Crystal Palace extended their unbeaten run to six games with a 2-1 victory over Doncaster.
Palace battle to 2-1 win over Doncaster
Crystal Palace extended their unbeaten run to six games with a 2-1 victory over Doncaster.
Alan Lee scored the winning goal just a minute from time as he made only his fourth appearance for the Eagles.
Doncaster had fought bravely after Matthew Mills was sent off in the first half for giving away the penalty from which Shefki Kuqi cancelled out Paul Heffernan's surprise opener.
Rovers, who have not won on the road since the opening day at Derby, gave their hosts an early warning when the unmarked Heffernan put a header wide.
Palace almost went ahead in the 10th minute when Kuqi met John Oster's corner with a firm header which forced a superb save from Neil Sullivan.
And within five minutes the hosts found themselves behind when Heffernan, again without a Palace defender in sight, nodded Martin Woods' quickly-taken free-kick past Julian Speroni.
But the game turned in the 20th minute when Kuqi, chasing a clever through-ball from Oster, was brought down in the area by on-loan Manchester City defender Mills.
Referee Andy Hall pointed to the spot and showed Mills a red card before Kuqi hammered home his third goal in as many games.
Fine save
Kuqi was to play no further part, however, after limping off with what appeared to be a hamstring injury to be replaced by the ring-rusty Lee, who has himself been sidelined for more than two months.
Sullivan kept Rovers on level terms with a fine save from Paul Ifill before, at the other end, Stuart Elliott almost capitalised on a defensive mix-up from Palace only to hook his effort wide.
Ifill did have the ball in the net as half-time approached, but the goal was ruled out for a push in the build-up.
After the break, Ifill headed Nick Carle's corner wide and Lee sent an ambitious long-range the wrong side of Sullivan's post.
Palace suffered another blow in the 65th minute when centre-half Paddy McCarthy had to be stretchered off with a nasty-looking neck injury.
Sullivan then saved from Carle with his feet and Lee fluffed a header in the area as Palace toiled in front of goal.
Ifill attempted to chip the badly-positioned Sullivan but his effort went wide before Lee struck a dramatic winner, tucking away the winger's cross from close range for his first goal in Palace colours.
