December 20 2003

Andy Johnson

A brace from in-form Andy Johnson and goal from Wayne Routledge helped Palace to a 3-0 at Reading.

It was caretaker-boss Kit Symons' last game in charge before handing the job over to IAIN DOWIE.

Johnson and Routledge fired wide for the Eagles early on before Neil Shipperley hit the post with a header from Danny Butterfield's cross on 20 minutes.

Five minutes before the break Palace took the lead when Aki Riihilahti charged through the middle of the park and chipped the ball to Johnson at the edge of the box. He controlled it with his chest and struck a left-foot shot home.

Routledge doubled the lead three minutes later when he put away Johnson's cross from the right after he was released by Michael Hughes.

In the 65th minute, Shipperley forced Royals keeper Marcus Hahnemann into a good save from distance.

Julian Gray had a free-kick just wide of the Reading goal before Routledge went close with a long-range drive.

Johnson sealed victory in the last minute with a cool finish from sub Shaun Derry's perfect pass from just outside the box.

Reading: Hahnemann, Shorey, Brown, Mackie, Ingimarsson, Salako, Sidwell, Hughes, Watson, Savage, Forster.

Subs: Murray, Harper, Morgan, Newman, Young.

Crystal Palace:Myhre, Butterfield, Popovic, Edwards, Borrowdale, Hughes, Riihilahti, Gray, Routledge, Shipperley, Johnson.

Subs: Fleming, Freedman, Derry, Berthelin, Black.

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