SEAN DYCHE pulled another rabbit out of the hat as Burnley somehow plundered a point to boost their survival hopes.
The Clarets appeared destined to complete a disappearing act from the Premier League a little over a week ago.
Burnley’s goal-supplie Aaron Lennon salutes their own-goal equaliser from Luka Milivojevic to earn what could be a valuable point
Luka Milivojevic can’t get out of the way his own goal hands Burnley a point
And Palace should have been out of sight at half-time after sawing through the visitors on numerous occasions in the first half.
But trailing to only a Jeffrey Schlupp strike, Dyche’s men managed to escape a defeat thanks to an own goal from Palace captain Luka Milivojevic.
It means after 11 League matches without a win, Burnley are now unbeaten in three.
And with the likes of Brentford and Leeds imploding, the visitors’ chances of beating the drop now look promising.
Not that we should be surprised. Dyche always seems to work his best magic when he is in the football equivalent of being locked in a padlocked box under water with the air rapidly running out.
As for Palace, it was another frustrating afternoon as yet again their display – especially before the break – did not produce the points it deserved.
Boss Patrick Vieira started without a recognised striker, despite naming FOUR on the bench.
Mind you, who needs centre forwards when you have Michael Olise?
The rising rookie star sprinkled Selhurst Park with more stardust in another super show and the south Londoners are surely going to struggle to keep him from the clutches of Europe’s top clubs.
But Burnley started brightly with Aaron Lennon, who was bidding to score three away goals in a Prem season for the first time in career, flashing a 20-yard shot just wide of the angle in the fourth minute.
But Palace took the lead six minutes later when Olise turned Dwight McNeil inside out before whipping in a cross which Schlupp flicked home.
Olise then curled a free-kick narrowly over the bar and Tyrick Mitchell saw his goalbound shot headed away by James Tarkowski before the Eagles other full-back Nathaniel Clyne warmed Clarets’ keeper Nick Pope’s palms with a drive from distance.
Burnley could not contain Olise and after he had fired another shot over the bar he was crudely brought down by his “marker” Erik Pieters, who was fortunate to escape a booking.
The visitors were lucky to escape another goal when Olise again advanced into their box. But this time Pope was on hand to tip his shot wide.
The Eagles salute wideman Jeffrey Schlupp’s opener at Selhurst Park
Jeffrey Schlupp arrives to slide home the early opener for Crystal Palace
As the teams trudged off at half-time you wondered if Palace might be left to rue their missed chances.
Within a minute of the restart Burnley levelled in the flukiest of ways.
After Jay Rodriguez had headed down Connor Roberts’ punt into the box, Lennon’s cut-back was slid into his own net by Eagles skipper Milivojevic, making first Prem start since New Year’s Day.
The Serbian’s miserable afternoon continued when Vieira abandoned his strikerless system on the hour mark and replaced the midfielder with Jean-Philippe Mateta in an effort to get the hosts on the front foot again.
But it was the Lancashire team who continued to push forward and Palace breathed a sigh of relief when the Clarets’ £12million January buy Wout Weghorst correctly had a ‘goal’ ruled out for offside.
That sparked the Eagles back into life and Wilfried Zaha had one shot beaten away by Pope and another hit a post within the space of a few seconds.
