Danns delight for Palace

Danns: On target

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Neil Danns fired home a stoppage time winner as financially-stricken Crystal Palace triumphed away to 10-man Scunthorpe.

Neil Warnock's men continue to leave their off-field problems behind despite the club slipping into administration last month.

Darren Ambrose opened the scoring for the visitors before Scunthorpe were reduced to 10 men as Marcus Williams was given his marking orders.

Up to that point, the hosts had dominated proceedings and wasted a succession of first-half chances, with Cliff Byrne and Grant McCann guilty of wasting the best chances.

Scunthorpe got the goal their play had deserved when David Mirfin headed home a corner in the 84th minute, only for Danns to have the last say.

The result ends Scunthorpe's four-game unbeaten run, while Palace's win sees them looking up in the table after moving further clear of the relegation zone.

Scunthorpe were quick into the ascendancy and created several chances in the opening 10 minutes.

Donal McDermott scuffed his effort from a good position in the area, Garry Thompson had a low shot well saved and then a minute later McCann squandered the best opportunity when he scooped over from eight yards out.

The Iron's domination continued as the first half progressed and they should have taken the lead but Byrne inexplicably placed his shot wide of the post with the goal gaping.

Sucker-punch

The second half began in much the same fashion, with Scunthorpe in charge, and McDermott put an effort just wide from 20 yards as the hosts searched for a goal their dominance had deserved.

And just after the hour mark, they were hit with a sucker-punch as Palace took a lead with their first meaningful attack of the half.

Ambrose forced a corner when his curling effort was tipped over by Joe Murphy. And after Ambrose took the set-piece quickly, he advanced into the area and drilled into the bottom corner.

Scunthorpe's hopes of getting back into the game were dealt a blow 10 minutes later when Williams hauled down Kieran Djilali 25 yards from goal and referee Paul Tierney deemed it to be a goalscoring opportunity and gave the left-back his marching orders.

Djilali continued to cause trouble and could have extended Palace's lead but he shot wide from Alan Lee's cross before forcing Murphy into a stretching save.

But with six minutes remaining, Scunthorpe found a way back into the game and levelled.

Scunthorpe won a corner on the left and Michael O'Connor whipped in an inviting ball to the near post and centre-back Mirfin glanced in past Julian Speroni.

But Palace were not to be denied and Danns had the final say when he broke clear and fired past Murphy.