Zian Flemming keeps Ipswich on track with 3-2 win but Pierre Sage's Crystal Palace have to find answers soon, writes BOBBY MANZI

· DailyMail

Crystal Palace controlled the affair and were good value for their lead after 14 minutes when Anan Khalaili capped an incisive move with a delightfully drilled finish into the bottom corner.

Ipswich Town profited from Axel Disasi’s disastrous mistake to secure their second win of the season.

Crystal Palace controlled the affair and were good value for their lead after 14 minutes when Anan Khalaili capped an incisive move with a delightfully drilled finish into the bottom corner.

Against the run of play, though, Ipswich got back into the game when the Palace backline switched off, allowing Leif Davis to cross from the right with Emersonn on hand to guide a free-header past Walter Benitez.

The defence had completely stopped - Ipswich opened Palace up far too easily.

Palace continued to look comfortable after their blip in concentration until Disasi was late on Jack Clarke in the middle of the park, flying over the ball with his studs up and catching him on the shin.

Dismissing the centre-back was a simple decision for referee Chris Kavanagh, leaving Palace to defend for 55 minutes with 10 men.

Ipswich had been dull but the red card sparked them into life and it was Davis and Emersonn who combined again - this time in reverse order - to nudge Ipswich in front.

Emersonn’s miscued attempt fortuitously struck his shoulder and fell for Davis at the far post. The Palace defence had let a man roam free in the area yet again.

There was a retreat in the second half, though, as Ipswich looked to close the game out and that could have cost them. O’Neil must be wary of that and breed greater consistency into the performances, as they escaped without punishment but easily could have left frustrated.

They allowed Palace back into the game as Jorgen Strand Larsen shrugged off Issa Diop to get a shot away from just inside the area and drill it past Kjell Scherpen.

At that point, Palace appeared the team more likely to win the game - the impetus had swung in their favour despite being a man down.

Khalaili, who had scored his maiden Palace goal in the first half, should have wrapped up three points when he skied over the gaping net from just a few yards out.

Palace paid for the miss when the clock struck 90 minutes. Davis latched onto a cross from deep and headed goalbound. His attempt struck the crossbar but dropped kindly for substitute Zian Flemming, whose scuffed contact secured all three points.

‘It wasn’t perfect but we won,’ O’Neil said. ‘Palace had a couple of moments that we struggled with and we need to get better with that because we could easily have been punished in that small spell. But looking at the game as a whole, only one team deserved to win and thankfully we did.’

All things considered, it has been an impressive start from Gary O’Neil’s side. This was the first time Ipswich had come from behind to win in the Premier League since beating Tottenham Hotspur away in December 2001.

Yes, they have lost twice, but those defeats came against Liverpool and Manchester United.

Their defence is fragile but their attack is efficient. The reality is they have beaten two of the Premier League’s middling clubs and they are the outfits they must get results against if they have any chance of staying up. For now, they are heading in the right direction.

Palace, though, should be apprehensive considering their defence’s dismal start to the season.

Pierre Sage’s side have shipped 11 goals in their first four Premier League games, and the personnel inconsistency is not helping, with the starting back three changing in every game.

‘I’m aware we are conceding too many goals,’ said Sage. ‘We conceded the same goal three times: a cross in the box and not winning the ball in our box. We have to work on it and prevent crosses into the box.’

They did have 10 men for just under an hour on Saturday, but basic errors and lost concentration had been prevalent in the previous games, too.

For Ipswich’s first goal, the defence expected the linesman to raise his flag for offside and froze, gifting Ipswich a lifeline.

Pre-empting the whistle would be deemed criminal on a school playground, let alone in elite football. Most worryingly, Sage conceded that his players had made the same mistake in training this week.

There is no stability; Jaydee Canvot - one of Palace’s best talents - was dropped from the squad after one bad game. How can Sage expect his backline to gel if a young player is scapegoated for a poor performance?

Meanwhile, Palace have not kept a clean sheet in their last 10 Premier League matches - the problems precede Sage but he has shown little sign of finding the solution.

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