Palace boss Alan Pardew delights as Sako grasps opportunity

Crystal Palace 2 Aston Villa 1: Bakary Sako gave Palace fans hope Alan Pardew’s side can flourish without Yannick Bolasie with a dramatic late winner against disappointing Villa.

Sako moved to Selhurst Park as a free agent in the summer following a three-year stay at Wolves but Pardew only turned to the Mali international because Bolasie, a transfer target for Spurs, had returned to his family home in Congo following the death of his father.

Pardew was also able to replace Wilfried Zaha and Glenn Murray with Dwight Gayle and Jordon Mutch at half-time, providing his team with a more incisive cutting edge that eventually made the difference.