Mark Hudson puts Palace 1-0. Photo: Neil Everitt

When Palace play Norwich at Selhurst Park there are usually goals, and it was no different this time as the Eagles beat the Canaries 3-1. All four goals came in a hectic first 45 minutes thanks to strikes from Mark Hudson, Shefki Kuqi and Stuart Green with the Norwich replay coming from Robert Earnshaw.

Despite three games without defeat Peter Taylor made six changes for the match against the Canaries. Leon Cort, Dougie Freedman, Michael Hughes, Marco Reich and Kuqi all came into the starting line-up with Jobi McAnuff, James Scowcroft, Clinton Morrison and Mark Kennedy all dropping to the bench, while Danny Butterfield and Ben Watson did not make the 16 man squad.

The match nearly got off to a disastrous start for the Eagles as the Championship's leading goalscorer, Earnshaw, shot wide from a narrow angle after a mix up between Cort and Scott Flinders. The Eagles soon got a grip of the ball though, but in a deathly silent atmosphere both sides struggled to get going.

It seemed that both sets of supporters and players were suffering from New Year's Day hangovers as entertainment and efforts on goal were few and far between in the first 10 minutes. However, the visitors burst into life and had three great chances in a matter of minutes. First Dickson Etuhu's low cross was scrambled clear before Darren Huckerby hit the bar after cutting inside Hudson. The Norwich forward did the same seconds later but this time Flinders pulled off a good save low to his left.

Palace couldn't settle and Norwich continued to test Flinders through a Doherty header and a Carl Robinson strike but luckily both went straight at the young goalkeeper.

After a torrid opening 20 minutes Palace at last managed a shot on goal but Kuqi dragged his shot well wide, but Palace only had to wait another six minutes to take the lead. Green's corner from the left was headed back across goal by Cort and Hudson rose highest to nod home from just in front of the goal-line.

The goal was just the boost Palace needed and three minutes later they scored a second. Freedman collected a loose ball on the halfway line and sprinted forward before sending a pass through to Kuqi on the left hand side who calmly fired past Paul Gallacher in the Norwich goal.

Confidence was sky high in the Palace camp as half-time approached and Reich shot narrowly wide from the edge of the box before Hudson headed into the side netting from another Green corner.

Just before the break though Norwich got a route back into the game after Earnshaw scored from the penalty spot after Youssef Safri's free-kick hit the hand of Carl Fletcher. It was a bad time to concede for Palace but they still went in two goals up at half-time thanks to a fantastic finish from Green. Kuqi ran onto a Darren Ward long ball before laying the ball back to the winger who crashed a first time left-foot drive into the net from around eight yards out.

Taylor was forced into a change at half-time as Reich departed with an arm injury, being replaced by McAnuff.

As expected Norwich put Palace under pressure at the start of the second period and in the 55^th minute Cort did well to put off Earnshaw as he came close to converting an Andy Hughes cross in the six yard box. A few minutes later Cort went close with a stooping header from McAnuff's right wing cross and Michael Hughes was denied by a great tackle from Gary Doherty.

Freedman hit a snap shot from the edge of the box just wide in the 62^nd minute as Palace sought another goal to kill off the match but the visitors were piling forward and substitute Dion Dublin went close with a volley from 10 yards.

In a bid to add some fresh legs up front Taylor replaced Freedman with Morrison, but it was Norwich who looked more likely to score and in the 75^th minute Flinders had to be alert to block Lee Croft's shot on goal.

Chances came and went for Palace as time ticked away with McAnuff heading over from a Green cross and Fletcher striking wide from the edge of the penalty area. There was also a late scare as Hughes fell heavily after a hard tackle from Norwich defender but the Irishman recovered sufficiently to complete his first 90 minutes for a number of weeks.

There was just enough time for Kuqi to head inches wide from a Morrison cross in the dying seconds, but it didn't matter as Palace finished their Christmas and New Year programme unbeaten and with eight points out of 12.

PALACE: Flinders; Hudson, Ward, Cort, Lawrence; Green, Fletcher (c), Hughes, Reich (McAnuff h-t); Freedman (Morrison 73), Kuqi.
Subs not used: Wilkinson, Scowcroft, Kennedy.
Booked: Hughes.
Goalscorers: Hudson (26), Kuqi (29), Green (45+1).

NORWICH: Gallacher; Colin, Shackell, Doherty, Drury (c); Hughes (Croft 60), Safri (Thorne 90), Etuhu, Robinson (Dublin 53), Huckerby; Earnshaw.
Subs not used: Lewis, McVeigh.
Goalscorers: Earnshaw (45).