Palace keeper Julian Speroni has a hand in victory

JULIAN SPERONI will be praying Diego Maradona gets hold of Championship highlights in Buenos Aires this week.

Crystal Palace's Argentinian stopper put on the Superman routine at QPR last Tuesday - and he showed it was no flash in the pan at Selhurst Park yesterday.

Eyebrows were raised when Eagles boss Neil Warnock declared his stopper the best in the country midweek. But on present form, the 30-year-old could have put the spoilers on some of the Premiership goal-fests seen this season.

Speroni drew roars from the home supporters when he produced a brilliant, one-handed save from Leroy Lita's close-range strike.

Then, he foiled Marcus Bent with his lightning-quick reflexes on the striker's first start for Middlesbrough.

After topping up on spinach, bananas or whatever superheroes eat these days at the break, he was at it again.

An incredible four-on-one situation must have made the keeper think his luck was out - but failing to be distracted by the army chasing him down, he palmed away Lita's selfish attempt to steal the glory.

And Speroni saved the best until last when he sent back Jonathan Franks' point-blank shot with more force than the sub put into his original strike.

The crowd were on their feet but Warnock, used to such feats by now, played the performance down.

He smiled: "That was just an average day for him.

"Players put their bodies on the line and the goalie pulled off great saves. It's great to be a Palace fan."

At the start, Speroni's opposite number Brad Jones went close to being labelled the worst keeper in the country when he was nearly beaten by Darren Ambrose's hit-and-hope free kick from 35 yards.

Gordon Strachan's side struggled to get to grips - and it is now zero points from two games for his 10th-placed club.

Eagles' trio of Neil Danns, Ambrose and Freddie Sears cut Boro to shreds at times.

And when Danns flicked Alan Lee's cross to Ambrose on 65 minutes, there was no doubt he would finish in style.

A shed load of misplaced passes and playground finishing sparked both managers into a competition to see who could scream at their players the loudest.

Warnock also won that battle - by adding hand gestures to his rollickings.

Strachan moaned: "This result was nothing to do with luck. We had enough chances to do something. Our problems are obvious, scoring goals."

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