When Leeds United and Crystal Palace faced a very different battle but still with Wilfried Zaha - YEP 24/4/22

Leeds United will step out at Crystal Palace on Monday for a fourth top-flight meeting between the two sides since the Whites made their Premier League return.

By Lee Sobot

But a decade ago the Whites and Eagles regularly battled it out in the second tier, Robert Snodgrass earning Simon Grayson's side a 1-1 draw in the Selhurst Park clash of ten years ago on Saturday, January 14, 2012.

The game proved Grayson's third-last game in charge and final one on the road, the Whites boss sacked two and a half weeks later after the 4-1 defeat at home to Birmingham City.

But the strike from Snodgrass prevented defeat at Selhurst Park against the ten men Eagles whose Sean Scannell had been sent off on the stroke of half time.

United were in their second season back in English football's second tier having finally escaped three years in the doldrums of League One via promotion as runners-up under Grayson in 2010.

Grayson's side only missed out on a Championship play-offs spot by three points and a place the following term as Nottingham Forest pipped the Whites to sixth place.

But United's second season back in the second tier ultimately only yielded a 15th-placed finish under Neil Warnock who was brought in to replace Grayson after he had been sacked.

In January 2012, Grayson's side headed to Palace on the back of a 2-1 win at home to Burnley which had ended a run of four games without a win.

United then took on Arsenal in the FA Cup third round, the Gunners sealing a 1-0 victory as a a 78th-minute strike from Thierry Henry had put the Whites out.

But the trip to Palace saw the resumption of what Leeds yet hoped would be a promotion push although the clash at Selhurst Park was just six minutes old when the Whites fell behind.

Leeds lined up with an XI of Andy Lonergan, Danny Pugh, To Lees, Aidy White, Darren O'Dea, Michael Brown, Adam Clayton, Andros Townsend, Zack Thompson, Luciano Becchio and Ross McCormack.

United's bench consisted of a very young Charlie Taylor plus Alex Bruce, Ramon Nunez, Mikael Forssell and, surprisingly, Snodgrass who had undergone surgery on his appendix just two weeks earlier.

Wilfried Zaha featured on the bench for a Palace side who were in their seventh consecutive season in the country's second division having been relegated back in 2005.

Six and a half years on, Dougie Freedman was the latest man in the dugout and his side struck early against the Whites as striker Chris Martin cut inside before firing a low finish past Lonergan.

Leeds produced a strong response as Pugh blasted a good chance before only good saves from Eagles keeper Julian Speroni denied Lees and Clayton a leveller.

But Palace's bid to hold on to their lead was made even harder when they were reduced to ten men on the stroke of half-tie as Scannell picked up a second yellow card for fouling Pugh.

Scannell had earlier been cautioned for fouling Townsend and Leeds began the second half brightly as McCormack and Leeds both went close.

In the 56th minute, Grayson then called for the returning Snodgrass to replace White and the Scotsman netted just seven minutes later as he fired home from the middle of the area after McCormack's lay off.

For Palace, Zaha was introduced seven minutes later but United pushed for a winner as Snodgrass, Pugh and Clayton all went close and Forssell was then the last Whites player to be denied as Speroni pulled off another important save.

Whites assistant Glynn Snodin still described the draw as a good point and Leeds backed it up with a 3-1 win at home to Ipswich Town the following weekend but just ten days after that triumph the 4-1 reverse at home to Birmingham was followed by Grayson being sacked.