Things looking up for Crystal Palace

Crystal Pailace 3, QPR 1:

“Mathematically of course we’re not safe but we’re in a great position and we would have snapped someone’s hand off to be in this position at this stage, whoever the manager was,” Pardew said.

“I said to the players when I arrived to look above because if you look below there is anxiety and pressure. You can’t play like that.

“You have to try to get above Newcastle, whoever is above us. We’re above Everton, that was a bit of a goal for us. Can we stay above them? There is plenty of motivations in our group to stay where we want to stay.”

Wilfried Zaha’s opener was followed by two strikes just before the break from James McArthur and Joel Ward. Matt Phillips’ 40-yard lateeffort was little consolation for Rangers.

“The only thing we can do is go back to the drawing board, there’s nothing else we can do,” said manager Chris Ramsey.

“I know there are Rangers fans out there whose weekend will have been spoilt by this result. They live, die and breath football every weekend, and that’s what hurts me the most.”

Crystal Palace: Speroni, Ward, Dann, Delaney, Kelly, Puncheon (Gayle 56), Ledley, McArthur, Zaha (Mariappa 57), Murray (Sanogo 80), Bolasie

Subs not used: Hangeland, Hennessey, Ameobi, Souaré

Queens Park RangersGreen, Furlong (Hill 45), Onuoha, Caulker, Yun Suk-young, Wright-Phillips (Grego-Cox 85), Henry, Sandro (Kranjcar 84), Phillips, Taarabt, Austin.

Subs not used: McCarthy, Hoilett, Vargas, Zamora.

Ref: Lee Mason