March 11 2014

Damien Delaney (Photo: Andy Roberts)

Defender DAMIEN DELANEY remains bullish about Crystal Palace's chances of avoiding the drop.

The Eagles suffered a 1-0 defeat at home to Southampton on Saturday which leaves them just two places and two points above the relegation zone.

But centre half DELANEY is confident Palace can win enough points to stay up even though the likes of Chelsea, Manchester City and Liverpool are still to visit Selhurst Park.

"We make it difficult for everyone," he said. "Not even the top sides are going to come here and roll us over.

"With the exception of maybe Newcastle this year, nobody has really embarrassed us. We look forward to these games. That is what we worked so hard last year for these opportunities."

"It is not as if we are playing catch-up. We have got our noses in front and it is up to us to keep it there. If someone said to me: you have to go and make things happen against the big sides, it might be a little bit difficult.

Palace have scored just 19 league goals this season and no team has ever survived relegation with less than 28 goals - that was Leeds in 1996/97 with 28.

"We might possibly be the lowest goal-scorers to ever stay up," said DELANEY. "That is looking how it might be. What a record that will be to have!

"This club is built on everyone so there is no way we are going to lay it on the centre-forwards. It is genuinely the feeling in the group that it is a group.

"We are not going to stick it at the feet of the centre-forwards. Same if we are shipping goals. It is a group effort and a group game - it takes everyone to score goals. We don’t point fingers or lay blame.

"We have a good understanding at this club and my God we are going to need it, between now and the end of the season.

"But whenever I feel tired I just think back to last May. There is a massive poster in our canteen taken after we won the play-off final.

"I think of what we achieved why we did it and the reasons, it is always a constant reminder of what we are playing for. What’s ahead of us now is just one more challenge."