Jason Scotland scored his eighth goal of the season as Town drew 1-1 at Crystal Palace. The Blues dominated the first half but the Eagles were in front at the break via on-loan Norwich striker Chris Martin, Scotland equalising in the second half.
Paul Jewell recalled Andy Drury, Lee Martin and Jay Emmanuel-Thomas to his side with Lee Bowyer, and Ryan Stevenson dropping to the bench alongside Cody Cropper, who replaces the injured Richard Wright amongst the subs. Josh Carson was in the travelling 18 but left out of the matchday squad.
Darren Ambrose and former Blues Academy schoolboy Stuart O'Keefe were the only ex-Town players in the Palace XI with David Wright injured and Lewis Price and Owen Garvan on the bench.
Lee Martin struck the game’s first shot in the fourth minute but failed to significantly test Julian Speroni in the Eagles goal. Two minutes later, Drury went wide from 20 yards with the Blues, in their black away kit for probably the last time, having the better of the opening spell.
Town continued to dominate possession with Aaron Cresswell sending in a dangerous cross from the left which was just too far in front of Jason Scotland in the 15th minute. Palace had looked to hit the visitors on the counter-attack on a couple of occasions but with Arran Lee-Barrett so far a spectator.
Grant Leadbitter went just wide from 25 yards in the 18th minute after a cleverly worked freekick. Andy Drury played the ball through Cresswell’s legs to the former skipper, who wasn’t far away from opening the scoring.
At the other end, ex-Blue Darren Ambrose shot well over, then Jay Emmanuel-Thomas hit a low strike from 25 yards which Speroni grabbed hold of down to his left at the second attempt with Martin and Scotland looking for the loose ball.
The home side ought to have been in front in the 24th minute when Wilfried Zaha found Ambrose in acres of space on the Palace left but Arran Lee-Barrett was out quickly to block from his one-time Town Academy team-mate. After the ball had gone out of play, Tommy Smith was booked for an earlier foul on another former Blues Academy player, Stuart O’Keefe.
Scotland forced Speroni into a sharp save on 26, taking a deflected Emmanuel-Thomas cross on his thigh and volleying goalwards. Two minutes later, the former Arsenal youngster hit another shot through to the Palace keeper but without the power to test the Argentinian.
The impressive Leadbitter found Scotland on the edge of the area with an intelligent pass in the 32nd minute, the Trinidadian sending a low shot past Speroni’s right-hand post.
On 35 another former Town man, Owen Garvan, took to the field, replacing the injured Kagisho Dikgakoi in the centre of the Palace midfield.
Despite the Blues having had most of the ball and more of the chances, Palace went in front in the 36th minute. Nathaniel Clyne played the ball into Sean Scannell and received it back on the edge of the area via a backheel, the highly-rated right-back then cutting the ball inside to on-loan Canary Chris Martin, who beat Lee-Barrett from six yards.
O’Keefe joined Smith in referee Fred Graham’s book for clattering through the back of Drury soon after the goal, the Blues midfielder requiring treatment, then on 44 Damien Delaney did well to clear when grounded after slipping on the edge of the box, the Irishman not the first player to lose his feet on the Selhurst Park surface.
As half-time approached, the Eagles were having more of the game than earlier in the period, Zaha cutting a dangerous low ball across the Blues six-yard box. At the other end, Edwards exchanged passes with Scotland but shot wide.
Zaha blazed another effort over for Palace moments before the whistle, which came with Delaney needing attention after a clash with Chris Martin on halfway.
Town had had most of the ball for much of the half and had created a few openings, however they were largely half-chances at best and Speroni hadn’t been tested enough.
Palace had been happy to sit back and catch the Blues on the counter-attack and the goal and Ambrose’s earlier chance were the period’s best opportunities.
Three minutes into the second half, Scannell shot over with the Eagles starting the period as they had ended the first.
The Blues had made little headway after the break and on 57 Michael Chopra took over from Jay Emmanuel-Thomas and joined Scotland up front with Lee Martin moving to right midfield.
Two minutes after the substitution, Town were back on terms. Chopra laid back to Leadbitter midway inside the Palace half, the midfielder finding Scotland, who brought the ball in from the left before hammering an unstoppable 25-yarder beyond Speroni and into the net for his eighth goal of the season.
Ambrose hit a deflected effort to Lee-Barrett soon after, but the Blues began to look the more threatening side again, Lee Martin hitting a low shot from the edge of the box which just deflected wide on 69.
Scannell shot wide in the 72nd minute from a Garvan pass, the Irishman having put in a tidy shift in front of the Palace backline after being introduced. For the Blues, Daryl Murphy headed an Edward cross just over, then Cresswell saw a shot blocked by Paddy McCarthy.
Town were looking the more dangerous side in what wasn’t an overly memorable half, but the Eagles were still making the occasional threatening break.
On 82 Zaha might have found himself in trouble had referee Graham seen him push his hands into Cresswell’s chest twice after taking an obvious dive inside the Blues box. Moments later Mr Graham did see a Delaney foul on Chris Martin and waved his yellow card as a result.
Ryan Stevenson took over from scorer Scotland who had by now dropped behind Chopra with the game appearing destined for a draw.
De Silva shot well wide as the end of normal time approached, then moments into injury time Chopra struck a shot from the 18-yard line which deflected wide. The resultant corner was cleared to skipper Edwards 30 yards out from where he hit a rocket only just over Speroni’s bar.
That was the last chance of a game which ended in a deserved draw. The Blues probably should have made more of their early dominance but with Palace on top in the spell between the two goals.
Scotland’s goal came out of nothing and Town looked the more likely to score thereafter, although the game was very much an end-of-season affair throughout.
Manager Paul Jewell will be happy with another away point as he looks to end the season continuing the recent good run of form.
Town: Lee-Barrett, Edwards, Smith, Delaney, Cresswell, Leadbitter, Drury, Emmanuel-Thomas (Chopra 57), Martin, Murphy, Scotland (Stevenson 84). Unused: Cropper, Sonko, Bowyer.
Crystal Palace: Speroni, Clyne, McCarthy, McShane, Moxey, Dikgacoi (Garvan 35), O'Keefe, Ambrose (Parr 79), Zaha, Martin, Scannell (De Silva 74). Unused: Price, Pedroza. Referee: Fred Graham (Stanford-le-Hope). Att: 17,961 (Town: 1,428).