Town defeated Crystal Palace 1-0 at Selhurst Park to register two away wins on the trot for the first time in four years. Danny Haynes's face deflected the only goal of the game past Eagles keeper Julian Speroni in first half injury time.

Jim Magilton made four changes to the side which lost to Watford at the weekend. Alan Quinn turned his ankle in the warm-up and was replaced by Haynes at the last minute, while Velice Sumulikoski came in for his first start for Owen Garvan and Alan Lee took over from Pablo Couñago.

Richard Naylor made his first start of the season at centre-half with Alex Bruce moving to right-back and David Wright dropping to the bench.

Town keeper Stephen Bywater made a fine save from Clinton Morrison in the fourth minute but the Irish international striker had already been flagged offside.

It was the Blues though who had the better of the opening exchanges, Alan Lee seeing Speroni save his 25-yard strike, then Jon Walters heading a Danny Haynes cross just wide after good work from the youngster and debutant Velice Sumulikoski on the left.

Lee again came close in the 18th minute when Tommy Miller's freekick from the right struck him after deflecting off a defender, forcing Speroni to take the ball out for a corner. From the set piece, Naylor's header was bundled behind by the defender on the post.

Town continued to have the better of the game, Norris heading Dan Harding's cross wide. Palace made their first headway in the Blues' box on 27 when Lee Hills crossed towards Sean Scannell, but Richard Naylor threw himself in between the Palace youngster and the goal.

The home side were starting to come into the game more and Ben Watson volleyed wide from 25 yards, then shot straight at Bywater when well-placed in the penalty area from a Scannell flick.

Palace had a very good chance to go ahead with seven minutes of the half left when the ball was returned after a corner had been cleared and, with three players appearing to be offside, Mark Hudson was suddenly through on goal. Fortunately for the Blues, the defender's shot was going wide, but Naylor deflected it over the bar in any case.

Town had been the better side for much of the half but as the fourth official held up his board it looked like they would go in at the break unrewarded. However, in injury time, a cleared corner was crossed back in to Naylor on the edge of the area. The centre-half's shot was flying well wide until it struck Danny Haynes in the face and arced unerringly into the net.

Despite the somewhat fortuitous nature of the goal, it's doubtful that Haynes will celebrate a goal with greater passion if he plays until he's 53. The London-born striker gave it his all as he partied in front of the Town supporters in the Arthur Wait Stand.

As the players went off with the Blue Army still in raptures after the goal, Palace boss Neil Warnock engaged the linesman in a lengthy discussion, presumably regarding a late clash between Richard Naylor and Clinton Morrison when the Eagles striker felt he had been pulled back by the Town defender only for the decision to go the other way.

Dan Harding struck the second half's first shot, cutting in from the left and hitting a right-foot effort which Speroni bundled around the post.

The game's most controversial incident came in the 52nd minute when Alan Lee sent Jon Walters away on goal. The former Chester man took the ball past the advancing Speroni, who caught him and sent him sprawling just outside the area. It looked a clear-cut obvious goalscoring opportunity but, with no sub keeper on the Eagles bench, referee Clive Penton waved only his yellow card. Tommy Miller hit the wall with the freekick.

Palace switched one former Blue for another in the 55th minute, James Scowcroft, who had been kept in check throughout by one-time team-mate Richard Naylor, being replaced by Shefki Kuqi, scorer of a memorable last minute winner for Town at Selhurst Park in 2003.

Neil Danns was yellow-carded for a foul on David Norris on 59, then Kuqi shot well wide from a good position inside the Town area.

The Blues were by now sitting back and allowing the home side to take the game to them and trying to catch them on the break. In the 68th minute Walters and Lee combined well as the Blues counter-attacked, Lee eventually hooking an awkward shot over the bar.

Haynes hit an effort too close to Speroni, then sent the ball over from 25 yards, prior to picking up a booking for a foul on Matthew Lawrence.

Town's only serious scare of the second half came on 80 when a freekick was returned into the box and Clinton Morrison scuffed his volley wide from eight yards.

Pablo Couñago replaced Alan Lee for the final nine minutes, then David Wright took over from Alex Bruce. Stephen Bywater picked up a booking for taking his time over a goalkick and Jon Walters and Pablo Couñago held the ball in the corners as the Blues played out the somewhat surprising four minutes of injury time.

Another excellent away performance from Town, now well and truly over the hoodoo which had afflicted them for so much of the season. Despite the lucky nature of the goal, the Blues were well worth their win, taking the game to the home side in the first half and creating enough chances to win it and soaking up everything thrown at them in the second.

Richard Naylor, making his first start after a lengthy absence, was immense alongside Jason De Vos, who rarely lost a header all night, the pair of them making sure Scowcroft and then Kuqi had quiet games.

Velice Sumulikoski seemed to have no trouble adapting to the pace and physicality of English football and looks on first viewing to be an excellent acquisition.

The result cements Town's sixth position with lowly Blackpool at Portman Road at the weekend. Let's hope the Blues' home form will start to match their performances on the road.

Town: Bywater, Bruce (Wright 85), Harding, De Vos, Naylor, Sumulikoski, Miller, Haynes, Norris, Walters, Lee (Couñago 81). Unused: Colgan, Garvan, Trotter. Att: 16,090.

Photo: Action Images

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