Wolves 0-2 Crystal Palace: Jordan Ayew actually scores a goal as Eagles stun Wolves

Jordan Ayew scored his first goal for Crystal Palace and may have saved his loan spell at the club with a late winner at Wolverhampton Wanderers.

The Ghanaian has failed to impress since arriving from Swansea on a season long loan and with the January transfer window open the Eagles have a chance to send him home, but he may have given Roy Hodgson more to think about with a Man of the Match performance and goal.

Wolves boss Nuno Espirito Santo, who I shall refer to as NES for the rest of this report to save the keys on my keyboard, changed his midfield for the seventh game in a row with Joao Moutinho and Romain Saiss in for Ruben Neves and Leander Dendoncke. Helder Costa also returned and partnered top scorer Raul Jimenez up front.

READ MORE: Zaha flattered by China links

READ MORE: Schalke join Crystal Palace in battle for Liverpool striker Dominic Solanke

Roy Hodgson raised eyebrows by dropping Jeffrey Schlupp, who had impressed over the festive period, for winger Jordan Ayew who hasn’t all season since arriving from Swansea on loan. It meant Wilf Zaha was given a chance back in his natural position on the wing after leading the line up front on his own in recent weeks.

Raul Jiminez had the first pop at goal 10 minutes in but his half-volley from distance sailed over the head of former Wolves goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey. It took Palace another nine minutes to muster their first shot on goal but at least Luka Milivojevic’s effort was on target, Rui Patricio tipping it over.

The home side should have been ahead 35 minutes in when Boli was given the freedom of Molineux to head a corner towards goal but headed into the ground where team-mate Matt Doherty arrived but couldn’t steer his header on target.

The big defender then had to be alert to block a James Tomkins effort before Patrick van Aanholt (PVA) stung Patricio’s gloves from distance as the game opened up quicker than all those Christmas presents were unwrapped 10 days ago.

James McArthur then drew the ire of Zaha by shooting in the box after Doherty’s sliced clearance but found his effort blocked when a slide pass to the Ivorian was perhaps the better option.

And right on half-time Mamadou Sakho missed a glorious chance to open the scoring when presented with an unmarked header at the back post off PVA’s free-kick but completely misjudged it and allowed the ball to roll off his back and out for a corner.

Doherty, playing more as right winger than wing-back under Santo’s attacking system, nearly bundled one in at the back post just after the restart but Vicente Guaita, making only his fifth start for Palace since arriving from Getafe in the summer, smothered it well.

Down the other end Ayew was sent clear by Townsend but blazed his shot over however for him that wasn’t actually too terrible, on a night the loanee worked hard perhaps on a last chance to impress Hodgson now the transfer window has re-opened.

Santo rolled the dice with Morgan Gibbs-White and Never replacing Costa and Saiss as Palace grew into the game and frustrated Wolves, a chorus of groans rising from the home fans. Hodgson, often more patient when it came to making changes, continued to wait as the clock ticked into the final quarter of an hour.

It nearly had the desired effect as Sakho almost chested the ball into his own net under pressure and Palace went down the other end and scored. PVA’s volley across goal found an unmarked Ayew and even he couldn’t miss from six yards out, to notch his first for the club. And what a crucial one it turned out to be.

Ayew was replaced a few minutes later for Connor Wickham to a standing ovation from the away end and his name chanted, something that looked like it would never happen as the season rolled past the halfway stage.

There was still time for Guaita to be called into action, fisting a Never drive from distance round the post a Wolves rallied in the final few minutes. But it was Palace who sealed it with the final kick of the game as Zaha won a penalty off Bennett and Milivojevic fired in from the spot to wrap up the points.