Goals from Owen Garvan, David Norris, Kevin Lisbie and an own goal from Clint Hill gave the Blues a superb 4-1 win a Crystal Palace. After going two goals in front, Town comfortably saw out the rest of the game, despite Alan Lee's goal for the home side.

Town gave a surprise recall to left-back Dan Harding in place of Ben Thatcher, who has a virus, while Pim Balkestein came in at centre-half for the injured Ivan Campo, with Alex Bruce continuing at right-back in the absence of the injured David Wright and Moritz Volz.

Up front, Jon Walters joined Pablo Couñago with David Norris moving to the left of midfield to accommodate Owen Garvan, who returned to the side after illness.

The game started scrappily and neither keeper had been tested prior to Town going ahead in the 18th minute. Clint Hill crudely fouled Couñago on the Blues' right, the defender somewhat luckily getting away without a card. Owen Garvan sent a cross into the box, Jon Walters dummied, the ball avoided everyone, struck the inside of the post and nestled in the net.

Palace's first chance came four minutes later but Alan Lee, the only one of the three ex-Town strikers in the Palace starting line-up, headed wide. Five minutes later, Richard Wright reacted sharply to save a well-struck shot from Sean Scannell.

Town went two in front in the 28th minute. Dan Harding played the ball down the left to Couñago, the Spaniard turning back on to his right foot and finding the on-rushing David Norris, who broke into the area and beat Palace keeper Julian Speroni. The midfielder avoided any controversial celebrations as he ran over towards the Town support.

The Eagles pulled a goal back within two minutes in controversial circumstances. Alan Lee inevitably was the man to score, nodding a long kick beyond Richard Wright, although referee Clive Penton initially disallowed the effort. However, after consulting with his linesman, the referee changed his mind. Whether or not the offside Jose Fonte got a touch on the ball appeared to be the question mark over the goal, the officials eventually deciding that he hadn't.

After a frantic period up to the half hour, the game calmed down somewhat towards the end of the first period, Paul Ifill's injury time shot over the only effort worthy of note.

Town had been solid if not particularly spectacular. They had prevented the home side from creating too many chances and had made one or two forays towards the Palace goal. While the first goal was a touch fortuitous, the second was well-worked and the move deserved a goal.

Tommy Miller got his name in the book a minute into the second half for what appeared a minor foul, certainly nothing like Hill's early lunge on Couñago. From the freekick, the ball reached Danny Butterfield, who had only just come on as a sub, but the former Grimsby man's strike hit the sidenetting.

Miller made a fine saving tackle on Nick Carle inside the Town area on 52, preventing the Australian from going one-on-one with Richard Wright. The Palace fans called for a penalty but referee Penton waved play on.

Gareth McAuley was yellow-carded for a foul on Alan Lee, then Paul Ifill joined him in the book for a cynical foul on a breaking Danny Haynes.

Keeper Speroni again had trouble with a Garvan freekick in the 62nd minute, dropping the ball but with no Town player on hand to add the final touch.

On 65 the Blues swapped Couñago and Haynes for Jon Stead and Kevin Lisbie, Jon Walters moving to right midfield to allow the two subs to play up front. Two minutes earlier, Shefki Kuqi had taken to the field to a warmer reaction from his old supporters than his current ones.

Town were largely playing on the counter-attack, allowing Palace a lot of the ball and catching them on the break. Four minutes after the substitutions, the Blues added to their lead. Walters found Lisbie inside the area, the striker taking a touch and hitting a shot to Speroni's right and into the net.

Palace increasingly threw everything into attack, Wright saving well from Ifill, although for the most part the Town defence held its own comfortably.

There was a scare on 82 when a mix-up between McAuley and Bruce allowed Kuqi to break away down the left, but Wright blocked the Finnish international's shot. From the corner, Kuqi's header was cleared from under the bar by Wright and Harding.

Norris shot over from the edge of the area, then a Miller freekick was saved by Speroni prior to the Blues going 4-1 in front. Miller sent in a corner from the right and under pressure from McAuley, Clint Hill powerfully bulleted a header into his own net.

Kuqi hit a couple of strikes which Wright saved in injury time, but the Blues looked more likely to add to their goals on the break than Palace were to pull a goal back with Lisbie, Walters and Stead combining on the break well.

Overall, another decent away performance from the Blues. A couple of the goals may have had an element of fortune about them, but Town were the better team for the most part and prevented the home side from creating too many serious chances in and around the box.

The victory sees the Blues to within four points of the play-offs. This season away wins don't seem so much of a problem, this was the fifth, but the home form needs some improvement if Town are to take a place in the top six come May.

Town: R Wright, Bruce, McAuley, Balkestein, Harding, Haynes (Lisbie 65), Garvan, Miller, Norris, Walters (Quinn 90), Counago (Stead 65). Unused: Shumulikoski, Supple. Att: 15,348.

Photo: Action Images

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