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ECSTASY TO AGONY..Earnie celebrates his injury-time strike - but there was to be one final twist |
With just eight minutes left, the Baggies were heading for a disastrous defeat after Andy Johnson punished a mistake by ex-Blues team-mate Darren Purse to fire the ten-man Eagles into a 47th-minute lead.
But Kevin Campbell's second goal in as many starts clawed Bryan Robson's men level in the 82nd-minute before super-sub Robert Earnshaw unbelievably made it 2-1 in the first minute of stoppage time.
A win would have moved Albion just two points behind Iain Dowie's fourth-from-bottom club.
But Palace, who had seen defender Gonzalo Sorondo sent off for a 12th-minute professional foul, broke Baggies hearts when sub Aki Riihilahti capitalised on more sloppy defending in the 93rd minute to snatch a point.
It means Albion remain five points behind the South Londoners with 13 games left.
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MOMENT OF TRUTH...Sorondo is sent off for this challenge on Horsfield |
Boss Robson made two changes to the XI that drew with Spurs in the FA Cup as strikers Campbell and Geoff Horsfield replaced Kanu and Earnshaw in attack. New loan signing Kieran Richardson also replaced James O'Connor on the bench.
Albion kicked off bidding to avenge October's 3-0 Selhurst Park mauling and soon put the Palace goal under pressure by winning two early corners.
And Zoltan Gera was only a whisker away from firing the hosts into a sixth-minute lead.
After collecting Ronnie Wallwork's pinpoint pass on the edge of the box, the Hungary skipper nut-megged Gary Borrowdale before clipping compatriot Gabor Kiraly's bar with a right-foot rocket.
The game erupted in controversy in the 12th minute when Palace centre-half Sorondo was red-carded for allegedly denying Horsfield a goalscoring opportunity by scything the ex-Blues striker down on the edge of the box.
Eagles boss Dowie made an immediate change by sacrificing striker Dougie Freedman for Darren Powell and switching to a 4-4-1 formation.
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THE BOY DANE GOOD...Albrechtsen beats Leigertwood in the air |
With the extra-man advantage, the Baggies pressure continued and the visitors were relieved to see Campbell swivel on a sixpence inside the box and fire wide.
Palace's first effort on goal didn't arrive until the 21st minute when substitute Powell failed to make the most of a free header from Wayne Routledge's corner, with Russell Hoult making a simple catch.
Although enjoying plenty of possession, Albion struggled to keep their early momentum going.
Yet skipper Purse would have been disappointed to direct a free header from Jonathan Greening's centre well wide of Kiraly's goal on the half-hour mark.
Gera again tried the spectacular - and again almost beat his pal Kiraly. The pedestrian Palace keeper was mightily relieved to see his international team-mate's 20-yard curler arc just wide of his left-hand post.
But, on a rare Palace attack, only Neil Clement's perfectly-timed last-ditch challenge denied Mikele Leigertwood a clear goal-scoring chance after the Eagles had wreaked havoc down the Albion right.
Back came Albion and Horsfield looked certain to score as he collected Riccardo Scimeca's sublime throughball and pulled back his left boot - until Powell stretched out a leg and poked the ball to safety.
Albion were right on top again and the best chance of the half went begging when the unmarked Campbell wastefully headed Purse's cross over from
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GET IN...Campbell celebrates after clawing Albion level |
The visitors survived another red card scare in the dying seconds of the half.
Greening was sent sprawling by Powell's out-stretched boot as he appeared to be clean through on goal - yet referee Dermot Gallagher didn't even award a free-kick.
Disaster struck just two minutes after the break when Purse ducked to allow Kiraly's long punt to bounce over his head and seemingly through to Hoult.
But unbeknownst to the Baggies defender, Palace striker Johnson was lurking behind and nipped in to head the ball over the stranded keeper and into the empty net for his 15th Premiership goal this term.
It means the former Blues striker has a 100 per cent strike record on West Midlands soil this season having previously notched at St Andrew's and Villa Park.
Albion, visibly shell-shocked, regrouped and only Kiraly's finger-tips denied Paul Robinson his first goal for the club with a sweet left-foot strike from 18 yards.
Robson soon made a change, replacing Horsfield with eight-goal top scorer Earnshaw.
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WELSH WONDER...Earnie fires Albion 2-1 ahead with a cool finish |
Hoult was soon called into action at the other end when, from a deep Routledge corner, he dived full stretch to turn the unmarked Fitz Hall's header around his post to deny Palace a two-goal cushion.
Manchester United midfielder Richardson was granted his Albion debut with 18 minutes to go, replacing Martin Albrechtsen who appeared to be struggling with his right hamstring.
Albion continued to plug away but the best they could serve up were long-range strikes from Gera and Greening, which Kiraly was more than equal to.
After a series of near misses, during which the Palace goal lived a charmed life, Campbell finally clawed Albion level eight minutes from time.
Kiraly displayed stunning reflexes to keep out Powell's sliced clearance from Gera's right-wing cross, but the ball dropped perfectly for Campbell who bundled over from two yards.
Albion had the bit between their teeth and Earnshaw fired the home hordes into dreamland in the 91st minute when he latched on to Campbell's throughball and lifted it over the advancing Kiraly for his ninth of the season.
But the wild scenes of celebration were nipped in the bud just two minutes later when Albion failed to clear a Palace free-kick and sub Riihilahti poked home from close range.
ALBION (4-4-2): Hoult; Albrechtsen (Richardson 72), Purse, Clement, Robinson; Gera, Wallwork, Scimeca, Greening; Horsfield (Earnshaw 55), Campbell. Subs not used: Kuszczak (gk), Kanu, Gaardsoe.
PALACE (4-4-2): Kiraly; Boyce, Sorondo, Hall, Borrowdale; Soares, Leigertwood, Hughes, Routledge; Johnson, Freedman (Powell 14, Riihilahti 87)). Subs not used: Speroni (gk), Andrews, Lakis.
GOALS: ALBION - Campbell (82), Earnshaw (91). PALACE - Johnson (47), Riihilahti (93).
BOOKINGS: ALBION - Gera (85).. PALACE - Powell (68),
SENDING-OFF: PALACE - Sorondo (professional foul, 12)
REFEREE: D Gallagher (Banbury).
ATTENDANCE: 25,092
ALBION STARMAN: Ronnie Wallwork.
(PICS BY LAURIE RAMPLING)
