Peter Crouch has heaped praise on Crystal Palace’s ability to grind out results after their 1-0 win against Brighton & Hove Albion.
Jordan Ayew scored the only goal of the game at the Amex Stadium as Palace moved eight points clear of their arch-rivals, despite having fewer possession and fewer opportunities than the Seagulls.
But Crouch said he felt Palace’s victory was no accident with the way that the Eagles set up against the Seagulls.
And while he said Palace’s lack of goals has been an issue during the course of the season, he said their ability to grind out wins means fans should keep the fans happy.
Speaking on BT Sport, he said: “Watching the two sides, you would probably rather watch Brighton play. But Palace are grinding out results, and they are not that far off fifth now.
“They [Brighton] lacked ideas when Palace sat in.
“It’s no accident, they [Palace] have come here with a way to play in how they have been set up.
“Sometimes there is a bit of a snobbery about the way to play football. What do you want to do, play nice football and get relegated, or do you want to win football matches? And that’s what Palace have done.
“Palace fans have sometimes found it a tough watch, but they didn’t look too displeased with the win there. And they are now just five points off fifth place.”
