Crystal Palace 3 v 1 Southend United

Coca Cola Championship

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THREE goals in 10 second half minutes saw Palace record their second win in four days to go top of the Championship table.

Headed goals from Leon Cort and Mark Hudson and a great finish from substitute Dougie Freedman gave Palace a hard earned victory over a lively Sothend United outfit.

Palace made one change from the team which beat Ipswich 2-1 on Saturday with Jon Macken replacing Clinton Morrison up-front.

There was also a place on the bench for latest signing Matt Lawrence with Gary Borrowdale dropping out of the 16-man squad.

Southend manager Steve Tilson had promised his supporters his team would go at Palace straight from the kick-off and they were true to their word as they nearly took the lead after only 30 seconds.

Luke Guttridge picked up a lose ball on the left before floating a cross onto the head of former Palace striker Lee Bradbury but the burly forward headed wide when unmarked.

After the Shrimpers' early chance Palace started to get into the game and Macken came within a whisker of converting a Jobi McAnuff pass but a defender blocked the Republic of Ireland striker's shot.

In the 23rd minute Southend had another great chance to take the lead as Mark Gower reached the by-line on the left before crossing for the on-rushing Guttridge.

The midfielder's shot was powerful but Gabor Kiraly dived low to his left to save before smothering the ball from the lurking Bradbury.

Palace were in charge of possession but Southend always looked dangerous on the break however, despite a few corners, they rarely threatened. Gower came close in the 36th minute but he blazed over from six yards following a good run from left-back Steven Hammell.

Mark Kennedy tested Darryl Flahavan with a long range effort in the 41st minute but a few seconds later Southend took the lead.

The ball fell kindly to Freddy Eastwood in the penalty area and the striker turned and shot low past Kiraly with the confidence of a striker who averages a goal every other game.

Finding themselves one goal down for the second match in succession Taylor once again changed things around after the first 45 minutes with Freedman coming on for Macken.

There looked to be a bit more urgency to Palace's play early in the second-half and Danny Butterfield forced Flahavan into a comfortable low save and in the 50th minute Kennedy fired just over from 30 yards.

The shot got a slight deflection though and from the resulting corner Palace equalised.

Kennedy floated the ball into the box and Cort rose the highest to nod past Flahavan in the Shrimper goal.

With Palace fans still celebrating Palace took the lead three minutes later.

Kiraly made a great catch under pressure from a Southend corner and his long kick was flicked on by Scowcroft for Freedman.

The Scot found himself in acres of space and, after controlling the ball, he coolly lobbed Flahavan.

For the second match in a row Palace had turned a half-time deficit around in three minutes and this time they looked hungry for more.

And it only took seven minutes to add to their tally.

Scowcroft won a corner on the right and once again Kennedy's floated free-kick found the head of an unmarked Palace central defender but this time it was Mark Hudson who found the back of the net.

Hudson nearly grabbed a second a few minutes later with a diving header from yet another Kennedy set-piece but Flahavan made a flying save low to his right.

Southend fought back and Jamal Campbell-Ryce flashed a long range shot just over in the 70th minute and Bradbury just failed to connect with substitute Billy Paynter's cross but the Palace defence held firm to secure another three points.

Crystal Palace manager Peter Taylor said: "Words were said at half time but the players know when they are doing well and when they aren't.

"So we just reminded them about their own standards.

"In the second half, obviously an early goal helped and we went on from there."

MATCH FACTS: PALACE: Kiraly; Butterfield, Hudson, Cort, Granville; Soares, Fletcher, Kennedy (Watson, 79), McAnuff; Macken (Freedman, 45), Scowcroft.

SUBS NOT USED: Flinders, Lawrence, Morrison.

ATT: 18,702.