Brighton & Hove Albion and Crystal Palace have played out a goalless draw on Tuesday night in the first ever Premier League M23 derby.
The game was cagey in the opening stages, with neither team looking very comfortable on the ball amid a heated atmosphere in the Amex Stadium stands.
The first chances of the match came the way of the Eagles in the 14th minute as Christian Benteke forced a save from Mathew Ryan, who also kept out the follow-up from Wilfried Zaha.
In the 23rd minute, Brighton wasted a great opportunity as Anthony Knockaert swung a cross into the box where an unchallenged Lewis Dunk headed the ball straight at Wayne Hennessey.
The Palace keeper went on to keep out efforts from Jose Izquierdo and Pascal Gross before the half-time whistle blew with neither side having broken the deadlock.
Dunk was once again given the chance to open the scoring just before the hour mark but he nodded Gross's corner wide at the near post.
Moments later, Ruben Loftus-Cheek countered with an attempt at the other end, cutting in and curling an effort towards goal on the left-hand edge of the area, only for a defender to make a block.
Chances continued to be few and far between in the latter stages of the game and, upon the final whistle, the points were shared.
Brighton climb to 10th in the Premier League table, while Palace claim their first clean sheet of the season and, although they stay bottom, they now sit just three points from safety.
Brighton & Hove Albion (4-4-2): Ryan; Bruno, Duffy, Dunk, Suttner; Knockaert, Propper, Stephens, Izquierdo (March 71'), Gross (Brown 82'); Murray (Hemed 85')
Crystal Palace (4-4-2): Hennessey; Ward, Tomkins, Sakho, Schlupp; Cabaye (McArthur 66'), Milivojevic, Loftus-Cheek; Townsend, Zaha, Benteke
Giuseppe Labellarte
