Sheffield Wed 2-2 Crystal Palace

The Eagles led twice through Alan Lee and Darren Ambrose but Wednesday fought back through Leon Clarke and Darren Purse to stay in contention on a tense and dramatic afternoon in Yorkshire.

Neil Danns was ruled out through suspension after being sent off against West Brom on Monday night but manager Paul Hart showed his intent by putting two up front and partnering Calvin Andrew with Lee.

The Owls went straight on the attack from the kick-off and a first minute Tommy Spurr corner had to be scrambled away by Matt Lawrence.

Lee Grant did well to keep out Andrew’s shot from eight yards two minutes later after the striker had been picked out by Shaun Derry.

Jermaine Johnson left Clint Hill for dead just inside the Palace half and went on a run to the edge of the box before unleashing a low shot which Speroni did well to gather at the second attempt after spilling the initial effort.

Andrew stuck out a foot to get the ball inside the six yard box on 13 minutes but instead his boot made a connection with Grant, an offence which earned the Palace player the first yellow card of the game.

Luke Varney’s 16th minute shot on the turn lacked power and went straight at Speroni, while Ambrose wasted a free-kick two minutes later by drilling it into the Wednesday wall.

Sean Scannell was stopped in his tracks by Mark Beevers 20 yards out as Palace were awarded another free-kick on 21 minutes and although Ambrose’s attempt was on target, Grant got a crucial touch to push it away.

But there was absolutely nothing the Wednesday keeper could do three minutes later to prevent Lee’s powerful header from Ambrose’s corner hitting the back of the net as the Eagles gained a crucial advantage by taking the lead.

Varney’s 28th minute cross found Marcus Tudgay but his connection was poor, although the ball came back out to Eddie Nolan on the left and McCarthy had to put his delivery behind for a corner.

Johnson’s 32nd minute shot went behind for a corner from which Beevers eventually headed straight at Speroni after a scuffed clearance by Hill.

McCarthy had a lucky escape when he tangled with Johnson just inside the area as the referee ignored Wednesday claims for a penalty.

Varney just failed to get on the end of Nolan’s 36th minute cross as Wednesday upped the tempo in search of an equaliser.

Nolan tried his luck with an ambitious effort from 25 yards which sailed over the bar but the Owls were back on terms moments later.

Danny Butterfield tamely surrendered possession to Leon Clarke, who then ran into the area before firing past Speroni to send the home fans into delirium.

It was an awful mistake by Butterfield and needlessly threw the relegation issue wide open again.

The goal was to be Clarke’s last contribution in the game as he was stretchered off in stoppage time to be replaced by former Eagle Tom Soares.

Butterfield did well to head behind Spurr’s cross two minutes after the restart but Tudgay’s shot from the resultant corner was blocked by Hill.

Spurr’s low pass on 52 minutes just failed to pick out Johnson in the six-yard box, while Spurr’s free-kick 60 seconds later into the danger zone was eventually cleared away.

Speroni came to Palace’s rescue when Varney got past McCarthy to bear down on goal but the Eagles keeper saved the former Charlton player’s shot as Wednesday continued to dominate the early exchanges in the second half.

Hart made his first substitution just after the hour when Andrew was replaced by Alassane N’Diaye.

Against the run of play, Palace regained their advantage on 63 minutes when Scannell’s cross from the byline picked out Ambrose, who drilled a low shot home from 15 yards.

How would Wednesday respond to the setback?

Soares came close to restoring parity three minutes later but he was denied a shot on goal by a fantastic clearance from McCarthy.

Johnson headed just over from Etienne Esajas’s 71st minute cross, while Speroni did well to clear under pressure from Varney.

Striker Francis Jeffers came on with quarter of an hour remaining in place of defender Nolan as the Owls went for broke knowing they had to score twice.

However, it was Palace who came agonisingly close to putting the outcome beyond doubt two minutes later when Scannell headed just wide from Lee’s inviting delivery.

An unmarked Jeffers somehow failed to connect with Johnson’s 81st minute cross.

But Wednesday were given a lifeline three minutes from time when Spurr’s long throw was flicked on by Beevers and Purse simply couldn’t miss from two yards.

Now the pressure really was on because Palace knew the hosts would throw everything at them with stoppage time still to come.

They earned a corner in the 90th minute and even the keeper went up, but the danger was eventually cleared.

However, the Owls were then awarded a free-kick 20 yards from goal just as five minutes of stoppage time were signalled.

Esajas drilled the free-kick straight at the wall and Palace survived, although this was now desperate stuff with the stakes so high.

But Palace could, and should, have wrapped it up on 94 minutes when a quick break ended with substitute Stern John’s shot being pushed onto the post by Grant and Ambrose was unable to react quickly enough to tap in the loose ball.

Wednesday were unable to capitalise on the mistake in the remaining minute and Palace survived the last day drama to preserve their Championship status.

To the anonymous financial ‘experts’ who came up with the brainwave of putting Palace in administration mid-season, hang your heads in shame.

Justice was ultimately done today and Palace did survive but if it wasn’t for your short sighted stupidity, they would never have been put in this position in the first place.

News Shopper wishes the 2010 CPFC Consortium well in their bid to restore stability in SE25 this summer.

It has been in very short supply for some time.

Crystal Palace: Speroni, Hill, McCarthy, Lawrence, Butterfield, Ertl, Derry, Ambrose, Scannell (Davis 90), Andrew (N’Diaye 61), Lee (John 84). Subs not used: Manns, Clyne, Carle, Djilali.