Travel sickness hit Crystal Palace again last Wednesday as they were soundly beaten at Highfield Road.

Goals from Laurent Delorge and Lee Mills sealed a fine victory for Roland Nilsson's men, making it three away defeats in a row for the Eagles.

Palace played a battling, bustling game to try and maintain parity with the Sky Blues, but once again couldn't convert their chances into goals, with Clinton Morrison's barren run away from home looking more and more ominous as the season progresses. The Ireland international seems less comfortable with Palace's more direct approach away from home, preferring the ball played into his feet with his back to goal rather than the long, overhead pass to chase.

But Coventry's striking pair of Mills and Hughes enjoyed that kind of ball all night, and thrived on some fine crossing too.

And it was from one such perfect delivery just after the hour that the home side took the lead, as David Thompson sent in a gem for Mills to head into the path of the advancing Delorge, who tapped in from five yards.

Palace fought back, with most of their best work coming down the left with Julian Gray, but Coventry had all the answers in defence. And when Mills blasted in a lovely volley with only minutes left, it was a fair reward for a team that had tormented the Eagles all night with great work from the harrying Hughes.

Matt Clarke kept the scoreline down with a string of excellent stops, but it was a night when the shortcomings in Palace's defence were exposed yet again, proving that without some shrewd investment at the back from their new boss the playoffs will become more and more distant.

Click here for kick-by-kick analysis of Coventry v Palace, Nov 28, 2001

December 3, 2001 16:00