"If you find yourself with the ball and you don't know what to do with it," Bill Shankly once said, "stick it in the back of the net and then we can discuss your options afterwards." That was very much the policy of Andros Townsend on this day (4th March) in 2017.
After Wilfried Zaha’s emphatic finish had put the Eagles ahead, chesting Yohan Cabaye’s ball down and smashing past Ben Foster, Townsend took matters into his own hands.
With the Eagles holding on to a precious 1-0 lead away from home, the former England winger won back possession on the edge of his own box and set off for the other end of the pitch.
Racing forwards but lacking support, he was left with no option but to go alone, rounding the defender and curling past the ‘keeper before falling down in an exhausted heap by way of celebration.
It was one of the finest goals scored by any player for any side that season - and also marked Palace's 700th in the top-flight.
Townsend would go on to score some more memorable strikes for Palace, but for sheer tenacity and single-mindedness, this will surely go down as one of his best.
