Crystal Palace manager Patrick Vieira has praised Ghana forward Jordan Ayew for his defensive duties that aided his side's draw on Monday night.
The Eagles were held at the Selhurst Park by in-form Brighton & Hove Albion after a 1-1 stalemate in the Premier League.
Ivorian attacker Wilfried Zaha gave Palace the lead having converted a penalty kick on the stroke of halftime but a very late strike by Neal Maupay denied the hosts the maximum points.
Vieira hailed Ayew's efforts to track back to stop the opponents' midfield from moving the ball forward.
The Arsenal and France legend claims that is the reason his side created limited number of scoring opportunities in the game.
“When you’re looking at the front three, the work without the ball, Jordan [Ayew] coming inside to stop the midfielders getting on the ball, it was a really good team effort,” Vieira told the club’s official website.
"This is one of the reasons why they didn’t create many chances."
Vieira further admitted his team did not fight to the last minute after leading until the additional minutes of the game.
"The last kick is in our hands and we made that mistake. The organisation we had in midfield didn’t allow us to win that second ball. It’s a process of us learning that, until the last whistle, anything can happen – especially when you’re 1-0 up," Vieira continued.
"We are improving, we are getting stronger. Our collective game, the way we played with and without the ball, is really united. I think the players are really aware of what they have to do on the field."
Ayew is yet to find the back of the net this season having made six appearances for the Eagles in the Premiership.