March 5 2003

Tommy Black

Crystal Palace's slim hopes of a play-off place were boosted with a 1-0 victory away to Derby County - their first league win of the year.

It was a perfect response to the 4-0 thrashing by Wolves on Saturday as Tommy Black scored his 10th goal of the season in the only goal of the game.

Black pounced just past the hour mark, heading home Julian Gray's cross following a great run.

Derby's Nick Chadwick, who is on a month's loan from Everton, nearly put the Rams ahead when his header crashed off the woodwork in the second minute.

Then Derby keeper Lee Grant could have been sent off after bringing down Black on the edge of the box but referee Tony Leake showed him a yellow card.

Cedric Berthelin saved a header from Fabrizio Ravanelli before Palace had two chances to get a goal.

Gray waltzed through the Derby defence and hit a shot which was saved by Grant and Palace hit the woodwork themselves as on 16 minutes, Shaun Derry's 25-yard free-kick hit the bar.

Chadwick was clear on goal and struck his shot straight at Berthelin and seconds into the second half shot wide from Ravanelli's cross.

Then Black struck for what proved to be the winning goal on 61 minutes and with three minutes left shaved the upright with a curling free-kick.

Derby: Grant, Jackson, Elliott, Mills, Boertien, Bolder, Lee, Burley, Murray, Chadwick, Ravanelli.

Subs: Camp, Zavagno, Tudgay, McLeod, Robinson.

Palace: Berthelin, Butterfield, Popovic, Powell, Borrowdale, Derry, Mullins, Thomson, Gray, Black, Adebola.

Subs: Kolinko, Granville, Symons, Routledge, Akinbiyi.

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