sport news Crystal Palace 1-2 Watford: Tom Cleverley strike completes second-half ...

Wayne Hennessey may have wished to lie low amid the Football Association investigation into whether he was or wasn't pictured performing a Nazi salute on a night out last week.

Yet the Crystal Palace goalkeeper was forced to come off the bench here when his team were leading 1-0, only for them to go on to lose 2-1.

Hennessey may have been able to do more to prevent the first goal but Tom Cleverley's winner was by no means his fault. The substitute's volley was simply too good to stop.  

Crystal Palace took the lead in a fortuitous manner with the ball sneaking over the line after a goalmouth scramble

Crystal Palace took the lead in a fortuitous manner with the ball sneaking over the line after a goalmouth scramble

Watford goalkeeper Ben Foster tried his best to clamber to his feet and push the ball away but couldn't manage it

Watford goalkeeper Ben Foster tried his best to clamber to his feet and push the ball away but couldn't manage it

Watford defender Cathcart squeezed a header past Wayne Hennessey to atone for his earlier error and level the scores

Watford defender Cathcart squeezed a header past Wayne Hennessey to atone for his earlier error and level the scores

Watford substitute Tom Cleverley thumped a volley home from just inside the box to complete the second-half comeback

Watford substitute Tom Cleverley thumped a volley home from just inside the box to complete the second-half comeback

Wilfried Zaha and Co look dejected after Palace conceded their second goal of the afternoon against Watford

Wilfried Zaha and Co look dejected after Palace conceded their second goal of the afternoon against Watford

MATCH FACTS, LIVE LEAGUE TABLE AND MATCH ZONE

CRYSTAL PALACE (4-4-2): Guaita (Hennessey 45), Wan Bissaka, Tomkins, Sakho, Van Aanholt, Kouyate, Milivojevic, McArthur (Benteke 79), Townsend, Ayew (Schlupp 83), Zaha;

SUBS NOT USED: Ward, Meyer, Wickham, Kelly

SCORERS: Cathcart OG (38)

BOOKED: Milivojevic

WATFORD (4-5-1): Foster, Femenia, Mariappa, Cathcart, Holebas, Doucoure, Capoue, Hughes (Sema 19) (Cleverley 78), Pereyra (Masina 90), Deulofeu, Deeney;

SUBS NOT USED: Gomes, Britos, Success, Quina

SCORERS: Cathcart (67), Cleverley (74)

BOOKED: Femenia, Sema, Pereyra, Cleverley

REFEREE: Paul Tierney 

Premier League Premier League Championship League One League Two Scottish Premiership Scottish Div 1 Scottish Div 2 Scottish Div 3 Ligue 1 Serie A La Liga Bundesliga

Tom Cleverley thumped a volley from just inside the penalty area into the back of the net to put the visitors in front. CLICK HERE to see more from Sportsmail's brilliant MATCH ZONE feature.

Tom Cleverley thumped a volley from just inside the penalty area into the back of the net to put the visitors in front. CLICK HERE to see more from Sportsmail's brilliant MATCH ZONE feature.

Roy Hodgson defended Hennessey this week, saying he believed his goalkeeper when he said it was not what it looked like. Whether the FA will buy that remains to be seen.

Palace stole the lead through a scrappy own goal as Abdoulaye Doucoure’s clearance cannoned off Craig Cathcart and beyond Ben Foster.

Cathcart made amends in the 67th minute when he headed home a corner, before Cleverley’s fine finish secured Watford the three points at Selhurst Park.

Vicente Guaita, Palace’s first-choice goalkeeper, may have expected a busy evening as Watford bombarded his goal in the opening three minutes. 

Foster gets down well to his right to deny Crystal Palace forward Zaha from close and preserve Watford's lead

Foster gets down well to his right to deny Crystal Palace forward Zaha from close and preserve Watford's lead

Gerard Deulofeu breaks into the Palace box and looks to get a shot off but Mamadou Sakho manages to get a toe in to block

Gerard Deulofeu breaks into the Palace box and looks to get a shot off but Mamadou Sakho manages to get a toe in to block

Adrian Mariappa bravely puts his head in to clear the ball up field as Kouyate tries to acrobatically kick the ball

Adrian Mariappa bravely puts his head in to

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