Crystal Palace Reserves 2, Norwich City Reserves 1: A sparse Selhurst Park was the setting for tonight's Barclays Premiership Reserve League, Southern Section visit to Crystal Palace.

Crystal Palace Reserves 2, Norwich City Reserves 1

A sparse Selhurst Park was the setting for tonight's Barclays Premiership Reserve League, Southern Section visit to Crystal Palace.

A sluggish and uneventful start was punctuated mainly by the sound of the referee's whistle.

But the game then exploded into life with two fine saves in as many minutes.

First Palace striker Jon Macken tested Joe Lewis with a stooping header which the keeper did well to tip over.

Then at, the other end, a rasping drive by Ryan - the elder of the two Jarvis brothers on duty and captain on the night - had Julian Speroni scrambling across his goal.

Suddenly the few fans had a game on in front of them, and as if to emphasise the point Danny Granville delivered a dipping free-kick which Lewis gathered despite an awkward bounce.

In the 40th minute Lewis was once more called into action from Macken's low drive.

Then just on the stroke of half-time Jarvis again tried his luck, only to be denied by Speroni.

The deadlock was broken in scruffy fashion eight minutes after the break, when Palace centre-half Mark Hudson headed home from close range following a defensive mix-up.

Three minutes later Hudson scored his and Palace's second of the night with a glancing header.

That seemed to be that until, in the 83rd minute, the visitors pulled a goal back through Jarvis senior, whose deflected free-kick left Speroni rooted to the spot.

Despite some late pressure, however, the Canaries were ultimately unable to salvage a draw.

t Crystal Palace Reserves: Speroni; Fray, Hudson, Kamara, Granville; Grabban, Starkey, Sesay (Straker 77), Reich (Wiggins 45); Macken (Sheringham 62), Andrews. Subs (not used): Wilkinson, Watanabe. Booked: Sesay. Scorers: Hudson (53, 56).

t Norwich City Reserves: Lewis; Bexfield, Spillane, Cave-Brown, Gusterson; Smart (Quaye 59), Fisk, Rossi Jarvis, Eagle; El-Ouargui (Martin 75), Ryan Jarvis. Subs (not used): Quaye, Arnold, Martin, Muddel, Eames. Scorer: Ryan Jarvis (83).

t Attendance: 115