info@businessghana.com
At a glance
Crystal Palace face two-legged play-off
Christantus Uche's wonderful right-foot finish puts Eagles ahead
Palace concede two goals in three second-half minutes, before Justin Devenny equalises
KuPS finish with 10 men after Clinton Antwi is sent off in 73rd minute
Oliver Glasner names inexperienced side because of fixture schedule
Crystal Palace will have to win a two-legged knockout phase play-off in February if they are to advance to the last 16 of the Conference League after drawing with KuPS at Selhurst Park.
With Palace kicking-off at Leeds less than 48 hours after the end of this game, boss Oliver Glasner fielded a mixture of fringe players and youngsters for the must-win match against the Finnish champions.
Sixteen-year-old Joel Drakes-Thomas became the the youngest Englishman to play in Europe's third-tier competition, while Dean Benamar, 17, and George King, 18, also made their senior debuts.
And all seemed to be going well when Christantus Uche sent Palace into a fifth-minute lead with a lovely curling finish with the outside of his boot.
That sent Palace, who started the day in ninth in the table, up into third - and an automatic last-16 place.
However, last season's FA Cup winners conceded two goals in the space of three second-half minutes early in the second half.
Former Charlton forward Piotr Parzyszek equalised from 12 yards in the 50th minute before Ibrahim Cisse put the visitors ahead for the first time.
Justin Devenny made it 2-2 with a 76th-minute header after the visitors had been reduced to 10 men when Clinton Antwi was shown a straight red card for a foul on substitute Will Hughes.
But Palace could not find and winner - and must now negotiate a two-legged play-off after finishing 10th in the table.
They will meet Czech Republic side Sigma Olomouc or Zrinjski Mostar, who play in Bosnia-Herzegovina, in the play-off.
The draw takes place on 16 January.
This was the first of three matches in six days for Palace and Glasner will not relish the prospect of an extra two extra European games in the new year.
The Palace boss was forced to field an under-strength side against KuPS because of the tight turnaround before the Leeds game at 20:00 GMT on Saturday, which is swiftly followed by a Carabao Cup quarter-final away to Arsenal next Tuesday.
Palace do not have the strength in depth of some of their Premier League rivals.
Yet Drakes-Thomas, Benamar and King did not look out of their depth on what was a big night for the academy trio.
In the past seven months, Palace have won the FA Cup and the Community Shield, while they occupy fifth spot in the Premier League.
And despite finishing two points and two places off an automatic last-16 spot, Palace are still fighting in Europe.
Crystal Palace's next match begins less than 48 hours after the end of their draw against KuPS.
Palace's hectic fixture schedule sends them next to Leeds United in the Premier League on Saturday for a 20:00 GMT kick-off.
Boss Oliver Glasner has already made it clear that those who started against KuPS will not start against Leeds because of the unusually quick turnaround.
7.18
