January 17, 2001 12:22: Crystal Palace showed they have the finishing touches to their team in Sundays 3-0 win at play-off hopefuls Nottingham Forest.

While David Platts men paraded £3m new boy David Johnson, it was the Eagles strikers who sparkled at the City Ground.

Mikael Forssell showed his predatory finishing with two first half strikes. And former Forest striker Dougie Freedman came off the bench to grab the third to his obvious delight as he raced to the Palace supporters to celebrate.

Clinton Morrison may have attracted some of the headlines by throwing a tantrum when he was substituted, but he made the second goal and showed enough during his hour on the field to indicate that Sven Goran Eriksson should take a look at the precocious young striker.

Palace manager Alan Smith clearly didnt hold a grudge.

"There comes a stage when I have to rotate players and Clinton should understand my reasons, he said.

He loves to milk any situation, though, and be the centre of attention. Let's face it we are never going to take the Clinton out of Morrison, and I am not sure that we want to, said manager Alan Smith.

And since managers have tantrums then why shouldn't players be allowed to as well?

Forssell took his tally of goals to the season for 10 not bad for a player who only remained at Selhurst Park because the Football League said he couldnt end his loan spell from Chelsea early.

Smith said: He's only 19 and I think he didn't really feel he was a Palace player. I sat him down and told him that he was here until the end of the season and he's been smashing ever since.

While Palaces finishing was clinical, Forest followed Liverpools lead four days earlier by squandering chance after chance. Jermaine Jenas set the tone in the first minute by hitting the bar from two yards while Stern John had a disastrous afternoon in front of goal.

But Palace fans wont complain.