Crystal Palace’s Premier League Player of the Month for April

Name: Joel Ward
Position: Defender

Right-back Ward has featured in 28 of Palace’s 36 Premier League games this season – Photo: Marc Atkins / Offside.

Despite booking their place in the FA Cup final last month; Crystal Palace are still not mathematically safe from suffering relegation from the Premier League this season after picking up six points from a possible 18 on offer throughout April.

Back-to-back defeats to Newcastle United and Manchester United has left the Eagles seven points above the drop zone, with lowly Sunderland and Norwich City still able to catch them with three games remaining.

But despite only securing one win last month – their only Premier League victory of 2016 so far – defender Joel Ward is our Player of the Month for April.

The 26-year-old put in some resilient defensive displays alongside the impressive performances of Damien Delaney to help Alan Pardew’s side slowly claw their way to survival this campaign, plus the right-back also grabbed an assist.

Ward played the full 90 minutes in Palace’s decent 2-2 draw against top-four chasing West Ham United at the Boleyn Ground, before crucially teeing up Jason Puncheon’s vital winner against fellow relegation contenders Norwich for their long awaited first win of the calendar year.

The defender also helped his teammates keep a clean sheet against Everton, before salvaging an impressive 1-1 late draw at the Emirates Stadium against Arsenal in following fixtures.