Football: Palace hit the heights

FORMER Wimbledon star Michael Hughes fired Crystal Palace to the top of Division One in this final tenant v landlord clash at Selhurst Park.

Wimbledon are heading to their controversial new home in Milton Keynes next month - while Palace have loftier ambitions.

Hughes' strike and Dougie Freedman's penalty helped separate the teams after the excellent Danny Butterfield had cancelled out the half-time advantage Wimbledon held through Nigel Reo-Coker.

Wimbledon's survival remains something of a miracle and the fact Stuart Murdoch has them playing neat, quick football makes it even more remarkable.

Their move to the National Hockey Centre may not be the disaster many are hoping for on this evidence.

But this is a Palace team with a clear vision, one spelt out by chairman Simon Jordan in no uncertain terms in the summer.

He expects them to get into the Premiership in May - or at least go considerably closer than they did last season, when a 17th-place finish was a pitiful return on his investment.

Coach Steve Kember has built a solid, dependable team which grew in stature and confidence as the match progressed and there is no reason to believe they can't deliver Jordan's dream.

But there is some way to go in certain areas, and how they would like the pace that Wimbledon are able to unleash through Patrick Agyemang and Reo-Coker, who were a thorn in the side of Palace in the first half.

With so many willing runners, Dean Holdsworth - back for a second spell - could play the elder statesman and use his experience to make the most of those around him.

That is exactly what he did in the 33rd minute when his perfectly weighted ball allowed skipper Reo-Coker to drive into the heart of the defence and slide the ball wide of keeper Matt Clarke.

After the break Palace came out firing on all cylinders, and within a quarter of an hour Butterfield had hit an unstoppable 25- yard shot past keeper Paul Heald to level the score.

Five minutes later Palace went ahead when Jermaine Darlington tripped Tommy Black and Freedman scored from the spot.

Palace continued to apply pressure, allowing Hughes to complete the job by drilling home two minutes from time.MAN OF THE MATCH DANNY BUTTERFIELD

Great second-half performance.

WIMBLEDON: Heald 7, Darlington 6, Nowland 6, Chorley 6, Leigertwood 6, Gier 6, Tapp 6, Reo-Coker 7, Gordon 6 (McAnuff 5), Holdsworth 7, Agyemang 8.

CRYSTAL PALACE: Clarke 7, Smith 6, Symons 6, Mullins 6, Powell 5 (Borrowdale 6), BUTTERFIELD 8, Watson 7, Black 7, Hughes 7, Freedman 7 (Johnson 6), Shipperley 7.

MANAGERS: Murdoch 6; Kember 8.

REFEREE: P Walton 7.

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