Two goals on three minutes from Jobi McAnuff and former Blue James Scowcroft saw Jim Magilton's first game in charge of Town end in defeat. The Palace pair struck on 58 and 61, Nicky Forster having put the Blues in front on the half hour.

Magilton lined up his side in the expected 4-4-2 with both new signings starting, Dan Harding at right-back and Alex Bruce in a holding midfield role. Perhaps surprisingly, Gavin Williams was considered fit enough to start alongside the former Birmingham man. Darren Currie started on the left and Jaime Peters on the right.

At the back, Harding was joined by Fabian Wilnis at right-back with Jason De Vos and Richard Naylor in the centre. Up front, Nicky Forster was paired with Dean Bowditch. The Blues went into their newly introduced huddle prior to kick-off.

Town started the brighter of the two sides with Forster and Bowditch making promising runs, but the first serious chance fell to Jason De Vos, the Canadian heading a Darren Currie freekick over the bar.

Palace's first opportunity also came from a corner, Mark Hudson left unmarked to head the ball down and Shane Supple doing well to grasp the ball from Clinton Morrison at the second attempt.

Another Currie corner led to Richard Naylor heading over, then at the other end Leon Cort nodded a freekick straight to Supple.

On 25 Dean Bowditch got a flick to another Currie corner but the ball arrived at Naylor took quickly and he could only divert it over the bar. Currie had by now swapped flanks with Peters, something they had done in pre-season games and something which continued throughout the game.

Bruce hit a low 25-yarder which gave Palace keeper Kiraly little trouble in the 29th minute, but soon after the Blues were in front.

Forster chased a ball down the right and left Hudson for dead with his pace as he cut inside, before hitting a low strike across Kiraly and into the net for his first goal of the season and his fifth in his last five league games.

In the 37th minute James Scowcroft headed over close in from a Carl Fletcher freekick. Soon after, Richard Naylor did well to get in front of his old team-mate as a cross came in from the right, Shane Supple doing well to dive to his right to prevent the corner.

With a minute of the half left, the impressive Williams sent Forster away on the right, the striker again beating Hudson before hitting a shot from a tight angle straight at Kiraly.

Magilton's new Blues were applauded off at the break having had much the better of the game. Town had dominated possession, passing patiently throughout and had created chances, while Palace had rarely threatened except from a succession of set pieces provided by the over benevolent referee Kevin Wright.

Gavin Williams had been at the heart of most of Town's play with Alex Bruce doing well behind him mopping up in front of the back four. The recent signing picked up the first yellow card of his time with the Blues for a foul on Fletcher within a minute of the restart.

The visitors looked a different proposition after the break and Town found it hard to keep possession. However, on 54 a swift Nicky Forster ball forward almost played in Jaime Peters but Kiraly was sharply off his line.

Despite their good start to the half, Palace had failed to test Supple and half-time sub Dougie Freedman's mis-hit chip from the edge of the box wasn't any closer to troubling the keeper.

The Eagles got back on terms in the 58th minute. Jason De Vos's header out of the box only went as far as Jobi McAnuff wide on the Palace left, the midfielder taking the ball on completely unchallenged before hitting a shot across Supple from a tight angle and into the net. While the sides lined-up for the restart, the visibly tiring Gavin Williams was replaced with Matt Richards.

Three minutes later, the visitors were ahead. A deep cross from the right found Mark Kennedy, the Irishman heading the ball back into the area where Scowcroft hooked the ball just over the line despite Naylor's attempts to clear.

Scowcroft, by far the most effective frontman on the pitch and winning virtually everything in the air in Town's box, wasn't far away from a second but Supple saved, De Vos requiring treatment after a clash of heads with the former Blues number 10.

On 68 Alan Lee replaced Dean Bowditch, the former England U19 international having started brightly but fading in the second half.

Dan Harding joined fellow new signing Alex Bruce in the book for a foul on Tom Soares on 70, shortly before Nicky Forster had the ball in the net but only after play had been stopped for handball by Alan Lee.

The Blues were starting to regain some impetus and their best move of the half almost ended in a first Jaime Peters goal, but the Canadian's shot was deflected over.

Lee was somewhat cynically taken out when in full flight just beyond halfway in the 77th minute, the linesman flagging a foul but the referee deciding otherwise.

Scowcroft was continuing to be a thorn in Town's side, taking the ball on some distance unchallenged before striking a low 25-yard effort which Supple clung on to.

With nine minutes remaining Lee won a corner, the Irishman sarcastically celebrating with the award from referee Wright who seemed less than inclined to give Town decisions throughout. Two minutes later Danny Haynes replaced Jaime Peters, the Canadian having shown his ability in patches but never really getting on top of the Palace defenders.

Wilnis shot over from the edge of the area, then Lee felt he was held as a Currie cross came on from the left, but again referee Wright was unimpressed. As the game approached injury time Scowcroft was cautioned for an awkward challenge on Richard Naylor.

Town continued to push for an equaliser and Jason De Vos was within centimetres of getting his head to Currie's whipped in freekick from the left, keeper Kiraly gratefully grabbing hold of the ball.

A not disheartening performance from Magilton's new Blues who were the only side in it before the break. However, Peter Taylor's men were a stiffer prospect after half-time, while Town were less effective with Gavin Williams, who missed most of pre-season, hardly involved as he began to tire.

The defensive weaknesses which saw Town leak 66 goals last season were all too often on view, particularly on set pieces from which Palace were at their most dangerous. James Scowcroft was by far their most dangerous player, showing the form of his first spell with the Blues rather than that of his injury-hindered loan period just over a year ago.

Alex Bruce was the more impressive of the two new signings, Dan Harding rarely getting forward until the latter stages and looking as if he might take some time to get an understanding with Darren Currie.

Despite the defeat, definite reasons to be positive, with more signings expected, the two new men still to settle in, Gavin Williams and Alan Lee not yet fully fit and Owen Garvan to return.

Town: Supple, Wilnis, Harding, De Vos, Naylor, Bruce, Williams (Richards 58), Currie, Peters (Haynes 83), Forster, Bowditch (Lee 68). Unused: Price, Clarke. Att: 25,413.

Photo: Action Images

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