Adam Wharton was proud of Crystal Palace’s response as the Eagles came from behind to secure their first home league win of the season against Nottingham Forest at Selhurst Park.
Forest controlled much of the opening half-hour and took an early lead through Dan Ndoye. The visitors continued to threaten, but Palace goalkeeper Walter Benítez kept his side in the contest with important saves, including one to deny Delap.
Palace then changed the momentum before half-time with two quick goals. Daichi Kamada equalised before Jefferson Lerma completed the turnaround, while Yéremy Pino added a third with a close-range finish after the interval.
Speaking after the match, stand-in captain Wharton acknowledged that the performance was not always polished, but he felt the team’s determination was decisive. He also stressed the importance of finally claiming a first league victory at Selhurst this season, particularly with the supporters fully behind the side for a significant fixture.
Wharton reserved special praise for Benítez, explaining that Forest taking a two-goal advantage could have made the match extremely difficult to recover. The goalkeeper has stepped in following Dean’s injury, and Wharton said Palace were delighted with the way he had performed.
The victory also brought the squad a welcome break, with the team given a day off before turning their attention to a demanding midweek fixture. Wharton noted that October is particularly busy and that the players had only been due one day away from training during the month.
