Stuart Green scores his first Palace goal.

A goal after 80 seconds and another in the last 10 minutes condemned Palace to their second home league defeat of the season. Following the news that Simon Jordan had purchased the freehold of Selhurst Park hopes were high amongst the Eagles supporters but Michael Chopra and Riccardo Scimeca burst the bubble to keep the league leaders clear at the top.

Peter Taylor started the match with the team that finished the match against Hull City a few weeks ago with Stuart Green making his first start for the club. There was also a return to the squad for Tom Soares after his recovery from an ankle injury, whilst Michael Hughes missed out with a knee problem.

Palace made a positive start to the match with Mark Kennedy firing over within the first 12 seconds but just over a minute later Cardiff took the lead. Steven Thompson received a loose ball in the area and he laid it off to Chopra who volleyed past Kiraly from the corner of the penalty area.

It was a disastrous start for the Eagles, especially as fans and players alike had been boosted by the news of Simon Jordan's purchase of the Selhurst Park freehold.

After the early setback Palace started to get into the game. Leon Cort headed straight at Cardiff goalkeeper Neil Alexander from a Kennedy corner in the 11^th minute and Shefki Kuqi tried a volley from fully 35 yards that unfortunately also went straight at Alexander.

In the 22^nd minute Jobi McAnuff came within inches of scoring against his former club with a low fizzing drive as Palace surged forward, but on the break the two Welsh wingers Joe Ledley and Paul Parry were finding acres of space.

In the 26^th minute Cort lost possession in defence and Scimeca was almost clean through but Kiraly came to the rescue to deny the midfielder. It was a warning for Palace and they were lucky that it was the former Aston Villa and Nottingham Forest defender through on goal rather than the inform Chopra.

The match was full of end to end action but there were not many clearcut opportunities although in the 34^th minute Kuqi turned his man outside the area only to screw his shot wide.

Palace got their deserved equaliser in the 39^th minute and it came from winger Stuart Green, making his first start for the club. McAnuff picked up the ball near the halfway line and threaded a beautiful through ball 40 yards along the ground to Green who took the ball round Alexander before rolling the ball into the empty net.

Gary Borrowdale and Matt Lawrence were finding plenty of space coming forward from the back and it was the former who burst forward late in the first-half only to see his ball into the box missed everybody.

Palace were forced into a change at half-time as Lawrence was replaced by Mark Hudson.There was an early scare for Palace in the second-half as Parry's low ball into the area went behind the lurking Chopra.

The Eagles hit straight back though and McAnuff forced Alexander into a low save to his right after a burst into the box, but a minute later Kiraly had to tip Thompson's header acrobatically over the bar.

Cardiff captain Darren Purse had a shot deflected for a corner by Borrowdale as the Bluebirds started to threaten but it was Palace who were keeping possession and controlling the game. James Scowcroft forced Alexander into save from a left foot volley on the turn in the 65^th minute and a few minutes later Kennedy's low cross into the box was well cleared by Purse.

Taylor made a substitution in the 67^th minute bringing on Dougie Freedman for McAnuff and the Scot started to find some space in between the Cardiff midfield and defence. But it was Cardiff who scored a second in the 82^nd minute.

Chopra found some space 25 yards out and his right-foot shot rebounded off the post, but Scimeca was on hand to slam home the rebound. It was tough luck on Palace who looked the stronger side in the second-half.

However, try as they might the Eagles couldn't find the second equaliser their performance merited.

Palace: Kiraly; Lawrence (Hudson h-t), Ward, Cort, Borrowdale; Green (Soares 83), Watson, Kennedy (c), McAnuff (Freedman 67); Scowcroft, Kuqi.
Subs not used: Speroni, Morrison.
Goals: Green (39).

Cardiff: Alexander; Gilbert, Purse (c), Loovens, Chambers; Ledley (Kamara 70), Scimeca, McPhail, Parry; Thompson (Campbell 80), Chopra.
Subs: Johnson, Glombard, Flood.
Booked: Chopra.
Goals: Chopra (2), Scimeca (82).