CRYSTAL Palace left-back Dean Moxey is looking to force his way back into the team for the rest of the season after making his first start in nearly four months in Saturday’s 0-0 draw against Hull City.

The 25-year-old had been out for three months after picking up a knee injury in November’s sensational victory over Manchester United, but now he’s back and looking to put his spell on the sidelines behind him.

“It’s great to be back,” said Moxey.

“I’ve had the last three games on the bench coming on for the odd twenty minutes to get a bit of match fitness under my belt so it was good to start today.

“It was a tough game and they are a decent team who have just come off of a good win against Cardiff but we played quite well and could have won it in the end.

“I was definitely tiring towards the end which is why the manager pulled me off but I’m looking to get fully fit now and be in the team until the end of the season.”

Moxey was deployed in an unfamiliar attacking role in the absence of Wilfried Zaha and Darren Ambrose, which he admits wasn’t ideal but both necessary and beneficial.

He explained: “Being a left back and playing left wing isn’t ideal with Wilfried suspended, Darren ill and Sean Scannell just coming back to fitness.

“But it’s nice to have two left footers on the left wing sometimes and Johnny overlapping all day long made it a bit easier for me.

“Sometimes positionally I was switching off at times but I’ve played there for other teams and it is just good to be out on the pitch and getting first team football again.”

Long-term lay offs can be a difficult time for players but the pain of his long lay off was eased by the constant presence of Jonathan Williams who also returned to action on Saturday after four months out with a broken leg.

The former Derby man said: “It’s always hard to be injured and watching the boys training so it was nice to have someone injured with me, in a way.

“It is that much harder on your own so it was nice to have Jonny Williams around.”

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