RICK WAGHORN Crystal Palace 4, Norwich City 1: The Canaries' hopes of gate crashing this season's play-offs were effectively extinguished at Selhurst Park this afternoon as the Canaries were thumped 4-1 by a rampant Palace side.

RICK WAGHORN

Norwich City's hopes of gate crashing this season's play-offs were effectively extinguished at Selhurst Park this afternoon as the Canaries were thumped 4-1 by a rampant Palace side.

Though England hopeful Andrew Johnson was in rip-roaring form as Eagles' youngster Ben Watson was pulling every strength in a one-sided midfield contest, today's scoreline was as much down to Norwich's many failings as it was to Palace's clear strength.

Certainly Norwich never defended with any degree of belief or resolution particularly once Johnson had embarrassed Zesh Rehman in the seventh minute and sent the Eagles confidence soaring.

The sight of Youssef Safri hobbling out before the interval merely compounded City's problems and what was always going to be a tricky week with that public meeting at St Andrew's Hall looming became distinctly more difficult as the goals continued to flow either side of the break.

In short today's efforts effectively ended City's interest in the top six.

Now they must concentrate wholly on a top 10 finish in the hope of persuading the supporters that a brighter dawn looms next season after all the miseries of this wretched campaign.