A moment of inspiration by Dougie Freedman was not enough to prevent Palace from going down 3-1 in Neil Warnock's first game in charge at Selhurst Park.

A brace from Richard Cresswell and a goal from visiting centre back Ryan Shawcross rendered substitute Freedman's 51st minute equaliser redundant. 

Warnock's pre-match calls for Palace fans to be loud and proud were backed up by an attacking line-up that included three changes from the side that drew 1-1 at Blackpool on Saturday.

Matt Lawrence replaced the injured Danny Butterfield at right back, Paul Dickov was drafted in for suspended right winger Tom Soares, and striker Clinton Morrison made his first start since September 1, preferred to Freedman.

The Scot joined Besian Idrizaj, Jose Fonte, Jeff Hughes and Stuart Green on the bench, as Warnock once again plumped to omit a reserve goalkeeper from the first 16.

The new manager was given a standing ovation from the Eagles faithful when he entered the pitch seconds after the game had kicked off.

The visitors had the first opening when Ricardo Fuller flashed a shot wide after three minutes, but Palace came much closer two minutes later.

Morrison set up Dickov, who had only the goalkeeper to beat, but Steve Simonsen narrowed the angle and saved well. Shortly afterwards, Dickov showed his frustration by getting a booking for dissent.

Liam Lawrence looked one of Stoke's livelier player earlier on, first carving an opportunity from distance and then heading wide a left wing cross. Neither troubled Eagles goalkeeper Julian Speroni.

At the other end, Dave Martin's cross-shot finished wide of the visitors' goal before, on 21 minutes, James Scowcroft spectacularly volleyed wide Dickov's right wing cross.

More good work by Martin won Palace a free kick, from which Watson's byline centre caused Stoke problems that were only abated by a defender heading over his own goal.

Morrison came desperately close to bagging his 100th Palace goal on 26 minutes. He latched on to Lawrence's header but Simonsen somehow kept out his effort from close range. Tony Craig then screwed the rebound wide across the face of goal.  

Lawrence then had a speculative 30-yarder deflected wide as Palace took a stranglehold on the game. Visiting striker Fuller was then booked for a rash tackle on Watson, who returned to the pitch after receiving treatment.

Dickov was not as fortunate though, and he was forced to limp off on 35 minutes, replaced by substitute Freedman. It was a disappointing end to a promising performance from the former Arsenal trainee.

Lawrence was booked on the stroke of half time for coming in on Cresswell from behind.

Warnock changed things at half time, with right back Fonte replacing Watson. Pushed into central midfield was Lawrence.

One of Fonte's first actions was to give away a debatable free kick. Stoke skipper Dominic Matteo caught Palace unawares with a quick free kick from the left that was nodded in by Cresswell to give Stoke a 49th minute lead.

If that goal had taken Palace by surprise, Freedman did just the same to the Stoke defence to haul Palace level two minutes later. 

With the ball at his feet inside a congested penalty area, Freedman was improvisation personified, showing excellent balance, quick feet and remarkable vision to direct his shot into the bottom corner. 

The game was really warming up, and Morrison was a whisker away from scoring a cracker on 57 minutes, turning on a sixpence from 25 yards and firing just wide of the post.

Palace were made to pay for the miss two minutes later when Liam Lawrence turned onto his left foot and struck his shot against the foot of the post. But the rebound was emphatically gobbled up by Cresswell to grab his second goal of the evening. 

Palace were in no mood to lie down and came close again on 67 minutes when a corner from Stuart Green, who had replaced Martin moments earlier, was volleyed just over by Scowcroft.

With the home side throwing caution to the wind, Stoke exposed gaps in the Palace defence to go 3-1 ahead. It was a disappointing goal for the home side to concede. Rory Delap's rocket came out off the crossbar, and on loan defender Ryan Shawcross reacted before any Eagles defenders to nod home the rebound off the post. Sam Parkin followed up to make sure, but there was no doubt that Manchester United centre back Shawcross' header had crossed the goal-line.

Palace refused to give up and kept going until the final whistle, but Stoke held firm and headed back to Staffordshire with all three points.  

Crystal Palace: Speroni, Lawrence, Craig, Hudson, Cort, Dickov (Freedman 35), Fletcher (c), Watson (Fonte 46), Martin (Green 65), Scowcroft, Morrison.

Goal: Freedman (51).

Subs not used: Idrizaj, Fonte, Hughes.

Booked: Dickov (6), Lawrence (45).

Stoke City: Simonsen, Eustace, Lawrence, Matteo (c), Shawcross, Zakuani, Delap, Wilkinson, Dickinson, Cresswell (Hill 90), Fuller (Parkin 56).

Goals: Cresswell (49), (59), Shawcross (73).

Subs not used: Sweeney, Hoult, Phillips.

Booked: Fuller (30), Zakuani (56).

Attendance: 14,237. 

Referee: Mr M Thorpe.