Crystal Palace 1 Coventry City 3

Palace's four-match winning streak was brought to an abrupt end last Tuesday night when Coventry City smashed and grabbed all three points.

A bad-tempered physical battle saw Palace lose 3-1 and left Eagles' boss Trevor Francis facing a defensive crisis in the coming weeks, with Tony Popovic and Kit Symons picking up groin strains and Danny Granville a three-match ban.

Coventry have the worst disciplinary record in the division and so it was no surprise when Granville and Jay Bothroyd were sent off for violent conduct just before half-time.

Granville went for kicking Bothroyd in retaliation to a series of slaps and punches by the striker, who's notorious bad temper cost him his job at Arsenal, when as a youth player he threw down his shirt.

After just seven minutes Clinton Morrison had prodded home Granville's centre only for the trigger-happy linesman to raise a dubious flag in front of the Arthur Waite stand.

Five minutes later Bothroyd opened the scoring with a spectacular 30-yard volley from the right of the box. He controlled a long punt on his chest and his shot gave Alex Kolinko no chance.

The goal gave the injury-depleted Midlanders a much needed boost and they looked dangerous in attack from then on.

In the 34th minute Symons left the field for treatment to his groin and Coventry went two up. Another dubious decision against Hayden Mullins gave Lee Carsley a free kick 25 yards out. He squared it to Marcus Hall who rifled through Kolinko's out-stretched hand.

In the second half Freedman gave the Eagles hope when he latched onto Mullins' through ball to finish off the far post and when Simon Rodger's 30-yard drive hit a post Palace looked poised to snatch a point.

But Coventry's Gary McSheffrey killed the game after 70 minutes, volleying home a long Hedman punt.