhurst shock

Conference call at Selhurst : Picture by @YTJourno

UEFA Conference League - League Stage

Crystal Palace (0) 0

AEK Larnaka (0) 1 Bajic 51

It was a night when we could have done with Cypriot weather and the avalanche of goals which characterised this week's round of Champions League fixtures.

What we got was a chilly Storm Benjamin and a night of unremitting frustration for the Eagles in front of goal.

They had plenty of ball and territory to work with but found the final part of the equation in the opposition box a different matter.

It was a great night for the Cypriots - scoring their first competitive goal against an English side in a breakaway early in the second half and they were organised and tenacious enough to hold on for a famous win.

The competition format means the Eagles are not completely blown off course but they could have done without this.

Sunday's trip to the Emirates to tackle the Premier League leaders has probably been more on Oliver Glasner's mind this week than the Conference League - but the Eagles boss would have hoped the distraction of European competition might offer some light relief. This was not what he envisaged.

The Eagles may have started the season furious at being denied a place in the Europa League but they have the consolation of knowing they are in a cup they have very chance of fighting for until the very end, but it goes without saying they will need to do much better than this.

An edgy preliminary round may not have overly excited ambitions, but the first groups/league stage win against Dynamo Kiev settled them into a comfortable groove, with a very manageable set of fixtures to negotiate after this clash against Cypriot cup holders Larnaka.

In a couple of weeks, they entertain an AZ Alkmaar side thrashed 4-0 by Larnaka on matchday one, before a trip to modest Ligue 1 outfit Strasbourg, even more modest Irish side Shelbourne and a home tie with Finnish side KPS Kuopio. There is every chance they can repair the damage.

There are one or two recognisable Euro veterans like Rapid Vienna, Fiorentina and Legia Warsaw among the 36 contenders for the crown but nothing that will keep the Palace boss awake at night. He will feel he can guide his side to glory having done so with previous club Eintracht Frankfurt in the Europa League.

Larnaka, currently fifth in the Cypriot League are as cosmopolitan as any in Europe these days. No Cypriots were in a starting line-up which featured nine different nationalities,

Home pressure was soon building up. After the keeper Zlatan Alomerovic flapped at a Daniel Munoz cross, Jean-Philippe Mateta sent a shot down off the turf and onto the top of the crossbar. Teenaged defender Jaydee Canvot, skipper Marc Guehi and Mateta all fired off target. Mateta glanced a Will Hughes cross just wide.

After failing to hit any of nine first-half shots on target, the theme continued at the start of the second half, with Maxence Lacroix heading another Hughes cross wide when well placed. Perhaps it was another sign of how this one would go.

The urgency was growing and grew even more when Larnaca stole in front . A perfect rising left-foot shot was hit high past Dean Henderson by Riad Bajic. It came after a loose pass from Canvot had been picked up by Marcus Rohden, who fed the goalscorer on the left edge of the area.

A shot on target for the hosts only materialised after an hour - Mateta being denied by the AEK keeper after a close-range attempt following Eddie Nketiah's ball back from the byline.

Fans were baying for the rested Adam Wharton and he was hauled off the bench along with Daichi Kamada to try and save the day with 20 minutes to play. But they were unable to fashion a recovery.

Nketiah missed two great chances to level it near the end, with a header which flew wide and the slicing of a loose ball when just three yards out. But it was just one of those nights.

Eagles: (3-4-3) Henderson - Canvot (Nketiah 60), Lacroix, Guehi - Munoz, Hughes (Esse 87), Lerma (Kamada 71), Mitchell - Sarr (Uche 85), Mateta, Pino (Wharton 71)

AEK: (4-2-3-1) Alomerovic - Gnali, Milicevic, Roberge, Saborit - Pons (Angelski 80), Ledes - Miramon, Rohden, Chacon (Ivanovic 19) - Bajic (Suarez 80)

Attendance: 23,038