Crystal Palace suffer shock Conference League defeat at home to AEK Larnaca

By Rachel Steinberg, PA

Riad Bajic’s second-half goal was all it took for Cypriot side AEK Larnaca to beat Crystal Palace and secure a 1-0 Conference League victory at Selhurst Park.

Palace were hoping to make it two wins from their opening two European meetings after beating Dynamo Kyiv 2-0 in Poland earlier this month.

Jean-Philippe Mateta had the best opportunity to open the scoring before the break, clipping the crossbar late in the first half.

But the hosts were left to rue plenty of missed chances when a defensive mistake led to the visitors breaking the deadlock six minutes into the second half, which remained the contest’s only goal.

The Eagles hosted Fredrikstad at Selhurst Park in their August two-legged play-off to book their place in this competition, but this was major European football under the floodlights at the 101-year-old ground for the first time in earnest.

The home support marked the occasion with a Dad’s Army-referencing tifo – featuring blue-and-red-tipped arrows on a flightpath to Conference League final host city Leipzig, and a banner reading “we are the boys who will win your little game”, a play on the television classic’s theme tune.

Palace quickly asserted dominance in possession and, after a lengthy pause to treat Larnaca’s Yerson Chacon, who was replaced by Dorde Ivanovic, came even closer to opening the scoring.

Visiting keeper Zlatan Alomerovic palmed Daniel Munoz’s cross into the path of Mateta, but the France international could only clip the bar from close range.

Chances for both sides remained scarce as the halfway point approached and Jefferson Lerma’s effort sailed over the bar before Mateta fired then nodded wide in added time.

Maxence Lacroix directed a header just wide to start the second half, but it was the visitors who took the lead in the 51st minute after Jaydee Canvot gave the ball away to Marcus Rohden.

The Swede found Bajic, who rifled the opener past Dean Henderson for a fine finish from 18 yards out, delighting the 750-or-so travelling supporters.

Alomerovic reacted quickly to deny Mateta’s next attempt and the Eagles remained in search of an equaliser – looking the likelier side to score – as Adam Wharton, Daichi Kamada and Eddie Nketiah were all introduced by Oliver Glasner in a 71st-minute triple-change.

Nketiah nodded off-target then tried volleying home, but mistimed his movement as he failed to make contact with his extended leg.

Mateta then stretched out a boot but could not quite connect with Wharton’s cross, and another late delivery evaded Daichi Kamada and Romain Esse.