Rejuvenated Black works wonders for Francis

Crystal Palace 2 Preston North End

Just one month ago, Tommy Black must have wondered where his career was going. Having spent the best part of a season and a half warming the Crystal Palace bench, the 23-year-old midfield player's frustration spilled over when he ripped off his shirt in disgust at being substituted after making a rare appearance in the starting line-up.

Little more than five weeks later, Black is the toast of Selhurst Park after a memorable December which has brought him seven goals from seven starts. With the Palace injury list at times into double figures, Black has been pushed into a more attacking role and has responded with a series of sparkling displays, adding a sharp and effective edge to the ball skills which had never been in doubt. His two strikes on Saturday – a poacher's header at the far post from Julian Gray's cross and a well struck free kick – have taken Palace to the brink of the First Division play-off positions.

Not that Trevor Francis, the manager, now considers Black the finished article, having substituted him during the battling Boxing Day draw at Portsmouth because of what he considered a lack of effort.

"I will accept when things don't happen for Tommy when he's got the ball, but he's got to work hard when he doesn't have it," Francis said. "I wanted a reaction from him and he was back today making the headlines and rightly so. He worked so hard to close down the opposition."

Palace were good value for a win which took their December yield to 13 points from a possible 15. Dele Adebola – despite two glaring second-half misses here – is leading the attack with renewed confidence, while the defence has conceded only four goals in Palace's last eight League games. Tony Popovic and Kit Symons were outstanding against a Preston North End team who rarely threatened.

"Black was the difference today and Palace deserved to win," Craig Brown, the Preston manager, said. "They were first to every ball. That's a cause for concern."

Brown's plans have been disrupted by the knee ligament injury which will rule out his key summer signing, Ricardo Fuller, until the end of the season and the former Scotland manager expects to be busy in the transfer market next month.

"We need to look seriously at supplementing the squad," Brown added. "I'm looking at more than one player. We have been looking all season, but it's more necessary when you haven't scored a goal in three games."

Goals: Black (37) 1-0; Black (54) 2-0.

Crystal Palace (5-2-3): Kolinko; Butterfield, Powell (Riihilahti, h-t), Symons, Popovic, Granville; Derry, Mullins; Black (Akinbiyi, 72), Adebola (Routledge, 72), Gray. Substitutes not used: Michopoulos (gk), Borrowdale.

Preston North End (4-4-2): Lucas; Alexander, Broomes, Lucketti, Murdock; Mears, Skora (Lewis, 61), Etuhu (Abbott, 77), McKenna; Healy (Anderson, 86), Cresswell. Substitutes not used: Moilanen (gk), Rankine.

Referee: A Hall (West Midlands).

Bookings: Crystal Palace: Kolinko, Granville. Preston North End: Murdock, McKenna, Alexander.

Man of the match: Popovic.

Attendance: 18,484.