Pulis praise for Ledley

Cardiff 0 Crystal Palace 3

Ledley, a January transfer deadline day signing from Celtic, scored Palace’s second goal in a 3-0 victory over his former club Cardiff.

The 27-year-old, who was born in Cardiff and made more than 200 appearances for them before heading to Glasgow, played an instrumental role as Palace moved seven points clear of relegation trouble.

Ledley also set up the first of Jason Puncheon’s two goals at Cardiff City Stadium, and Palace boss Pulis said: “I thought Ledley was fantastic.

“He has brought a little bit of class, he has got a fantastic attitude, his work-rate suits what I want as a manager and his ability is absolutely first-class. It was great passing. The first pass he passed it through the eye of a needle for ’Punch’ to get hold of it.”

Palace were bottom of the league and red-hot relegation favourites when Welshman Pulis arrived at the club last November, but he has masterminded their climb to 14th place in odds-defying fashion.”

Cardiff, meanwhile, look set for a quick-fire return to the Championship, having dropped to 19th place, six points adrift of safety with just five games left.

Three of those fixtures are away from home against Southampton, Sunderland and Newcastle, with Stoke and Chelsea their remaining Cardiff City Stadium visitors.

“If you produce a miracle – that sometimes happens in football – you are still capable of getting out of this and staying in the Premier League,” Cardiff manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer said.

“I am full of fight. It has been a tough season for everyone. In the second-half it showed a little bit that it has taken its toll.

“There was a lack of belief a little bit towards the end. We ran out of ideas.

“Players are desperate to perform.

“I have seen them all week, and you are so disappointed for them and the fans that we produced a performance like we did. They are professional footballers, and they have got to realise they have still got something to fight for.

“If you do produce a miracle against Southampton, suddenly you might be back in with a chance.”

CARDIFF: Marshall, Theophile-Catherine, Caulker, Turner, Taylor, Zaha (Noone 62), Medel, Mutch, Daehli (Bellamy 72), Jones (Cowie 78), Campbell.

CRYSTAL PALACE: Speroni, Mariappa, Dann, Delaney, Ward, Puncheon, Dikgacoi, Jedinak, Bolasie (Chamakh 64), Ledley (Parr 79), Jerome (Murray 83).

Referee: Phil Dowd (Staffordshire).