'Tough to take' - Reaction to 'shock' Crystal Palace defeat as AEK Larnaca pull off famous UEFA Conference League victory

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Former Crystal Palace defender Joel Ward admitted the club’s "shock" defeat against AEK Larnaca in the UEFA Conference League was "tough to take". FA Cup winners Palace dominated the match at Selhurst Park on Thursday night, having over two-thirds of possession, but were unable to convert their chances. Ward said it was "one of those nights" for Oliver Glasner's team.

Highlights: Palace stunned by Cypriot side AEK Larnaca

Video credit: TNT Sports

Former Crystal Palace defender Joel Ward admitted the club’s "shock" defeat against AEK Larnaca in the UEFA Conference League was "tough to take".

Oliver Glasner’s men were beaten 1-0 by the Cypriot Cup winners at Selhurst Park in what was their first home match in a major European competition proper.

The visitors took a surprise lead shortly after the interval as Riad Bajic rifled home following a stray pass from Palace’s 19-year-old defender Jaydee Canvot.

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Palace had several chances throughout the contest, with Jean-Philippe Mateta going the closest, but Ward conceded that "it was one of those nights" for the hosts.

Ward told TNT Sports: "It’s a tough defeat to take. The chances were there, I think the stats show that.

"I think it's just the end product in the end. There were a couple of great saves as well.

"It was one of those nights, it wasn't necessarily going our way, and the rub of the green wasn’t quite with us."

Palace go close to opener as AEK Larnaca clear off the line

Video credit: TNT Sports

Palace had 15 shots throughout the 90 minutes but only found the target once.

The defeat ended their 10-match unbeaten run at home, with their previous loss at Selhurst Park coming in February.

Ward suspects the south London side may find it tricky on home soil in the Conference League this season, with visiting teams highly motivated for a trip to a Premier League team and happy to defend deep.

He said: "It comes as a bit of a shock, but you can’t underestimate any team that comes here, especially in this Conference League.

"They came here and made it difficult for Palace. They caused us issues in terms of trying to unlock them; they parked a lot of players behind the ball.

"You can see the celebrations from Larnaca, they see this as a huge result coming to Selhurst, to a Premier League side, and we’re going to have to realise that every team coming here, it's almost their cup final."

AEK Larnaca savour famous victory at Palace with ecstatic fans

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Palace captain Marc Guehi spoke of the difficulties in breaking down Larnaca, with the hosts enjoying over two-thirds of possession throughout the match but unable to make the breakthrough.

Summarising the game, Guehi told TNT Sports: "I think every team comes with a different type of game plan.

"Today was a team that sat back, they did well, they frustrated us, even though they did that, we still could have scored, so it’s an opportunity for us to learn."

Identifying these learnings, he said: "Maybe staying calm in difficult situations, a lot of frustration, not just us on the pitch, every single person in the stadium.

"All of us can learn from that, staying calm and just focusing on ourselves. The better we can do that, the better we can move forward.

"When it’s 0-0 and you feel like you should be winning, it's understandable the frustrations, not just the fans, even us on the pitch.

"Everyone had the same feeling, so I think all of us, it's an opportunity to learn and understand that these European games are tough, it doesn't matter who comes and who we play against."

'This is all good' - Guehi offers positivity after difficult night for Palace

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Larnaca’s goal came after Canvot played a pass straight to Marcus Rohden on the edge of Palace’s box, and the midfielder fed Bajic, whose finish was emphatic.

But Guehi said after the game that the whole team were responsible for conceding, and praised his fellow defender for the rest of his performance.

"I can't really blame him," Guehi said. "I thought he played well today, I thought he did well, so that's not down to him; that's every single one of us.

"It starts from the ball going to [Henderson], that's not on him, we’ll all take that burden, and we’ll move on from that one."

The result leaves Glasner's side 16th in the Conference League standings on three points after two games, while a second win in the competition for the visitors moved them joint top on points with Fiorentina.

Palace return to Conference League action when they host AZ Alkmaar on November 6, a game that will be live on TNT Sports and discovery+.

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