CRYSTAL Palace striker Craig Beattie thought the team were "fantastic" in their 4-2 defeat of Bristol City.

The Scottish striker, on loan from West Brom, scored to put Palace 3-1 ahead after a cross-shot from substitute Shefki Kuqi.

Beattie's strike helped Palace regain their two-goal lead as Dele Adebola's strike for City just before the break had halved Palace's early advantage.

Beattie said: "We conceded a very sloppy goal, which we don't like doing, but apart from that we were fantastic.

"I got on the scoresheet, delighted with that. A good ball from Shefki, we'll put it down as, and I managed to stick it in the net.

"We started the first half really well. We gave ourselves a two-goal cushion and don't think we took our foot off the gas. Then the sloppy goal, which isn't like us, the way the boys have been defending."

Beattie, who won promotion from the Championship last season with West Brom, knows how difficult the divsion can be.

He said: "We went on a fantastic run just after I joined and then an equally bad run recently. This is a hard old league. I experienced that last year; winning games, losing games. You never really knew where you were.

"It's a long old season. People pick up points everywhere they go, people drop points. Southampton beat Reading. I don't know how many people thought that would have happened. You get surprises, teams beating each other, but you need to kick on."

Beattie added: "I thought the team worked really well. We've got big defenders top players in midfield and the manager's happy with how the strikers are doing.

"We've got a difficult game away to Norwich on Tuesday night and then QPR will be smarting from what happened [a 3-0 defeat to Watford] so we've got hard games coming up. But they're never easy, it's up to us to get ourselves up for it."

Beattie has been playing in a front three during his spell with Palace.

He said: "I'm enjoying it. It gives more freedom. It's something I've not really done up until now. The manager doesn't mind me drifing out wide. I feel we've pegged teams back doing it becase there's so many people in their faces. I think it's working for us.

"Shefki's a handfull. He causes a lot of problems for defenders and puts them on the back foot. I don't think [Jamie] McCombe had an easy time against him, and he's a big lad himself."

Injuries to James Scowcroft and Alan Lee led to Beattie's loan move to Selhurst Park, and the striker acknowledged competition for places will be tough once everyone is fit.

He said: "I want to get more games, more goals and continue enjoying my football.

"It's going to be tight. The manager brought me here because they {Scowcroft and Lee] were injured. You'll make that decision when they come back. Until that time, I've got to keep producing."