Crystal Palace Baltimore eased to a 2-0 victory over the visiting Bermuda Hogges at UMBC Stadium Friday night thanks to goals from Dan Lader and Val Teixeira.

Palace, who had the advantage of a game under their belts already, looked the more confident team on the ball while Bermuda, making their season debut, lacked cohesion.

Within the first quarter of an hour, Palace created half a dozen chances and the pressure eventually paid off shortly after the quarter of an hour mark. On 16 minutes, left back Mateus dos Anjos sent a long pass from his own half to onrushing forward Lader. Hogges' 'keeper Timothy Figureido came out of his goal to try and intercept but Lader got to the ball first and steered it goalwards to give Palace the lead and their first goal of the season.

Medd: "We created a lot of opportunities - we could have scored more."

Palace continued their dominance through the rest of the half with chances falling to a host of Baltimore players. Bermuda didn't produce their first real threat until injury time when Damico Coddington forced Brian Rowland into his first save of the match.

Palace kept piling on the pressure as the second half got underway and soon doubled their lead. Shintaro Harada's 51st minute free kick from the right was met by Val Teixeira who coolly headed home from eight yards out.

Cherneski: "The team played very well - it's an important win for us."

Bermuda came into the game more as the second half progressed, but the Palace defence held strong, restricting the Hogges into mostly speculative long-distance efforts. Palace's best chance for a third goal fell to former Hogge John Barry Nusum, who made his Palace debut entering the contest as a substitute on 62 minutes. Nusum rose to meet Val Teixeira's pinpoint cross from the left wing but somehow sent his header wide of the far post.

Palace Co-Manager Jim Cherneski was pleased with the result: "The team played very well - it's an important win for us." Cherneski praised the back four for another strong outing, then noted the major difference from last week's goalless effort against Pittsburgh: "The biggest thing was guys making intelligent, off-the-ball runs to get into dangerous positions. We were stagnant last week."

Fellow Co-Manager Pete Medd echoed Cherneski's sentiments: "From top to bottom, it was a very solid performance. Basso and Marshall are forming a formidable partnership at center back, and the entire defense is putting a stranglehold on the opposition." As for the offensive effort, Medd concluded: "We created a lot of opportunities - we could have scored more. We were stringing together seven, eight or nine one-touch passes before taking a shot and you can't get much better than that."

Palace take to the road for their next three fixtures, starting with back-to-back games in North Carolina, first at Charlotte on May 1st followed by Wilmington on May 2nd.

For a full USA fixture list and table, click here.

Exclusive highlights will follow on Palace World. You can watch highlights of Palace USA's first match, at home to Pittsburg Riverhounds right now on Palace World by clicking here.

A subscription to Palace World costs just £3.99 per month and there has never been a better time to sign up. Palace World subscribers can already watch exclusive footage of Crystal Palace U18s 5-3 defeat to Bristol City as well as an exclusive interview with Palace's in form striker, Shefki Kuqi.