AJ double ensures a happy homecoming for Morrison

STOKE CITY 0The return of Clinton Morrison to Selhurst Park may have grabbed all the headlines but it was the form of the Eagles' present-day hero which made it three wins in a week for Crystal Palace.

Morrison made his grand entrance in the 75th minute to a great reception from the home crowd and set up Andrew Johnson for his second goal in what looked like the start of a promising partnership.

But Johnson and Morrison apart, Iain Dowie will have been pleased to have recorded another win and a clean sheet as the Eagles start to move up the table.

Palace assistant manager Neil McDonald said: "We're not 100 per cent yet, but we're scoring goals and keeping clean sheets so we must be doing something right.

"The strikers today were fantastic. Clinton Morrison is already on the same wavelength as AJ, which can only be good news. All three forwards played their part in the goals today, which were finished off by a superb England international. Hopefully he's going to get picked for the two games coming up."

After last Saturday's quiet start, the Eagles came flying out of the blocks and forced Stoke keeper Steve Simonson into an early save when Jobi McAnuff placed a low shot on target.

Ben Watson then saw his powerful strike from the edge of the box go straight into the arms of Simonson, before a rejuvenated Johnson had his shot blocked after cutting in from the left.

AJ's strike partner Jon Macken also had an impressive outing on his return from injury, and nearly gave Palace a seventh minute lead when his right-footed volley from Tom Soares' cross went just wide.

Stoke's giant striker Mamady Sidebe had his side's first chance of the game with a header which went just wide, following a neat move.

But it was Palace who continued to look the most dangerous and were inches away from going one up when Johnson struck the post.

The ball fell at the England striker's feet after Soares' deflected shot ricocheted into his path and he swivelled to strike a powerful effort towards goal only to see it rebound off the post and evade the lurking Mikele Leigertwood.

But Johnson's persisitance finally paid off a minute before half time when he gave Palace a deserved lead.

The Eagles' top scorer received a pass from Ben Watson on the left hand corner of the penalty box and played a sublime one-two with Macken before firing a low shot to the left of Simonson into the net.

Palace used a more defensive approach during the opening 15 minutes of the second half and created very little until the game started to open up as Stoke searched for an equaliser.

Sidebe forced Kiraly into his first real save of the match when the Hungarian dived low to fingertip his drive wide, before a string of substitutions, including the introduction of Hughes and Riihilahti, interupted the flow of the game.

But as the game was entering a subdued period, Dowie lifted the atmosphere by bringing on Morrison in place of the hard- working Macken 15 minutes from time.

In the short time they were on the field together, Morrsion and Johnson gelled instantly and combined well on a series of Palace attacks before they linked up well again for Palace's second goal.

Morrison called Johnson to dummy an incoming pass from Boyce which fell to Morrsion on the edge of the box and he played a first time ball to Johnson which brilliantly dinked over the on-rushing Simonson to make it 2-0 five minutes before the end.

Stoke made one late change a minute later, but the result was never in doubt as Palace deservedly took the points and moved up to 12th place in the Championship table.