Palace finished their season on a high, with an impressive performance and result at Layer Road to put an end to Colchester United's faint play-off hopes.

The U's have the best home record in the Championship this season, losing just three games previously on their own patch but they had no answer to the Eagles in front of a sell-out crowd who were there to pay tribute to their team, finishing in the highest position in their history.

James Scowcroft scored his first goal since November to set Palace on their way before Ben Watson netted his first goal of the season to seal the points midway through the second half and a deserved three points, whilst the defence managed to keep the lively strike force of Jamie Cureton and Chris Iwelumo largely quiet.

That almost wasn't the case though, as Colchester could have been ahead in the first minute when Wayne Brown's long ball over the top saw Cureton spring the offside trap to run through on goal but he lifted his effort over an onrushing Julian Speroni and wide of the post.

It was Palace who took the lead in the 10th minute though, when Carl Fletcher's cross from the right picked out Scowcroft at the far post and he looped a header back over Dean Gerken and into the net.

The hosts were almost level immediately though, when Jamie Cureton's acrobatic volley forced Speroni into a stunning save.

The goalscoring roles were almost reversed in the 20th minute, when Scowcroft nodded Jobi McAnuff's cross into the path of Fletcher and his powerful drive came crashing back off the crossbar.

A flowing Palace move four minutes later saw Clinton Morrison find some space in the area, but his shot was saved well by Gerken as the Eagles continued to enjoy the better of the game.

Unfortunately Fletcher's afternoon came to an early end when he limped off after 30 minutes though and his replacement Tom Soares could have made it 2-0 when Gary Borrowdale's cross picked him out at the far post, only for the midfielder to place his shot wide of the target as the Eagles finished the better of the two sides in the first half.

Palace again showed their superiority in the opening stages of the second half and Gerken had to be at his best in the 51st minute to turn Morrison's header over the bar after a good cross from Matt Lawrence on the right.

With just a one goal lead, Colchester were always in with a chance and it took another smart save from Speroni to deny Cureton again in the 57th minute before Leon Cort cleared Chris Iwelumo's follow-up off the line.

At the other end, McAnuff had a good opportunity when Mark Kennedy's delivery from the left found him lurking at the far post but he directed his volley just wide of the post as Palace looked to add another goal.

It arrived in the 69th minute, following a period of sustained pressure when Soares crossed from the right and Watson timed his arrival to perfection to smash a shot past Gerken.

Soares nearly added a fourth soon after when fellow substitute Paul Ifill's cross was knocked back towards him by McAnuff, but his header landed on the roof of the goal.

Colchester finished the game strongly and looking for a goal, but it wasn't to be as the Eagles held firm to finish the 2006/07 season in a positive way.

Colchester United: Gerken, Brown, Watson, Duguid, Cureton, Izzet, Iwelumo, Baldwin (White, 45) Garcia, Elokobi (McLeod, 67) Ephraim. Subs not used: Davison, Guy, Wordsworth.

Palace: Speroni, Lawrence, Hudson, Cort, McAnuff, Scowcroft, Morrison (Ifill, 66) Watson, Kennedy, Borrowdale, Fletcher (Soares, 30) Subs not used: Flinders, Butterfield, Kuqi.

Bookings: Ben Watson (71 minutes)

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