James Ward-Prowse scored a vital equalising goal as Southampton continued to build momentum in their battle against relegation by coming from behind to draw 1-1 at home to Crystal Palace’s 10 men.
Wilfried Zaha had put the visitors on course for victory by ending his lengthy goal drought with only his fourth goal of the season towards the end of the first half.
With defeat looking likely Southampton then showed further signs of the resilience Ralph Hasenhuttl has developed since his appointment in December.
Strengthened by the return to fitness of Vicente Guaita, Palace made seven changes from the weakened team that on Sunday eliminated Tottenham from the FA Cup, including replacing Connor Wickham, who scored against Spurs, with Jordan Ayew.
The perception of these teams has long been that of the two, it is only the hosts who are truly at risk of not retaining their Premier League status, but they are level on 23 points, such is the improvement Hasenhuttl has overseen and Palace’s struggle for a regular source of goals.
Palace continued to stretch Southampton, without creating the clear-cut chances they required to score, and it was a ball falling kindly to them that ultimately led to their goal.
With Andros Townsend preparing to take possession in the area following Ayew’s lay-off after an attack down the right, Oriol Romeu slid in and took the ball but watched it roll into the path of Zaha, who scored for the first time since September 15, past former team-mate Alex McCarthy at the near left post.
Romeu put Danny Ings into space early in the second half, and the forward forced a routine save from Guaita. In an almost immediate response, the visitors’ Mamadou Sakho then finished but had his effort disallowed for a foul on McCarthy.
Instead, within three minutes, Nathan Redmond had found Matt Targett on the left where he then squared to Ward-Prowse inside the area, who connected well to finish first time and low past Guaita.
Substitute Stuart Armstrong quickly forced a fine save from the Spaniard with a curling effort as they threatened a victory, but the match essentially concluded with Zaha’s red card.
When the frustrated forward was booked for a tussle with Ward-Prowse, he made the mistake of sarcastically clapping referee Andre Marriner and therefore earning the second yellow and an 87th-minute dismissal.
