MARVIN Emnes hit the winner as ten-man Middlesbrough held on to beat Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park – a result which took Tony Mowbray’s side top of the Championship.

Boro had to hold on after losing Joe Bennett to a second yellow card ten minutes after Emnes had put the Teessiders in front on 65 minutes.

 

Little had happened prior to Boro taking the lead with neither side creating any clear-cut chances in the opening hour of play.

 

The hosts did almost take the lead a minute before half-time when Sean Scannell’s shot deflected off two Boro defenders towards goal, but Carl Ikeme did well to collect.

 

Justin Hoyte forced a fingertip save from Julian Speroni from his deep right-wing cross with the visitors beginning to take control of the game.

 

The breakthrough did finally come and it was in form Emnes who finished well from the back post after Palace defender Paddy McCarthy had cleared Barry Robson’s left-wing cross into the striker’s path.

 

Boro had the lead but Palace introduced Wilfried Zaha, who immediately began to cause problems for the visitors.

 

It was the winger’s tricky feet that led to Boro going a man down when he got the better of Bennett out on the right.

 

The Boro left-back had been booked earlier for another foul, and referee Gary Sutton was quick to pull out a second yellow for the youngster when he brought Zaha down, leaving Mowbray’s men to defend a slim lead a man down.

 

Dougie Freedman’s side looked to get the ball to Zaha at every opportunity and he almost created a leveller when he cut inside and rolled to ball to Scannell, but the striker’s shot went over.

 

Boro were under pressure in the dying moments as Palace looked to equalise, but they had a great chance to close the game out when Emnes broke free. The striker tried to round Speroni but he was pegged back with his eventual shot going inches wide.