Crystal Palace 1 v 2 Leeds Utd

Coca-Cola Championships

CRYSTAL Palace boss Ian Dowie could not sugarcoat a defeat at the hands of fellow play-off contenders Leeds United.

Jobi McAnuff's 90th-minute curler was scant consolation as Robbie Blake and Rob Hulse had given the visitors a two-goal lead.

Dowie said: "Until the last minutes we were never at the races which is bitterly disappointing in a game of this magnitude.

"All credit to Leeds because they created two half chances and scored two goals. They played well and deserved to win the game."

He added: "We had a couple of chances near the end with substitutes Aki Riihilahti and Mikele Leigertwood livening things up by adding some endeavour, hunger and power which had been missing beforehand.

"We needed to be more creative and we did not create enough for the forwards."

He said: "There were a lot of things we did not do right during the game and for 70 minutes it was a display I am not pleased with.

"There was a massive crowd and we did not turn up."

Crystal Palace's next match is away to Stoke City on March 13.

MATCH FACTS: CRYSTAL PALACE: Kiraly; Ward; F Hall; Boyce; Borrowdale; McAnuff; Watson (Riihilahti, 56); Hughes; Soares (Leigertwood, 58); Johnson; Morrison.

SUBS NOT USED: Popovic; Andrews; Speroni.

ATT: 23,843.