Crystal Palace 0
Sheff Wed 0

Danny Butterfield believes Crystal Palace's new-found confidence is born out of a defensive stubborness and a growing ability to frustrate their opponents.

Scoring goals remains a problem, though, as Palace again suffered a Selhurst Park shut-out in their attempts to claim a third successive win.

The Eagles have now scored just two goals in their last five home games in the Championship.

But while Neil Warnock's side were unable to mark the 30th anniversary of the only occasion Palace headed the top-flight with victory, Butterfield insists the team's defensive display gives them real cause for optimism for the future.

And the right-back cites the 4-0 home drubbing against Scunthorpe earlier this month as the turning point.

Butterfield said: "I think the fact we are disappointed not to have won the game is a plus as opposed to coming off having lost.

"After the well-documented Scunthorpe game - which we've tried hard to brush aside as quickly as possible - I think as a team, as a squad and the staff as well, we've rolled our sleeves up and dug in and worked even harder than we were doing to keep the clean sheets.

"And over the last few games we have done that. If you are not scoring goals, the emphasis is on keeping clean sheets to get yourself points but I think the emphasis is on that anyway.

"The boys are starting games now from mentally keeping clean sheets and that's what's going to get us points."

The Eagles would have secured all three points had they taken one of a handful of early chances that fell to Paddy McCarthy, Alan Lee and Darren Ambrose.

Those misses meant Warnock's side have now failed to score in the opening half of their last 19 games but Butterfield is adamant the team are unconcerned by that statistic.

He added: "Among those 19 games we have been winning games. It would be nice as a back four to look on and think we have scored in the first half and have something to hang onto.

"Who's to say we won't go out there on Saturday and score three in the first 20 minutes, which we could have done tonight if we had taken those chances?"

The result left both clubs firmly placed in mid-table but it could have been much worse for Palace had Wednesday striker Leon Clarke not spurned a hat-trick of decent openings - including one chance that came from an error by Jose Fonte.

Warnock was furious at his centre-back's blunder and warned he will not tolerate a repeat.

The manager said: "We are back to being solid now. We were like paper dolls during the first few games, you could blow us away.

"And Jose's error tonight epitomised what we were like in those games and I won't tolerate that.

"He's got to get that out of his game because that could cost us.

"All the effort that we put in tonight could have all gone by that decision that he made so he has to become more thoughtful of what's at stake.

"But we've got seven points from three games and all credit to the lads for that."

Warnock singled out McCarthy for special praise after the defender played despite suffering from the same virus that has sidelined fellow centre-back Claude Davis.

He added: "Paddy McCarthy has done brilliantly tonight because he shouldn't have played."