The only disappointing thing for Crystal Palace last night was the fact that none of their fans were inside the Amex to watch Roy Hodgson's side pull off the ultimate smash and grab. 

Two touches in the opposition box yielded two goals either side of Joël Veltman's leveler despite Brighton's dominance on the possession front in what was a famous derby win for The Eagles. 

A famous moment in Christian Benteke's Palace career after he bagged the dramatic late winner to confirm the smash and grab but things may have been very different for the Belgian this month. 

Crystal Palace latest news

Indeed, writing in his match discussion thread posted on The Athletic, Matt Woosnam suggested it is only down to the player himself that he remains at Selhurst Park. 

Before Benteke's dramatic late winner at the home of their biggest rivals, Woosnam was asked why the club kept him if he was only going to make the bench from the start last night even in the absence of Wilfried Zaha. 

After all, this is a player previously reported to have been picking up around £120k-per-week in wages, so not seeing him handed a chance may have been somewhat grating for supporters who have watched him score only ten times across three-and-a-half-seasons. 

However, Woosnam revealed it was in fact Benteke who wanted to say despite deals being agreed elsewhere. 

"He didn't want to leave," he wrote

"Club had agreed deals with several clubs but he decided not to go." 

GIVEMESPORT's Jonathan Gorrie says... 

To suggest one goal - as famous amongst Palace fans as it's likely to be, given the context in which it was scored - will materially change anything for Benteke after a poor run of form over the last few years would be a touch hyperbolic. 

Still, that does take his tally up to four this season, more than he'd scored during the last two campaigns combined, so perhaps the idea of extending his contract may not be so fanciful after all. 

With Palace seemingly set for a busy rebuild as it is, keeping an improving Benteke in order to keep some strength in depth in the striking department may allow them to focus on other areas over the course of the summer. 

It certainly hasn't always been easy for the former Liverpool striker who will struggle to ever truly convince he was worth the £32m they spent on him but there do appear to be signs of life still in him.

If he's playing for his future in South East London, his late winner last night would surely have helped his cause to earn an extended stay.