The legs may have significantly slowed but the technique was timeless from Jermain Defoe as his Marco van Basten-esque volley secured Bournemouth a point at Selhurst Park.
The 35-year-old scored both of the visitors’ goals against Crystal Palace but it was his second strike that will stupefy the Match of the Day pundits on Saturday night.
Yet one other significant talking point will be the soft stoppage-time penalty that Christian Benteke failed to finish, as Roy Hodgson’s side missed out on a valuable three points.
Wilfried Zaha had been brought down by Charlie Daniels and referee Kevin Friend pointed to the spot, leaving Bournemouth’s players furious. They felt it was a dive and it was indeed dubious.
Benteke stepped up with the chance to spark wild celebrations inside Selhurst but Asmir Begovic dived to his right and Bournemouth left with a point.
Christian Benteke missed a stoppage time penalty to hand Crystal Palace all three points against Bournemouth on Saturday
The Belgian has been out of form and his spot kick was poor as Asmir Begovic guessed the right way to deny him to his right
Benteke rues his penalty miss as Crystal Palace couldn’t find a way through in the second half and had to settle for a point
Jermain Defoe’s stunning equaliser in first half stoppage time secured Bournemouth a point at Selhurst Park
The veteran striker collected a long ball by Lewis Cook in stoppage time before hooking the ball back across goal
Julian Speroni could only watch in despair as Defoe’s attempt sailed over his head and into the net, stunning the home fans
The goal saw Bournemouth go in at half-time level as Ruben Loftus-Cheek looks on in shock at Defoe’s stunning strike
FACT BOX TITLE
Crystal Palace: Speroni, Fosu-Mensah, Tomkins, Sakho (Dann 25), Schlupp, Loftus-Cheek, Cabaye (McArthur 65), Milivojevic, Townsend (Sako 78), Zaha, Benteke
Subs not used: Van Aanholt, Hennessey, Kelly, Puncheon
Goals: Milivojevic 41, Dann 44
Bookings: Tomkins, Milivojevic, Zaha, McArthur, Benteke
Bournemouth: Begovic, Francis, S Cook, Ake, Daniels, Stanislas (Ibe 65), L Cook, Surman, Fraser (Afobe 87), King, Defoe (Wilson 80)
Subs not used: Boruc, Gosling, Arter, Simpson
Goals: Defoe 10, 45+3
Bookings: Begovic, L Cook
Referee: Kevin Friend
Attendance: 24,823
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Jermain Defoe opened the scoring after he converted a well-worked corner routine. Click here to see more from Sportsmail’s brilliant MATCHZONE feature.
Defoe had scored his first in the 10th minute – applying the final touch to a training ground move – before a Luka Milivojevic penalty and Scott Dann strike gave Palace the lead.
It was in first-half stoppage time when Defoe, on a tight angle, twisted and directed a shot that dipped up and down over Julian Speroni.
Why Benteke took the penalty at the death, however, is a question Hodgson must answer. Milivojevic – who scored a spot-kick in the first half, also won by Zaha – was still on the pitch. It was costly.
Hodgson’s side came out swinging at the start. Zaha in particular had Bournemouth trembling whenever he made a dash for goal, treating centre-back Steve Cook like a dance partner at times.
Defoe was in fine form in front of goal as he also opened the scoring after finishing off a well-worked corner routine early on
Andrew Surman took a short one to Junior Stanislas, who returned it to Surman before he whipped a low pass to Defoe
Crystal Palace were given a chance to bring themselves level after Wilfried Zaha was brought down by Begovic
Yet the wind was knocked out of the home side’s sails in the 10th minute when Jermain Defoe finished off a manoeuvre direct from the training ground.
A one-two between Andrew Surman and Junior Stanislas from a corner led to the ball being cut back for Defoe, who easily escaped his marker. The 35-year-old swept the ball into the back of the net, prompting congratulatory pats on backs among the coaches in Bournemouth’s dugout.
Defoe had scored just once all season and that was back in September. On £65,000 a week, he had to step up. Getting his 200th league goal was a start.
Soon after, Benteke should have scored a leveller but blasted his shot straight into the shins of Begovic. Andros Townsend then saw a shot superbly blocked by Nathan Ake while Mamadou Sakho was inches from getting the final touch in a game of penalty-area pinball.
It just wasn’t going in for them, and it only got worse when their skipper Sakho was forced off with a lower-leg injury. Scott Dann replaced him.
Begovic tried to protest his innocence but referee Kevin Friend had made his mind up to penalise the goalkeeper
Begovic guessed the right way but could not stop Luka Milivojevic’s spot kick from hitting the back of the net to make it 1-1
Milivojevic celebrates his side’s first goal of the game as Bournemouth’s Joshua King and his team-mates look dejected
Bournemouth last lost at Selhurst Park in April 1988 but they had been pushing their luck in the opening half hour. Then shortly before the break, Palace were gifted a way back into the game when Friend awarded them a penalty.
Zaha broke through and knocked the ball beyond Begovic, who clipped his leg. The 25-year-old may have already been on his way down but Friend felt it was a foul. Luka Milivojevic stepped up and smacked it in for 1-1.
That was in the 41st minute. In the 44th, Palace took the lead when Yohan Cabaye’s low cross crept to the back post, where substitute Dann slid in to score. They had their turnaround.
Yet any Bournemouth fans who left to beat the half-time queues for a pie and a pint made a mistake. The real treat was about to come on the pitch.
It was first-half stoppage time and Andros Townsend unleashed a shot from distance that tested Begovic. Twenty-five seconds later, there was an equaliser at the opposite end.
Palace led briefly as substitute Scott Dann came in at the back post to score his fourth in four games against Bournemouth
Bournemouth’s defenders watch on as Dann ghosts in unmarked to meet Cabaye’s low cross and divert the ball home
Crystal Palace manager Roy Hodgson urged his players on from the touchline as they tried to find a winner
A ball over the top from Lewis Cook saw Defoe chase but in a split second, he volleyed on the turn and beat Julian Speroni from a tight angle. It was a thing of beauty. How the ball went up then down with such power would have the Match of the Day pundits stumped.
There is something about playing against Palace that Defoe enjoys. He has now got nine goals in his last 10 games against them, and a brace in each of his last three in the Premier League.
It had been a rollercoaster of a first half and it was end-to-end in the second.
Defoe will feel he should have had his hat-trick when a low cross from Stanislas found him in chance. Dragging his shot wide, the striker was left with head in hands.
Wilfried Zaha looks dejected after he missed a chance during the second half of the even contest
Benteke had the golden opportunity to snatch all three points for the hosts but he could not convert from 12 yards out
Crystal Palace’s James Tomkins gestures towards team-mate Benteke following his late penalty miss
Palace should have taken the lead in the 77th minute when a set-piece found Dann all on his own at the back post. The defender got a rush of blood to the head and fired his shot up into the stands.
Defoe would not get his hat-trick as he was hauled off with 10 minutes to go. The game was tilting in Palace’s favour. They wanted a winner, Bournemouth wanted the final whistle.
Then, controversy. Palace were awarded a stoppage-time penalty after a dubious foul on Zaha by Daniels. The Bournemouth players were furious, feeling the former Manchester United man had dived.
Friend pointed to the spot, Benteke took it and fluffed his lines as Begovic dived to his right. It was a soft shot from the striker and Bournemouth felt justice was done.