Late Mateta penalty hands Palace 2-2 home draw with Leicester

LONDON :Crystal Palace's Jean-Philippe Mateta scored twice including a last-gasp penalty as they clawed their way back from two goals down to salvage a 2-2 Premier League draw against promoted Leicester City at Selhurst Park on Saturday.

The result was huge relief for Palace, who were booed off the pitch at halftime, but left both sides looking for their first victory this season on two points each after four matches.

Leicester appeared poised to take all the points after Jamie Vardy and Stephy Mavididi scored either side of the break.

But Mateta pulled one back for Palace in the 47th minute when he knocked Tyrick Mitchell's low cross into the net. He was flagged offside but the goal was eventually allowed by the narrowest of margins after a lengthy VAR check.

Mateta's 92nd-minute penalty, awarded for Conor Coady's foul, secured the draw to the relief of the home side.

Vardy opened scoring for Leicester in the 21st minute when Wilfred Ndidi's through ball drew Dean Henderson out of his goal. The 37-year-old Vardy beat defender Marc Guehi and Henderson to the ball and side-footed it into an empty net.

The visitors had another chance before halftime when Guehi fluffed a clearance. Vardy pounced and found Mavididi down the left wing but he fired wide.

Mavididi did double Leicester's lead, however, with a powerful strike 19 seconds into the second half after Nathaniel Clyne's botched clearance.

The goal sparked Palace to life with Mateta scoring a minute later. But it took until stoppage time for the hosts to level when Coady took down substitute Ismaila Sarr in the box and Mateta sent Mads Hermansen the wrong way from the penalty spot.