Everton 1-1 Crystal Palace: Signs of hope for Eagles despite late goal as new boss Oliver Glasner watches on

In fits and starts, Crystal Palace will largely have impressed newly appointed manager Oliver Glasner, as he watched on from the Goodison Park directors’ box.

On the day it was announced Roy Hodgson had stepped down as manager and that Glasner will replace him, Palace were good value for this hard-fought 1-1 draw with relegation rivals Everton.

Glasner watched from the box, Hodgson from his home having recovered after falling ill while taking training last Thursday. In the absence of both in the dugout, it was Paddy McCarthy and Ray Lewington who co-managed the Eagles.

Their side’s performance, scrappy but tireless and encouraging, will have pleased all four men. Palace stay five points above the relegation zone, with Everton squeezing out of it at Luton’s expense — for now.

Palace hoped to hit the ground running under Glasner, rather than start poorly and pile more pressure on themselves just as they did in the opening stages here against Everton.

This match had been billed as a relegation six-pointer, and it certainly felt like one in a scrappy, stop-start first few minutes.

There were half-chances for both sides through Odsonne Edouard and Abdoulaye Doucoure, before Dwight McNeil sought to use Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s height, only for the striker to head wide when he should have scored.

The quality of Palace’s football has come in for some criticism in recent weeks — not helped of course by just four league wins in 18 before this — but the Eagles almost scored a superb team goal only for Jefferson Lerma to blaze over.

Palace improved as the first half unfolded, and Tyrick Mitchell so nearly put them ahead just after the break only for Jordan Pickford to thwart his attempted chip.

Hodgson had favoured Dean Henderson in goal in recent weeks, yet Sam Johnstone was picked here by the Eagles’ caretaker bosses and that paid off with parried saves from shots by James Tarkowski, Doucoure and James Garner.

Managerless and coming off the back of a more-than-testing week, Palace took an unlikely lead through a reliable source on 66 minutes when good hold-up play by Jean-Philippe Mateta and Edouard allowed Jordan Ayew to go on and fire a magnificent effort past Pickford.

In the relegation zone and fearing for their safety, it was understandable how angsty many of the home supporters became as the match progressed, but Everton would find their leveller.

Amadou Onana, off the bench, leapt highest from McNeil’s corner and powered a header into the net. Palace had to settle for a point. To their credit, it could have been even more.