Clinton serves up late but tasty Sunday special

Coca-Cola Championship

For more pictures, click on Palace pictures

CRYSTAL Palace notched up their third win on the bounce thanks to a dramatic last-minute finale at Selhurst Park.

The Sunday lunchtime meeting with fellow promotion chasers Leeds United appeared to he heading for a sickening draw until Clinton Morrison struck with seconds left on the clock.

The gut-wrenching tension had been building after Leeds' Geoff Horsfield was sent off on 15 minutes and the 10 men he left behind frustrated Palace for more than an hour.

For supersub Morrison it was his first goal of the season and sees Palace sitting pretty at the top of the Championship as the only team with a 100 per cent record.

Boss Peter Taylor said: "The clean sheet was really good and I'm pleased for Gabor and the back four who worked very hard.

"We were playing against a good side and I know they went down to 10 men but they're still very difficult opponents who have good players, good passers and good experience, so they certainly weren't going to be easy to break down.

"We had to attack at the right time because they were very dangerous opponents."

He added: "Over a season you're never always going to have your own way and there are times when your attitude and togetherness will get you through and I think today, even more than the other games, we carried on believing we could score.

"We started creating more chances in the end because Leeds over-protected because they were nearly there.

"It arrived very late but it was a wonderful sight to see Clinton put it in the back of the net."

Taylor admitted he was pleased for Morrison who has had a stop-start time so far this season but after two goals for the reserves in midweek, he has earned his chance.

Taylor said: "Clinton has earned his chance and has worked really hard to get fitter.

"He played 90 minutes against Whyteleafe on Wednesday, wanted to play, captained the team and scored two, so he deserved to get on and he deserved to get the winner."

Ben Watson was included in the starting line-up for the first time this season as Jon Macken dropped out of the squad.

Dougie Freedman also had to settle for a place on the bench despite impressing from the bench in the previous two matches.

Palace lined up with five across the midfield and both teams struggled to keep possession.

It was nine minutes before a shot on goal but David Healy's strike from the edge of the area was straight at Kiraly in the Palace goal.

On 15 minutes Mark Hudson and Horsfield chased a long ball from the Leeds defence and the Palace defender tumbled to the floor.

After consulting the assistant referee, Rob Styles waved a straight red card to the striker for raising his arms.

The Eagles started to use the extra man to their advantage and in the 20th minute James Scowcroft headed just wide from a Danny Granville cross but it was Leeds who should have taken the lead.

Healy found space on the right and his cross was met on the volley by Eddie Lewis at the far post.

He scuffed his shot but Kiraly was helpless as the ball struck the far post and bobbled away.

After half an hour McAnuff directed a flying header wide but the 10 men of Leeds kept possession well and prevented Palace from making any inroads before the half-time break.

For the second successive game Dougie Freedman entered the fray at half-time, this time for Ben Watson, and he instantly livened up proceedings by winning a corner from which Leon Cort headed just wide.

Then in the 54th minute Freedman collected the ball on the edge of the area and forced Tony Warner in the Leeds goal into a low save.

Even though Palace were dominating Leeds still looked dangerous on the break and from a 59th minute corner former Palace midfielder Shaun Derry headed over when unmarked.

With two up front Palace looked much better in attack and Mark Kennedy tested Warner with a 25-yard thunderbolt just past the hour mark.

Cort again came close from another great delivery from Kennedy but he could not divert his header on target.

Palace were now definitely on top and Kennedy had two more long range shots but they were both straight at Warner who saved comfortably.

In the 73rd minute Peter Taylor brought on Clinton Morrison for Tom Soares to add another option up front as Palace went with three in attack.

Good approach play resulted in a chance for Scowcroft in the 77th minute but his shot on the turn was easily stopped by Warner.

Then with only a few minutes remaining Warner made a brilliant stop from a vicious Freedman volley just inside the penalty area.

Leeds United were throwing bodies in the way of every Palace attack and in a goalmouth scramble Morrison just failed to find the killer touch.

But three minutes later the Republic of Ireland international found it as Scowcroft flicked the ball on and, after a brief scramble, Morrison poked the ball past Warner to send Palace two points clear at the top of the table.

Taylor said: "If Clinton was as fit as he knows he can be then I could not afford a player of his standard but he has a bit to do to be as fit as I want him to be.

"Clinton had an injection to cure a knee injury and it means he has not had a proper pre-season. But he has been great and just needs to keep working hard and training hard."

MATCH FACTS: PALACE: Kiraly, Butterfield, Hudson, Cort, Granville, Soares (Morrison, 73), Kennedy, Fletcher, Watson (Freedman, 45), McAnuff, Scowcroft.

SUBS NOT USED: Flinders, Lawrence, Borrowdale.

ATT: 17,218.