Crystal Palace boss Roy Hodgson has rued African stars Wilfried Zaha and Jordan Ayew’s failure to pull the team from the jaws of defeat on Tuesday.

“We thought the extra man may help us, and we thought that Wilfried Zaha and Jordan Ayew would come back and help out, and then we would break from that shape and we could ask questions of our own when we got hold of the ball,” he said.

Hodgson said this after Palace saw their 1-0 lead wiped out by Leicester City who won the league game 2-1.

The game took place at the King Power Stadium where the Ivorian Zaha put the visitors ahead.

However, things changed when Timothy Castagne and Kelechi Iheanacho to hand the Foxes a win.

 “In the first-half that was good – we could have scored two goals of our own but unfortunately we didn’t take it,” he said.

Hodgson added : “We missed a very good chance for the second goal. It was very disappointing to lose the match with 10 minutes to go.

“It wasn’t exactly a gift we presented them as it was a fine goal, but it’s still disappointing to lose the match in that nature.”

Eberechi Eze, who created an assist for Zaha’s opener,  said Palace deserved more from the game.

“It’s a difficult one,” he said in his post-match interview. “I think the boys worked hard. We put in a good performance but again, if you make mistakes and you let them get chances, they are eventually going to get chances because they’re a good side,” he said.