Huddersfield Town were desperately unlucky not to get a draw against Crystal Palace, but they remain without a goal or a win at home in the Premier League this season.
While Wilfried Zaha’s brilliant 38th-minute strike settled an entertaining clash at the John Smith’s Stadum, birthday boy Aaron Mooy saw Town’s closest effort bounce out off the inside of a post.
It was a sickening moment for Town and their fans in a crowd of 23, 636, who had witnessed some promising attacking play without the much-needed final outcome.
Wagner’s men have now gone five months without notching at home (since Tom Ince against Watford in April), and that remains their only strike in the last eight home league matches.
Left wing-back Chris Lowe was at the heart of most of Town’s best attacking moves, while Mooy always tried to get them on the front foot and Phil Billing also prompted with some class.
Wagner made one change to the starting line-up which drew so encouragingly at Everton, bringing in Elias Kachunga for fitness doubt Adama Diakhaby and retaining the three centre-backs formation.
And Kachunga had the first chance for Town, being flagged fractionally offside as Steve Mounie flicked on a Phil Billing long throw.
Then, at the other end in a frenetic opening spell, Zanka was forced to block from Andros Townsend after build-up work from Zaha, who started after recovering from an adductor injury.
James McArthur went into the book for a clumsy challenge on Flo Hadergjonaj but, minutes later, Cheikhou Kouyate somehow escaped punishment from referee Lee Mason for a far worse, late and high tackle on Billing.
Town then had a fantastic chance to take the lead on 17.
Aaron Mooy played a fantastic cross-field pass to Chris Lowe on the left and his crisp cross should have been buried by Mounie, but his header from six yards out was inches over the top.
Billing then released Hadergjonaj into space down the right, but his first-time cross was flicked away under pressure.
It then got very tasty.
Firstly Zanka was booked for tripping Zaha, then the Palace man took revenge two minutes later with a shocking late lunge on Hadergjonaj.
From the free-kick, well dummied by Mooy and delivered by Lowe, Town should have gone ahead, but Zanka failed to get the necessary flick as the ball fizzed across goal.
Town attacked promisingly and were causing Palace problems in the air, while McArthur was lucky not to be sent off after a cynical trip on Van La Parra.
Unfortunately for Town, those earlier missed told in the 38th minute when Zaha burst between Hadergjonaj and Kachunga into the left side of Town’s box and fired a fabulous shot across Lossl and into the far top corner.
Two minutes later, Zaha slipped clear again but, this time, he couldn’t apply the finish from well inside the area.
Van La Parra had a half chance just before half time, but Town went into the break frustrated.
Neither manager decided to make a change for the second half, but Town again pushed forward with promise, having one goal wiped out for a push by Zanka and then Billing seeing a shot drift just wide with 53 minutes on the clock.
Just short of the hour, Town were desperately unlucky not to equaliser when Mooy volleyed a cracking shot against the inside of Wayne Hennessy’s left-hand post and, from the follow-up, the Welsh international keeper somehow managed to scrape a Hadergjonaj drive off the line.
Had either of those shots gone in, Town might well have gone on to win.
With 18 minutes left, Palace almost added a second on the break but, with Town stretched, he blasted wide from Zaha’s invitation.
Having already sent on Diakhaby for Kachunga on 68, Wagner made a double substitution 10 minutes later, putting Laurent Depoitre and Isaac Mbenza into the attacking line and taking off Zanka and Van La Parra in a reshuffle.
It resulted in a lot of Town pressure and a handful of corners – Mounie steering wide when clear but offside, and Schindler drilling an effort high and wide – and the quick-breaking Palace somehow managed to hold on.
And, right at the end, Billing saw a goalbound shot deflected wide to compound Town's agony.
