Julian Ward says Crystal Palace weren't at their best for defeat at Luton.

Palace were overrun late on at Kenilworth Road.

The Palace captain said: “Obviously it was disappointing. I think, first-half, we weren't at the level that we know we can be. Second-half, obviously, we gave ourselves an uphill battle.

“I think we did enough at the end to come away with at least a point, hitting the woodwork [through Jefferson Lerma] and creating great chances. They obviously showed their resilience as well, to deny us any goal-scoring opportunities."

Ward added: “I think as players, we know, when you can properly eliminate [opposition] chances, you do better obviously. That was the case with the goals today.

“Michael is a huge player for us. You can see that even today and in previous games. He's an exceptional talent.

“I think we got ourselves back into the game through a wonder strike from Michael. Obviously, then that put us in a good position to go on. Unfortunately, we didn't hold onto that. We created chances towards the end, but it was a little bit too late."