Eagles' boss Trevor Francis was beaming with joy after his side's third win in a week as Crystal Palace defeated Rotherham 2-0 at Selhurst Park on Saturday.

Clinton Morrison broke the deadlock in the second half with his 17th goal of the season and Jamie Smith added a match-clinching second 11 minutes from the end.

Smith came on for the second half, along with Julian Gray, to add more width and Francis's tactical move evidently paid off.

Francis said: "It's been a good week for us. It was a tough first half as you'd expect against a team like Rotherham. I think that the problem was we couldn't get enough of the ball to our front players because their back four were playing deep.

"The more I looked at it, I thought I'd have to do something, so we changed to a 4-4-2 formation to try and pull the full-backs out a bit and create a bit more space for Freedman and Morrison. I think that was the key really."

Midfielder Hayden Mullins had a good game and had a hand in both of the goals.

Francis added: "He made Morrison's goal and he almost made a second for for him with a very clever pass. The two of them are very good players and link up well together.

"I've been very impressed with his performances since I've been here and Mullins in the side on merit at the moment."

It was a lacklustre match played on a boggy pitch as Rotherham were content to sit back and defend in numbers.

Francis added: "I thought our players were very disciplined and did what they were told to do and it was very pleasing to keep another clean sheet, which makes it two this week. As a team, we are becoming difficult to beat and we are competing physically with the Gillinghams and Rotherhams of this world.

"We have taken nine points from nine and you can't ask for anything more than that, and we've moved back into the play-off zone.

"Players like Popovic, Mullins and Freedman returning to full fitness, as well as the arrival of Granville, Symons and Fleming, has allowed me to really utilise the bench, which is something I've done in the past three matches. In the early days when I came here, we did not have that option."

Francis revealed on-loan striker Trevor Benjamin will be going back to Leicester City. Francis said: "Trevor is returning to Leicester because Dave Bassett phoned me up requesting that he goes back.

"Brian Deane pulled a calf muscle in training and they need Trevor in the squad."

Eagles' next match is Coventry at home next Tuesday, kick off 8pm.

January 22, 2002 13:00