Roy Hodgson ended up admitting a sense of regret. Not at a timely derby success that has propelled Crystal Palace six points clear of the relegation zone, or even at the anxiety of the latter stages which, he said, had him “dying a few deaths” on the sidelines. Rather, the nagging sense of remorse was a legacy of his time in charge of England, and the player he partly allowed to slip through the net.

This was Wilfried Zaha’s moment. A winger whom Hodgson had twice capped in friendly fixtures only for four years on the outside looking in to prompt a switch in allegiance to Ivory Coast – the country of Zaha’s birth – illuminated this derby at Brighton & Hove Albion’s expense. It was his first-half effervescence which fed the home side’s momentum, his two goals which established a lead, and his ability to scuttle upfield in possession which relieved pressure as the visitors, mightily improved in the latter stages, threatened to force parity at the death.

On this evidence, the 25-year-old Zaha would grace the summer’s World Cup finals but will, instead, be watching on from afar. “I’m partly responsible because I gave him his debut while he was at Crystal Palace in the Championship, and then he was at Manchester United not playing and we didn’t follow up on it,” said Hodgson. “I have to bear some responsibility there, but I’m pretty certain many England managers who will follow me will be saying it’s a pity he did choose the Ivory Coast. It was the prospect of greater involvement which seduced him.

“He’s stepped up in a bid to help the team survive, as he did last season. Now he has to consider, with his best football years ahead of him, what he can do to get even better. His dribbling ability, and ability on the ball, has been good for a long time, so what step can he take to get himself up there recognised in the way Alexis Sánchez was at the Arsenal, or Eden Hazard is recognised at Chelsea? This season has been a dogfight, with us playing for our lives every week. But, with his qualities, he can step up and become even better.”

Palace are grateful to count him among their ranks. This was a frenzy of a derby, gloriously chaotic from the outset, but it was Zaha’s class which ultimately held sway. The home side were at their most impressive when the winger was tearing at befuddled full-backs, or as Ruben Loftus-Cheek – a Chelsea loanee who may yet feature in Russia – drove forwards powerfully through the centre.

There were times in the opening quarter when Brighton, so shellshocked, threatened to wilt totally. It says much about the spirit and resilience of Chris Hughton’s team that somehow they summoned a performance from that initial disarray and came close to plucking a point.

Such ambition would have seemed ridiculous in those early exchanges. Zaha had poked in from close range five minutes in, Albion having dawdled at Luka Milivojevic’s short-corner routine with the goalkeeper Mathew Ryan unable to keep out the Serb’s cross-shot. When James Tomkins rammed in a second after Yohan Cabaye’s set-piece had prompted panic, the first goals Brighton have conceded from corners since rejigging their approach in mid-January, this appeared to be a pummelling in the making. Glenn Murray, once of these parts, quickly replied after Palace froze at the other end, but Milivojevic was soon arcing over a centre for Zaha to nod in a first headed goal since the play-off semi-final between these teams back in 2013.

At 3-1 up, Palace seemed utterly dominant. As it transpired, they would end up grateful for Murray’s uncharacteristic profligacy. José Izquierdo, tormenting Joel Ward to wriggle on to Jürgen Locadia’s pass, had reduced the deficit impressively before the break, but the visitors were at their most oppressive in the final quarter. Murray had already steered one volley wide from Beram Kayal’s clever cross, Wayne Hennessey also denying Dale Stephens from distance, when Kayal centred again in stoppage time. Leonardo Ulloa flicked on and Murray, from point-blank range, could only poke an awkward volley backwards rather than into the net. “Did I expect him to score? Yes” offered Hughton. “But what Glenn does is he always gets there.”

There is more than enough quality in Brighton’s ranks, summed up by Murray’s persistence, to haul themselves clear of trouble, even with an horrendous run-in ahead, for all that derby defeat may have deflated an impressive campaign. The din at the final whistle reflected Palace’s relief, with Zaha leading the celebrations in front of the Holmesdale stand. As anxious as it ended, this had been his afternoon.