The match came too early for Martin Cranie and David Prutton who are both back in training after hamstring and oh-so-fashionable metatarsal injuries respectively.
Cranie and Prutton will provide welcome options for Harry Redknapp who failed in his attempts to bring players in on loan during the emergency loan window. Those failed attempts included Aston Villa's Lee Hendrie and Bournemouth's midfielder Brian Stock, who may be a permanent transfer target come the January transfer window.
Cranie will hope to come straight back into the side at right-back, having looked to have finally achieved his full breakthrough with two consecutive first team starts. Although Rory Delap has done increasingly well at right back, he is not a natural defender and the side would benefit from Cranie's additional pace.
Prutton will be hoping the fill the void in central midfield with Wise injured and Quashie suspended and the duo of Oakley and Folly failing to impose themselves in the 0-0 draw at Wolves.
Leon Best continued his recent good form with a neatly taken header to equalise Ryan Hall's opener. If he continues to impress a place on the bench awaits given the poor form of the current Saints strikeforce.
Forgotten man Leandre Griffit was also on the scoresheet for the second time in the week, taking advantage of a through ball, beating his man and emphatically putting it past the Palace keeper.
Griffit's form is slowly returning to the promising levels he displayed on arrival at the club, before question marks over attitude and disappointing performances on loan hampered his progress with the club. However, he faces a real battle to get back into the first team frame and will need to continue his good scoring run and hope that form and injuries give him an opportunity, as with fellow French U21 international Yoann Folly.
Notable by his absence once again was Jason St Juste, the man brought in on the recommendation of Simon Clifford, but now in the wilderness at Saints. It is hard to see a way back for him after the public spat between Redknapp and Clifford, as a recall for St Juste would be an admission that Clifford did know a thing or two after all.