CRYSTAL Palace were completely outclassed by a Newcastle United side that threatened to run riot at times this afternoon.
Luckily, it was just the three goals conceded as Alan Pardew's men were an impressive outfit from the off at Selhurst Park.
However, for Palace, the performance and the result came as a surprise to many after a turn in form in recent weeks.
Dean Moxey returned to the starting line-up after injury, while Adrian Mariappa continued at right-back.
Injuries to Kagisho Dikgacoi and Stuart O'Keefe allowed Joel Ward to start in an unfamiliar role in the middle of the park alongside Mile Jedinak.
Barry Bannan had Palace's first effort of the afternoon when he curled a free-kick towards the top corner but Magpies stopper Tim Krul got across well to hold.
The visitors have quietly been climbing the table in recent weeks and their early play came down the right through Vurnon Anita and Mathieu Debuchy.
And the latter nearly carved out the opening goal, latching onto a ball down the right, bursting into the box and delivering low, but Danny Gabbidon cancelled it out.
From the corner, Debuchy rose to glance a header just past the far post to Julian Speroni's relief.
And then the Frenchman whipped in another dangerous delivery after getting beyond Dean Moxey.
Their early pressure and dominance paid off on 24 minutes when they took the lead, again with the play coming from the wide right.
Moussa Sissoko did brilliantly to control the ball before taking it past Marouane Chamakh and cut the ball back to Yohan Cabaye to send a first time shot past Speroni via a slight deflection off Damien Delaney.
Palace nearly equalised a minute later through Cameron Jerome, who swivelled on the ball inside the box after playing a one-two with Bannan, but Krul stuck out a leg to save.
From the resulting corner, the keeper came out and missed the ball, it was delivered back into the mix and cleared off the line by Mike Williamson.
However, Newcastle doubled their lead shortly before the break after yet another opening down the right. And the impressive Debuchy was at the heart of it.
The right-back delivered a dangerous ball in between defence and keeper, and Danny Gabbidon stuck out a leg to clear but it came off his studs and nestled into the bottom corner.
Selhurst was stunned into silence further, but you couldn't say Newcastle didn't deserve it after a very good first half.
Palace boss Tony Pulis changed things up at the break, taking off Moxey and Bannan, and replacing them with Jonanthan Parr and Yannick Bolasie.
It was the former's first competitive appearance since suffering ankle ligament damage at Ipswich Town in April.
Speroni did well to keep out a 30-yard free-kick in the swirling wind from Cabaye early in the second period, while it took until the 62nd-minute to muster a chance for the Eagles when Chamakh headed just wide from Adrian Mariappa's cross.
And then following a free-kick which Mile Jedinak headed across goal, Jerome volleyed narrowly over from ten yards out when he should have done better.
Dwight Gayle replaced the striker, but the Toon should have wrapped things up for certain when Cabaye controlled a difficult pass into him and found himself one-one-one with Speroni, only for the custodian to stick out a leg to save a low effort.
Then Yoan Gouffran struck the post with a curling strike from the edge of the box, before substitute Hatem Ben Arfa's goal-bound shot was block by Gabbidon.
The skilful Frenchman then danced his way into the box before drilling a shot across goal. And then he added his name to the scoresheet from the penalty spot after Parr tripped Ameobi.
It was no more than Alan Pardew's side deserved after playing the Eagles off the park for the majority of the contest.
A big performance is now required at Aston Villa on Boxing Day before the trip 48 hours later to Manchester City.
Palace: Speroni, Mariappa, Gabbidon, Delaney, Moxey (Parr 46), Ward, Jedinak, Bannan (Bolasie 46), Puncheon, Jerome (Gayle 77), Chamakh.
Subs Not Used: Price, Campana, Williams, Phillips.
By Croydon Advertiser Sports Reporter Mark Ritson
