Hennessey targeting more Palace clean sheets

Crystal Palace goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey insists that only clean sheets will do as the club look to extricate themselves from relegation danger.

Palace have kept just one clean sheet in the Premier League this season – which came in a 3-0 victory over Southampton in early December – and that is a key reason as to why they currently sit 18th in the table.

The Eagles looked set for a second clean sheet against Everton last weekend, only for Seamus Coleman to plunder an 87th-minute winner as the Toffees prevailed 1-0.

Photo credit: Getty Images

Wales international Hennessey had made a string of impressive saves during the contest, but concedes that ‘close but no cigar’ is no longer good enough.

“I’m proud with how I played, but I’m in that position to get clean sheets and I haven’t produced many clean sheets,” said Hennessey.

“I’ve only got one this season – I need to start keeping more clean sheets.”

The Everton defeat could so easily have gone differently for Palace but they must now regroup for an FA Cup clash with Manchester City before key Premier League ties against Bournemouth, Sunderland, Stoke and Middlesbrough.

And their goalkeeper admits the Eagles could desperately do with more of a rub of the green.

“We’re devastated about the Everton result,” added Hennessey. “Their goalkeeper’s made a good save really near the end, if that goes in then it’s a completely different game. We’ve definitely lost a point there.

“It’s not like we’re playing and not creating chances or anything like that, we’re actually doing really well – it’s just not running for us at the moment [in the final third], hopefully that can change.”