A first half strike from Ben Watson and a Nick Carle effort in the second has given Palace their first three points of the season against a pretty, but ineffective Swansea side.

Swansea look a very good footballing side, stroking it around the pitch with ease and neat runs here and there made way for clever balls as they looked to unlock the Palace defence. However, when plan A failed there didn't seem to be much else.

Their first half performance gave Neil Warnock something to think about in the first 20 minutes of the half but his Palace side soon settled and dealt with the Swans quite comfortably.

But it was the visitors who should have taken an early lead when Jason Scotland, his only real bright spot in the game, was put through on the left and into a super goal scoring position. Opening his body up to shoot across Speroni, the former St Johnstone striker failed to get his angles right and hit it straight at the Eagles shot stopper.

On seven, Paul Ifill, making a return to first team duties, carved out Palace's first effort of the half when he took the ball on the left, burst into the box and smashed a right footed drive to the near top corner. De Vries, in the Swansea goal, was in a good position though to push the ball to safety.

On 22 minutes, John Oster pulled up with what looks like a thigh problem and was replaced by the newest young prodigy, Kieran Djilali. The winger was put straight into the action when he crossed brilliantly for Ifill who threw himself at the ball but couldn't keep his header down.

Ifill then had another excellent chance to open his account just four minutes later when he received the ball inside the box from a Jose Fonte knock down. With his back to goal the forward swivelled on a sixpence and aimed a shot at goal, however it was weak and straight down the throat of De Vries.

And then Palace did take the lead. James Scowcroft was accrimoniously fouled on the left hand side and seemed to pull his hamstring as he went to ground. From the resulting free-kick, Ben Watson stepped up and whipped in a right footed curling shot that ran straight across the box. Ifill had made a clever run that seemed to distract De Vries as the ball skipped past him and into the net.

Some late Palace pressure, helped by Swansea's willingness to give the ball away, saw Ifill come close with a snap sot and then Calvin Andrew with a downward header that De Vries collected comfortably.

Swansea, for all their huffing and puffing, did create a decent chance at the very end of the half when Scotland shot from just outside the box. However, with Palace players closing him down from all sides, he rushed his effort and struck it straight at Speroni.

Into the second half and, with Neil Warnock's half time advice still fresh in their minds, Palace started brightly and began to control the game. Watson, quite quiet in the first 45, began to work himself into the game and, on 51, he whipped in a carbon copy free kick from his goal in the first, which skipped agonisingly wide with both Fonte and Andrew throwing themselves at it.

Swansea had their first effort two minutes later when the impressive Darren Pratley was allowed to run right across the pitch and lay the ball off to Mark Gower. The winger then cut in and struck a right footed shot at the bottom near post but Speroni saved well.

On 56 Calvin Andrew, on for Scowcroft in the first half, broke free from Ashley Williams and honed in on goal. However, his effort was a mix of a toe-poke and outside of the foot, and neither worked as it flew wide of the near post.

The Swans carved out what eventually became a rare attack on goal and  they really should have scored. Jason Scotland broke down on the left and pulled the ball back to substitute Gorka Pintado. With the goal gaping, the striker hit it low and hard and Speroni, somehow, got down quick enough to save with his left arm.  Brilliant goalkeeping!

But from then on, it was pretty much all Palace. And, on 68, the lead was doubled.

Nick Carle received the ball 20 yards out  from goal and struck a low left footed shot across the keeper. The ball fizzed around and De Vries could not keep his eye on it as it bobbled over his outstretched arm and into the far corner.

The final stages of the game, without a doubt, belonged to Ben Watson as he set about dismantling Swansea's midfield with some terrific link up play.

On 71, a free kick 25 yards out was laid off by Shaun Derry to Watson whose rasping drive flew just over the cross bar.

Two minutes later and the midfielder was once again involved when he pulled back the ball from the base line for Paul Ifill. The winger was undetected by the Swans defence as he ran across the box and aimed a right footed drive at goal. However, he could not control his effort and the ball went high and wide.

Then, a brilliant piece of Palace play saw some excellent link up work between Carle, Derry and Watson, before the latter laid it off to Djilali whose effort was pushed over the bar by De Vries.

With Palace all over their midfield, Swansea abandoned their pretty football for a more direct game as they looked to direct long balls up to their target men. And it nearly worked. The ball was pumped up field and fell at the feet of Pratley who aimed a low drive that skipped off the surface. It looked destined for the bottom corner until Speroni got across his goal quickly to push it away.

The impressive Ifill, so deserved of a goal, was soon to come close again. Some great work down the left by Danny Butterfield was finished by a low ball into the box. Ifill took it in to his feet, turned and shot but the defenders closed him down quickly and forced the ball out for a corner.

The first home win of the season, the first three points of the season and the first goals of the season at Selhurst Park. All in all, a very pleasing performance from Neil Warnock's men and one that will set them up nicely for the difficult midweek test up at the Molineux Stadium.

Team Line-Ups.

Crystal Palace

1. Julian Speroni, 2. Matt Lawrence, 3. Clint Hill, 4. Shaun Derry (c), 6. Jose Fonte, 8. James Scowcroft (18. Calvin Andrew, 28), 10. Nick Carle, 20. Danny Butterfield, 23. Paul Ifill (14. Sean Scannell, 88), 24. Ben Watson, 26. John Oster (41. Kieran Djilali, 23)

Subs: 11. Victor Moses (not used)  22. Johannes Ertl  (not used)

Swansea

1. Dorus De Vries. 2. Ashley Williams, 3. Marcos Painter (21. Fede Bessone, 68), 6. Ferrie Bodde, 7. Leon Britton, 8. Darren Pratley, 9. Jason Scotland (12. Febian Brandy, 82), 11. Mark Gower (18. Gorka Pintado 61), 16. Garry Monk (c), 22. Angel Rangel, 28. Thomas Butler

Subs: 5. Alan Tate,(not used) 14. Jordi Gomez, (not used)