Crystal Palace 2 v 0 Stoke City

CLINTON Morrison's return to Selhurst Park dominated the build-up to the clash against Stoke City but Andy Johnson stole the headlines.

Morrison, returning from a three-year stint at Birmingham City, had to be happy with a seat on the bench, somewhere Johnson is unlikely to find himself.

The England international took his tally for the season to four with two goals, the second courtesy of a Morrison assist, to see off the challenge of a spirited, if limited Stoke City side.

Speaking after the game Johnson said: "I was devastated to miss out on the England squad for the last game against Denmark but hopefully I've done enough today to book my place.

"Obviously I'm delighted to have scored the two goals but I thought it was a good all-round team performance from the lads. No disrespect to Stoke but I thought we could have scored five or six.

"Jon Macken was involved for the first goal and then Clinton set me up for my second so it was definitely a good day for the strikers."

Johnson was paired up front with the fit-again Jon Macken and the best chance of the opening quarter fell to the former Manchester City striker.

However, his composure deserted him and he blazed his six-yard volley high over Simonsen's bar.

The finish was certainly not becoming of a former £5m man and Morrison, and no doubt Dowie, would have taken note.

At the other end Junior, one of two new players signed by Stoke boss Johan Boskamp from his former club Anderlecht, fired in a woeful shot while lone striker Mamady Sidibe came closer to breaking the deadlock with a header on 23 minutes.

Five minutes later Johnson shuddered a post when it seemed easier to score than miss but on the stroke of half-time he redeemed himself.

Neat interplay with Macken on the edge of the box presented the England man with a shooting chance and from the moment the ball left his right boot there was only ever going to be one outcome.

"AJ for England" sang the home crowd, whose half-time teas would have tasted much sweeter after a frustrating opening 44 minutes.

At the break Boskamp brought on former Portsmouth midfielder Kevin Harper for Martin Kolar, the other recruit from Anderlecht.

But on 75 minutes the change the fans had all been waiting for saw Morrison come on for Macken, who must have departed with a heavy heart after again failing to open his Palace account.

Morrison's initial impact was minimal but on 85 minutes he gave the Eagles' fans a vision of the future when he combined with his new striking partner Johnson and the latter's clipped finish was nothing shy of majestic.

It was virtually the sole incident of note in a largely uneventful second period though it would have mattered little to Dowie or his new strike force.

Crystal Palace: Kiraly; Boyce; Ward; Hall; Borrowdale; Soares; Watson (Hughes, 72); Leigertwood; McAnuff (Riihilahti, 75); Macken (Morrison, 75); Johnson.

Substitutes not used: Speroni; Andrews.

Attendance: 17,637.