In the end, Oliver Glasner’s polite and generous welcome back to Selhurst Park lasted just over an hour. Long enough for Crystal Palace fans to acknowledge their thanks for all the memories and long enough, crucially, to feel they had victory in the bag.’Glasner, what’s the score,’ they chimed after Yeremy Pino added Palace’s third, and again late on, in this chaotic and frequently mind-boggling contest that, quite frankly, could have been anything.Forest should have been 4-0 up, then could have been 4-1 down and, in the final frantic throes could even have snatched a point. ‘You’re getting sacked in the morning,’ the Palace fans added with relish.If anything, it took longer than expected for Glasner, the man who switched south London for the side who took their place in the Europa League, to feel the brunt of the bitterness between these two new-found, unlikely rivals.He was applauded off the bus, posed for selfies with young Palace fans, and was clapped as he strolled along the touchline to the dugout.Glasner escaped the greetings saved for absent Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis, who is suing Palace for a banner their fans unfurled on their previous visit showing him holding a gun to Morgan Gibbs-White’s head. ‘Did the fat man pay you off,’ they sung to referee Peter Bankes when he turned down Palace penalty appeals. Crystal Palace clinched their first win of the season against Nottingham Forest on Sunday Crystal Palace star Jefferson Lerma celebrates after hosts took a surprise leadForest gift Palace their revengeMore than anything, though, Glasner will leave scratching his head wondering how on earth his return ended without a win.He should have had the three points tucked under his famous knitted jumper long before Daichi Kamada, Jefferson Lerma and Pino turned the game on its head.After Dan Ndoye’s opener after just three minutes, pouncing on a terrible headed back pass by Anan Khalaili, Forest just kept missing chances.’It’s probably the oldest rule in football: if you don’t score, you concede,’ said Glasner. ‘I have no explanation because the quality of the players is so good. It is just me who is to blame. I didn’t deserve to win at Selhurst Park today. For me, it was our best performance this season.’Gibbs-White hit the bar. Murillo had a header saved. Former Palace wing back Daniel Munoz fired a volley wide from close-range. Ndoye had another effort saved, drilled one over the bar and another into the side-netting. Chris Wood had a late header saved. And we’ve not even got to Liam Delap yet. Former Crystal Palace manager Glasner was returning to Selhurst Park for the first time since his exit in the summerPalace paper over cracks as pressure lifts further on SageAnother huge sigh of relief for Pierre Sage. Before the international break, murmurs were already drifting over how long Glasner’s successor would be given and whether he would become the first managerial casualty of the season.A draw at Leeds before the international break lifted the pressure and a spirited fightback here, a victory that moves Palace up to 12th, will give Sage even more breathing room.But Palace cannot keep defending like this. There were huge concerns among the Palace hierarchy about the openness under Sage that saw them concede 11 goals in their opening four games and they were back on display here.Time after time, Palace left Gibbs-White completely unmarked at the back post. Were it not for Walter Benitez in goal, standing in for the injured Dean Henderson it could have been a very different story. Other teams will not be so forgiving.’His performance today was crazy,’ said Sage. ‘When you are a number two, it is always difficult.’I am happy to win but not because it was the team of the former manager. The game was not against Oliver, it was against Nottingham Forest. It’s not about revenge.’ Daichi Kamada scores past Matz Sels to equalise for Palace during a sluggish first halfDelap fluffs his lineForest’s need for a striker has long been obvious and Delap, who arrived for an eye-watering £50million from Chelsea despite one league goal last season, was supposed to be the man for the future.Delap opened his account in a win at Aston Villa last month but should have had at least a couple here.When Gibbs-White’s long-range effort dipped over Benitez’s head and off the crossbar, Delap could have put it anywhere but he hoofed it straight at the keeper from six yards.Gibbs-White crossed another for him but he put his free header wide. Palace went right up the other end and scored.It’s early days but the man with his socks around his ankles needs to do much more to justify his price tag and show that he can have the influence Glasner needs to make his time at Forest as successful as his one at Palace.After all the chants had been sung, Glasner left to more applause as the man who brought them an FA Cup and European trophy waved his goodbyes once more.’I didn’t know what to expect but it just shows the wonderful memories we made here,’ said Glasner. MATCH FACTS AND PLAYER RATINGS CRYSTAL PALACE (3-4-2-1): BENITEZ 8; Lerma 7 (Ahanor 72, 6), Richards 7, Canvot 6; Khalaili 5, Timber 6, Wharton 7, Mitchell 8; Kamada 7 (McNeil 90), Pino 8 (Sarr 83); Strand Larsen 7 (Nketiah 83)Subs not used: Matthews, Mingueza, Hughes, Doucoure, Guessand Goals: Kamada 41, Lerma 45, Pino 59Booked: Lerma, PinoManager: Pierre Sage 7NOTTINGHAM FOREST (3-4-2-1): Sels 7; Aina 6 (Kalimuendo 83), Diomande 6, Murillo 7; Munoz 7, McAtee 6, Schlager 6 (Sangare 66, 6), Williams 7; Ndoye 7 (Hudson-Odoi 72, 6), Gibbs-White 7; Delap 5 (Wood 72, 6)Subs not used: Victor, Netz, Cunha, Dominguez, Yates Goals: Ndoye 3Booked: Aina, MurilloManager: Oliver Glasner 6Referee: Peter Bankes 5<!- – ad: https://mads.dailymail.co.uk/v8/us/sport/football/article/other/mpu_factbox.html?id=mpu_factbox_1 – ->