Popovic's ill fortune tough on Palace

Middlesbrough 2 - Crystal Palace 1

On the only other occasion both these sides were in the Premiership, Crystal Palace recorded a League double over Middlesbrough. That was 12 years ago, but the London club were still relegated, just as they were in the two other seasons they have spent in the Premiership to date.

Yesterday, they lost a game of three set-pieces despite leading briefly through Andy Johnson's penalty. Tony Popovic's own goal then Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink's late free-kick saw to that, but Palace showed enough in the way of pragmatic organisation and doggedness to suggest their fourth attempt to compete at this level might not end the same way as the previous three, as most outside Selhurst Park seem to expect.

Boro climbed to fourth with this labouring victory, but even their manager, Steve McClaren, had to admit improvement was a prerequisite if they were to maintain their lofty position.

"It's always important to get the first goal and we didn't. That always makes it difficult," said McClaren.

"But we're pleased with the start. We can get much better than that because the football didn't flow for us today and credit to Palace for making it hard for us."

It took Boro half an hour to fashion their first chance, Mark Viduka turning inside the box before firing narrowly over. Then Hasselbaink's ferocious left-foot drive was only parried by Julian Speroni, who recovered well to turn Chris Riggott's follow-up beyond the post, and the Palace keeper was called upon again before half- time as he failed to gather cleanly Stuart Parnaby's shot.

But at the other end both Johnson and Michael Hughes found shooting opportunities inside the area, and it was the visitors who took the lead just before the hour. Wayne Routledge's through-ball found Johnson, and the striker drew a sliding challenge from Riggott. The foul was beyond question and Johnson got up to convert the penalty for his second goal of the season.

Boro might have begun to panic had they not been presented with an equaliser within moments. Stewart Downing, a substitute, curled a left-footed free-kick across the face of goal and Popovic, the Palace captain, could only turn it into his own net.

With 10 minutes to go, George Boateng won a free- kick 25 yards out that Hasselbaink expertly dispatched into the top corner. It was more than Boro deserved, and left Palace with a single point from their opening four games. "We can't keep being hard done by," said Iain Dowie, Palace's manager.

"We're pleased with the first hour, but one needless free-kick conceded has changed the game, and then we were up against it. It's a cruel game at this level."