Any professional footballer just wants to be playing so the Palace squad will be pleased to get back in Championship action after the recent enforced break and find themselves against a Plymouth side who havent won in eight games.

Neil Warnock is able to start his on loan defender, Claude Davis, for the first time and also brings back Nathaniel Clyne back into the starting eleven at right back. Nick Carle misses out due to suspension but fellow midfielder Neil Danns recovers from injury to make the game.

Home Park was full of home fans who were only going to be happy with one result but Manager Paul Sturrock is adamant he will battle on and turn things around.

Julian Speroni was soon in the action, in the opening two minutes as Alan Judge swung in a free kick from just outside the box and he tipped it over the bar whilst from the resulting corner Krisztian Timar headed wide of the target.

Palace's first opportunity of a shot at goal came just before the twenty minute mark when Alan Lee's knock down found John Oster but his effort was blocked by Gary Sawyer.

It was not long though before the opening goal of the night did come and it was to the away side. A cross from Oster on the right hand side was headed home by Neil Danns from close range as his header looped over Roman Larrieu in Argyle's goal.  

Palace soon increased their advantage when just before the half hour mark Sean Scannell's shot hit the post and Lee was perfectly placed to collect the rebound and fired the ball into the back of the net giving Larrieru no chance.

After a bright start for Argyle the two goals certainly put them on their back foot and it got worse when Oster broke away on the right hand side after a good pass by Paul Ifill and the midfielder finished it so well as the keeper came out to meet him.

Straight away at the other end the home side should have got one back in the final minute of the half as Karl Dugoid made his way through but with Clyne right behind him he put the chance over the bar.

That was the final action of the half as Palace went into the break having made the most of their chances and holding an advantage which sent the home side in with boos ringing in their ears.

Plymouth needed a quick start to the second period and an early goal would have put them back in the game but they would have had to watch Palace on the break. Alan Lee broke through as he was found by Oster but the assistant referee adjudged him offside.

Just two minutes later on the 50th minute mark Ifill worked his way into the box but his shot was held by the 'keeper.

Argyle appealed for a spot kick as an opportunity to get back in the contest but the referee waved away the appeals as the home side were confident they had seen a hand ball in the box.

Sturrock completes all his substitutions on 64 minutes as a final throw of the dice as the home crowd still waited for some kind of breakthrough but they didn't have to wait too much longer. It was one of the subs who did well with the ball down the right, Paul Gallagher found Sawyer who made no mistake with a left foot shot into the roof of the net.

It was soon Warnock's turn to make changes as Shefki Kuqi came on for Lee and Scannell was replaced by Lee Hills with 20 minutes remaining.

Sturrock's side nearly reduced the arrears further as Craig Noone's cross from the right was headed wide by Mathias Kouo-Doumbe with fifteen minutes remaining on the clock.

The Pilgrims will be encouraged by their second half showing having gone in at the break so far in arrears and had a chance from a free kick just outside the box with eight minutes remaining. Gallagher took the free kick but would have been disappointed to see it go straight into the wall.

Four minutes later Ashley Barnes had a late chance but headed straight at Speroni from close range as the home side worked hard to restore some pride into the result.

In added time the visitors nearly completed a memorable away result but Ifill's cross evaded three of his team mates who were standing across the face of goal.

Their three chances taken in the first half meant they sealed the win nice and early but had to defend well in the second with on loan Davis in commanding form at the back impressing on his Eagles debut.

Teams

Plymouth Larrieu, Doumbe, Cathcart, Timar, Sawyer,Judge (Barnes 64), Duguid, Paterson, MacLean (Noone 61),Fallon (Gallagher 64), Mackie.

Subs Not Used: Clark, Summerfield.

Booked: MacLean.

Crystal Palace Speroni, Clyne, Jose Fonte, Davis, Hill,Oster (Butterfield 80), Derry, Danns, Scannell (Hills 71),Lee (Kuqi 71), Ifill.

Subs Not Used: Lawrence, Moses.

Att: 10,710   Referee : Rob Shoebridge (Derbyshire).