Neil Warnock declared himself happy after a Darren Ambrose brace set Crystal Palace on their way to their first three points of the season as they convincingly beat Ipswich Town 3-1 at Portman Road.

The Palace boss was looking for a response against Roy Keane's team to put last Saturday's controversial defeat away at Bristol City behind him, following Freddie Sears' strike that hit the back of the net but wasn't given as a goal.

"It was nice to get the disappointment and injustice of the weekend out of the way - not just by winning but playing as we did," he said.

"We showed a great attitude, were solid at the back and inventive in midfield.

"I couldn't ask for more, especially at such a difficult place as Ipswich."

Palace had the best of an entertaining first half and should have opened the scoring in the seventh minute when Danny Butterfield's cross was met but Paddy McCarthy's downward header only for Ipswich keeper Richard Wright to get down low to his right to tip the ball past the post.

Ipswich's first effort came in the 22nd minute when Jon Walters headed over under pressure from Clint Hill.

Alassane N'Diaye then powered his way into the Ipswich box only for Neil Danns to be inches away from connecting with his low cross. Danns then almost scored from a fantastic solo run that started from the halfway line, saw Damien Delaney and Colin Healy brushed off, before the Palace midfielder drilled his low, angled shot wide of the upright.

With Palace on top, half-time came as an unwanted distraction.

But Warnock's men carried on where they had left off and were ahead in the 48th minute after clever work from Alan Lee saw him beat Pim Balkestein into the Ipswich area from where he crossed to Darren Ambrose at the far post, who tucked home from six yards out despite a desperate blocking tackle from Alex Bruce.

Ambrose then doubled his tally with a spectacular volley moments later after shaking off the attentions of Healy before smashing into the top right corner from 25 yards.

The Tractor Boys dragged themselves back into the game after Owen Garvan's delightful cross sat up perfectly for Bruce to nod home unmarked at the far post in the 62nd minute.

Ipswich pressed, but Palace wrapped up the win when Ambrose crossed from the right for Danns to head home.

Freddie Sears, who was lively all night, could have made it 4-1 at the death but Town keeper Wright managed to scramble his deflected shot behind for a corner.

After the match, Warnock was full of praise for Ambrose, who he picked up on a free transfer from Charlton Athletic.

"I've always liked Darren and offered £1million for him when he was at Ipswich," he said.

"He's drawn the short straw in the last couple of years but he was the first person who came to speak to me in the summer.

"I said he could be influential for me and score goals and he plays with a smile on his face.

"He's not worried about making a mistake because he knows he's not going to get a rollicking from me."

Drawing a line under the Bristol City game, Warnock referenced the tragedies he had seen on the news that weekend declaring there were far more important matters to worry about.

"You have to put things in perspective and we only lost a game of football," he said.