Inspired Mills makes instant impact

Coventry City 2 Crystal Palace

Lee Mills joined his seventh club yesterday morning, met his new team-mates less than four hours before kick-off and promptly inspired Coventry City to a deserved victory at Highfield Road last night. The 31-year-old striker, signed on loan from Portsmouth to help Coventry's injury crisis, scored once and made the other goal as his team ended a run of three successive defeats in emphatic fashion.

Mills, who has also played for Wolves, Derby, Port Vale, Bradford City and Manchester City, was impressive from the start and was a perfect foil for Lee Hughes. His height and strength always troubled Crystal Palace's defence and, just as Coventry started to look frustrated at their failure to capitalise on their possession, his touch in front of goal proved crucial.

After 62 minutes Mills cleverly headed back David Thompson's cross at the far post and Laurent Delorge was on hand to bundle the ball home. Five minutes later Mills rattled the crossbar with a thumping volley and after 79 minutes crowned a remarkable display when he drove into the corner of the net with a sweetly struck shot from the edge of the penalty area.

No wonder Mills left the field to a standing ovation and a chant of "sign him up'' when he was substituted three minutes from time. "You couldn't have a better debut than that,'' Roland Nilsson, Coventry's manager, said after the game. "He was brilliant for us.'' Nilsson added that he had recruited Mills with a view to a permanent move but had not agreed a fee.

Coventry's flowing football belied their recent form. Thompson, returning from suspension, drove his side forward from midfield and Hughes did everything but score as he tormented Palace with his trickery on the ball. Coventry's winning margin would have been bigger, however, had he passed to better-placed colleagues rather than go it alone on several occasions.

Palace, who have now lost three away games in eight days, were on the back foot for long periods but had their chances. Aki Riihilahti might have scored twice early in the second half, while Dougie Freedman and Clinton Morrison, who have scored 25 goals between them this season, both shot straight at Magnus Hedman from close range as Palace pressed for an equaliser.

Steve Kember, Palace's caretaker-manager, was not displeased with his team's performance but refused to be drawn on the managerial situation at Selhurst Park. With Steve Bruce on "gardening leave'' after attempting to resign and join Birmingham City, Palace clearly need to resolve their current impasse.

Trevor Francis, the former Birmingham manager, is expected to be appointed and the announcement could be made as early as today. With a home game against the leaders, Burnley, followed by matches against Manchester City and, ironically, Birmingham, he faces a tough baptism.

Coventry City (4-4-2): Hedman; Edworthy, Konjic, Carsley, Hall (Antonelius, 75); Delorge, Safri, Chippo (Fowler, 87), Thompson; Mills (Joachim, 83), Hughes. Substitutes not used: Goram (gk), Quinn.

Crystal Palace (5-3-2): Clarke; Hopkin (Black, 80), Edwards, Austin, Mullins, Gray; Riihilahti, Rodger, Kirovski; Freedman, Morrison, (Kabba, 71). Substitutes not used: Kolinko (gk), Berhalter, Thomson.

Referee: P Walton (Northamptonshire).