Mateta sends Italy-bound Eagles flying with late double to punish Newcastle United

Eagles of South London

Crystal Palace 2-1 Newcastle United

Crystal Palace fans, with one eye on a possible gala European final in May, savoured a slice of late drama when substitute Jean Philippe Mateta stroked home a penalty to add to his earlier header to dent Newcastle United.

The Eagles came from behind in a game which took a long time to warm up. William Osula put the Tynesiders ahead just before half time, before Palace finished strongly as the second half wore on.

Jefferson Lerma hit the bar as an initial signal of threat before Mateta scored a brace in the final eleven minutes plus injury time.

The Conference League is the understandable preoccupation for the Eagles at the moment. Fresh from a pulsating 3-0 home victory in the quarter final against Fiorentina, it is a handsome lead for Oliver Glasner’s side to take to Italy for the second leg on Thursday.

Florence should indeed be a fragrant affair for the south Londoners, who are now among the favourites to lift the continent’s third tier competition. A reality which was heartily echoed by the Palace faithful at the beginning of this contest against the Magpies.

Tyrick Mitchell – scorer of the second goal over Fiorentina – was presented with an award prior to kick off. The Palace defender was lauded for making his 200^th Premier League appearance for the club, the youngest to do so. Mitchell received a deserved standing ovation at the end of a feisty enough affair.

Bland

From the outset the game had all the air of a mid-table encounter. Both sides largely risk averse and, curiously, neither created anything of note in terms of chances or drama. Bland wallpaper fare which required a lick of colour under the south London spring sunshine, which did eventually burst.

Newcastle’s goal with three minutes to go before half time, was certainly a surprise breakthrough, as Eddie Howe’s men had done previous little to suggest they would break the deadlock.

However, they caught out the hosts with a well worked, intricate move down the right, before Lewis Miley’s low cross was eventually stabbed home at the second attempt inside the six yard box by Osula.

Despite whatever Glasner told his players at the break, Palace were relieved not to concede a second goal shortly after the restart. Chris Richards failed to control a simple pass from Munoz, which allowed Osula to fasten on to the ball, but the striker’s shot was blocked by home keeper Dean Henderson. A chance which the Magpies would pay a price for.

Palace were being thwarted by the resilience of Newcastle enforcer Malick Thiaw and the athleticism of Lewis Hall, who was preventing any large scale threat down the right side. Perhaps it was all a consequence of their midweek Euro efforts, but the Londoners were lethargic, without the onlooking Mateta. Up front, moreover, both Brennan Johnson and Jorgen Strand Larsen was having particularly quiet afternoons. In bustling forward Mateta, Glasner’s answer was obvious – and his decision to despatch the ex-Mainz hit man paid eventual dividends.

And so Glasner acted in the 64^th minute with a triple change, replacing Johnson with Ismaila Sarr, Will Hughes with Adam Wharton and Strand-Larsen with Mateta. There was logic in resting his star men for the crunch return in northern Italy, but here they were needed to supply fresh impetus.

Was this to be the potential lift off for the flat Eagles?

It certainly looked like it when Lerma cannoned a close range header off the crossbar from Pino’s free kick – the kind of opportunity which Palace had hitherto failed to create.

The game became over-physical in the final quarter, with Newcastle’s approach best described as robust. Indeed a significant thread of needle emerged with Magpies’ Joelinton doing his best to aggravate the Eagles and stop them from building any momentum.

Nevertheless, the Magpies didn’t reckon on Mateta and a much desired intervention to level in the 79^th minute.

The Frenchman headed home from a pacy move, started by substitute Daichi Kamada, before being helped across the danger zone by Mitchell for the striker to nod into an empty Newcastle net.

In truth, Palace’s second half response was intermittent – but when it came to deliver, Mateta called. For that alone Glasner deserves credit on a day when a share of the spoils was probably the fairest outcome.

Undone

Mateta had other, more conclusive, ideas though. He kept his cool to convert the penalty winner three minutes into added time after Sven Botman inexplicably pulled the jersey of Lerma. All of Newcastle’s efforts were undone in that disbelieving moment.

It was a fine climax for the vociferous home support. Three Premier League points are always welcome – even for a mid-table outfit - but fans were singing about going to Leipzig for the Conference League final. And all orchestrated by conductor-in-chief Mateta.

With such a boost, the Eagles will now be expected to consolidate their advantage in the Artemio Franchi Stadium and fly towards what could be an incredible reward at the end of their maiden European campaign.

Eagles: Henderson, Richards, Lacroix, Canvot, Munoz, Lerma, Hughes (Wharton 64). Mitchell (Sosa 90+5), Johnson (Sarr 64), Larsen (Mateta 64), Pino (Kamada 75)