‘A really good finisher’ – Patrick Vieira on Crystal Palace goal hero Conor Gallagher

Patrick Vieira has praised Conor Gallagher after the midfielder bagged a brace to help the Eagles come back twice against West Ham United.

After Pablo Fornals opened the scoring for the Hammers in the first half, Gallagher brought Vieira’s side level with a powerful finish from a narrow angle inside the area.

Despite Michail Antonio restoring the hosts’ lead in the 68th minute, Gallagher equalised just two minutes later to set up a grandstand finish at the London Stadium.

Speaking about the 21-year-old after the game, Vieira said: “He (Gallagher) has got the ability to remain calm inside the box; he is a really good finisher.

“He has got a lot of energy, and he worked really hard for the team. When he is in that kind of situation, he will score goals. He will score goals for us.”

Not only did Gallagher score his first goal for the club, he scored the first goal of Patrick Vieira’s tenure, with the South Londoners failing to find the net in their previous three professional outings against Watford, Brentford and Chelsea.

“It was a well-deserved point because we played well, especially in the second half,” said Vieira. “I was really pleased with the character we showed today, and we have to build up from those kinds of performances.”