On the hour mark, I made the change, bringing on Olise for a tiring Semenyo. The impact was immediate. Olise, fresh and fearless, was a livewire on the right wing, his first touch taking him past the beleaguered United left-back and drawing a roar from the Palace fans.
We were starting to find our moments on the counter, the Eze-Olise connection a constant source of danger. But the pressure from United was relentless. In the seventy-sixth minute, it finally told.
A quick switch of play found their winger in a pocket of space. He cut inside, evading a challenge from Mitchell, and curled a wicked, inswinging cross towards the far post. Their towering striker rose highest, his powerful header giving our keeper no chance.
1-1.
The United end of the stadium erupted, a cacophony of noise that was a stark contrast to the stunned silence of the Palace faithful.
