Benitez's point-blank stop rescues Palace as Delap spurns certain second for Forest

Crystal Palace goalkeeper Walter Benitez denied Nottingham Forest striker Liam Delap from point-blank range in one of the Premier League season’s most extraordinary moments, helping Palace claw back a 1-0 deficit at Selhurst Park.

Forest had taken the lead through an early Dan Ndoye goal when the sequence unfolded. Morgan Gibbs-White tested Benitez from outside the box, and the Palace keeper tipped the Forest captain’s deflected effort on to the crossbar. When the ball bounced down inside the six-yard box, the unmarked Delap appeared certain to convert — but Benitez recovered instantly, standing firm as Delap smashed a powerful volley straight into the goalkeeper’s chest from four yards.

Pundit Danny Gabbidon, speaking on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra, was unsparing in his assessment of Delap’s decision-making. “Liam Delap has to score. He goes for power. It’s point-blank range and Walter Benitez doesn’t know much about it. It sits nicely for him and if he just side foots it down, it’s 2-0.”

The moment drew equal debate over whether it ranked as a save of the season or a miss of the season — a question that co-commentator Alan Smith captured succinctly: “Can you believe that passage of play?”

The reprieve proved costly for Forest. Just five minutes after Benitez’s stop, Palace moved down the other end and equalised when Daichi Kamada pounced on a loose ball in the box and finished from close range, levelling the match at 1-1.