Crystal Palace manager Neil Warnock praised debutant Rhoys Wiggins last night, despite the 20-year-old getting the final touch to Nottingham Forest’s winner.

Wiggins, who celebrates his 21st birthday next Tuesday, saw Matt Lawrence’s clearance hit Matt Thornhill and ricochet off him into the net to gift Forest the win with ten minutes left.

The Welsh U21 international was in the starting line up because of injury to Clint Hill’s knee, and while Warnock admitted he had not been impressed with him in training, he was full of praise for him last night.

“To be fair he disappointed me on the training ground, it was only when he played for Wales against James Milner twice in the U21s that he showed me what he could do,” said the Yorkshireman.

“I thought he did alright last night, first half I thought he was the only one that tackled.

“He’s got a lot of attributes and he has got to use his strength and become a defender first and foremost.

“He is the least of the players I would criticise about the second goal, there were four or five others before him that should have cleared it.”