Wilfried Zaha closing in on his goal target for the season – as attacker sets sights on top-10 finish

BY ANDREW MCSTEEN

The stage was set for Crystal Palace talisman Wilfried Zaha on Saturday against Southampton.

Having started on the substitutes bench – a rare place for the 29-year-old who joined the SE25 club when he was 11 – Zaha was introduced by manager Patrick Vieira in the 64th minute with the scores level at 1-1.

The Eagles had missed key opportunities throughout the 90 minutes and the game appeared to be meandering to a draw, but in the second minute of additional time, the Ivory Coast international turned his defender on the edge of the box and drilled home to seal all three points.

His sheer relief and ecstasy was marked by his trademark wide smile and jumping celebration, right in front of the travelling fans from SE25, who shared in his outpouring of pure emotion.

“It feels good,” Zaha told the South London Press. “Scoring for the team, getting the three points, it’s massive. I’m glad I could help.”

And Zaha has helped, all season. His 13 goals so far continuing his best-ever season return in his career.

“I set myself a goal and I’m not far [off],” said Zaha in the mixed zone at St Mary’s about his target of strikes for the season, around the same time Vieira was in the post-match media conference saying he felt his forward had the “ability and quality to score around 20 goals,” a season.

However many goals he scores this season Zaha is relishing the increased competition in the squad, something which has driven him on to further improve.

“It’s massive,” said Zaha who spent time on loan at Cardiff City in 2014. “I feel like the team needed competition. Every team needs competition. When you know there’s someone that’s raring to go, to come on in your position and do well, you got to step your game up, so it’s nice to have the competition – it’s healthy. You can see for yourself the talent in the team. I’m happy every day just to be part of it and just do my part.”

That competition allowed Vieira to give Zaha a little extra rest after a bruising encounter for the forward against Leeds United at the start of last week, with the two discussing the possibility ahead of the match and the final decision going to the manager.

“It was definitely needed because, obviously, it was a tough game on Monday,” explained Zaha. “I spoke to him and we agreed that I’ll rest and if he needs me then I’m there to help and it worked out. I just told him I’m never going to say I don’t want to start. He’s the manager. It’s his decision.

“This opportunity is…” added Zaha, before trailing off and choosing his words thoughtfully. “People dream about playing football as their job. I’m never going to say no [I don’t want to play]. I love football too much. So as a manager, it’s just like ‘[it’s] your decision’. He took the decision and it worked out.”

With visiting fans inside St Mary’s on Saturday still chanting Zaha’s name in a near-empty stadium as the Palace players came out for their post-match warm-down, the three points have reignited a run for a top 10 finish with four games remaining of the season for the Eagles.

And Zaha was quick to acknowledge the effect of the fans and the points for the rest of the season.

“It’s massive,” said Zaha about the support. “It’s massive for my confidence. They know what I’m capable of and I’m glad I can come in and score and put a smile on their faces.

“I feel good about every game,” he added. “We’ve just got to do what we’ve got to do [for the rest of the season] and hopefully it goes our way. This year is the first time that some of these players have played together so it’s a very good first season. I feel like the team that we had and the season that we’ve had it would be good for the club to finish in the top 10.”­­