Clarke, having bravely blocked one Cresswell shot, unnecessarily pulled down the Preston striker as he attempted to follow up and Alexander converted the penalty.Palace’s performance was an improvement on their midweek defeat at Gillingham, but the lack of defensive cover – Tony Popovic has been with Australia and Jamie Smith is recovering after an operation – is beginning to tell. Black was regularly exposed at wing-back and Christian Edwards, on loan from Nottingham Forest, has failed to shore up a creaking defence.Having a manager would help. While Simon Jordan, the Palace chairman, has been admirably resolute in his determination to stop Steve Bruce breaking his contract and leaving for Birmingham, his team need the leadership that only a permanent manager can bring. The sooner Palace are able to address the weaknesses in their squad the sooner they can get their promotion campaign back on track.Goals: Freedman (15) 0-1; Cresswell (51) 1-1; Alexander pen (80) 2-1.Preston (4-4-2): Lucas; Alexander, Murdock, Lucketti, Edwards; Cartwright, Gregan, Rankine, McKenna; Cresswell, Healy (Basham, 89). Substitutes not used: Lonergan (gk), Eaton, Keane, Anderson.Crystal Palace (5-3-2): Clarke; Black, Edwards, Austin, Mullins, Gray; Riihilahti, Kirovski, Rodger; Freedman, Morrison. Substitutes not used: Kolinko (gk), Berhalter, Harrison, Kabba, Thomson.Referee: P Rejer (Leamington Spa).Bookings: Crystal Palace: Gray, ClarkeMan of the match: Gregan.Attendance: 15, 264..

Birmingham City’s managerial vacancy remains in limbo but, having been urged not to lose sight of their promotion goal, their players responded by winning for the first time in six matches yesterday, condemning Coventry City to a third consecutive defeat in a First Division season that has still to reveal any clear favourites to go up. “We told the players they have a hell of a chance this season and that they mustn’t throw it away.” The message seemed to have hit home at a rainswept St Andrew’s, where Marcelo’s two headed goals enabled Birmingham to arrest a slide that had seen them slip from fifth place to 13th in the space of one month.Both goals were created by Geoff Horsfield, who picked out his team-mate with two precise crosses at the same stage of each half. He found the Brazilian striker unmarked after 17 minutes, delivering the ball right-footed after cutting back inside from the left flank, and measured his centre to perfection again after 62 minutes, crossing left-footed from the same side of the field as Marcelo peeled off to the far post.The margin might have been more emphatic still had Steve Vickers, making his first home start on loan from Middlesbrough, not headed wide in the opening minute.Vickers, whom Birmingham’s managerial target, Steve Bruce, wanted to sign for Crystal Palace, had his Middlesbrough club-mate, Curtis Fleming, to thank for denying Coventry their best opportunity to respond, midway through the first half.Vickers lost his footing on the wet surface, allowing Lee Hughes a run at goal. Coventry’s £5m striker then left Darren Purse on his backside but though his shot beat goalkeeper Ian Bennett it failed to get past Fleming – also on loan at St Andrew’s – whose knee deflected the ball over .Coventry, without suspended midfielder David Thompson, were never closer to a goal, even when Julian Joachim repalced Jay Bothroyd in the second half, when Horsfield might have placed his own name on the scoresheet with a shot dragged narrowly wide.Goals: Marcelo (17) 1-0; Marcelo (62) 2-0.Birmingham City (4-4-2): Bennett; Fleming, Purse (Luntala, 87), Vickers, Burrows; Eaden, O’Connor, Woodhouse, Grainger; Horsfield, Marcelo.

Substitutes not used: Vaesen (gk), Hyde, A Johnson, Mooney.Coventry City (4-4-2): Hedman; Edworthy, Konjic, Breen, Hall; Delorge (Fowler, 70), Safri, Carsley, Chippo; Hughes, Bothroyd (Joachim, h-t). Substitutes not used: Antonelius, Goram (gk), Davenport.Referee: C Foy (St Helens).Bookings: Birmingham: O’Connor, Grainger, Burrows, Horsfield. Coventry: Breen.Man of the match: Horsfield.Attendance: 18,279.. Watford produced a committed performance to record a valuable home win after successive disappointments away. “They have done a lot better lately and didn’t really do themselves justice in this game.Watford, with only two points from their last three games, carved some great chances in a hard-working first-half display.Micah Hyde should have given them the lead as early as seven minutes into the game as he climbed unchallenged to meet Tommy Smith’s cross but headed against the woodwork.