April 12 2003

Dougie Freedman

The Eagles returned to winning form with a comprehensive 4-1 beating of struggling Grimsby Town.

Grimsby started well and could have taken the lead in the opening minutes had Stuart Campbell not scuffed his close range shot wide from Michael Boulding's cross.

Palace got back into the game against the run of play in the 18th minute thanks to a strike into the bottom corner of the net from Wayne Routledge - his fourth goal of the season.

From then on, it was all Palace and inevitably another goal would come. Julian Gray's flick-on found Noel Whelan in space and the on-loan striker headed past Town goalkeeper Danny Coyne.

Just 60 seconds later, Gray made it three-nil with a shot from the left hand side of the six-yard box.

Grimsby pulled a goal back in the 47th minute when Steve Chettle headed home Stuart Campbell's inswinging corner from the left into the bottom corner.

With 90 seconds left on the clock, substitute Dougie Freedman got Palace's fourth goal when he netted Danny Butterfield's right wing cross from the centre of the penalty area.

Starting line-ups:

Grimsby Town

Coyne, McDermott, Ford, Chettle, Gallimore, Campbell, Bolder, Groves, Keane, Boulding, Mansaram.

Subs: Thompson, Parker, Livingstone, Soames, Cooke.

Crystal Palace

Kolinko, Butterfield, Powell, Popovic, Borrowdale, Routledge, Mullins, Thomson, Gray, Whelan, Adebola.

Subs: Berthelin, Freedman, Black, Watson, Hunt.

Today's football results and scorers

Division One table

Palace 2002/3 team stats

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