WATFORD continued with operation 'take no prisoners' at Selhurst Park and while it may not have been pretty, it was job done for the Hornets.
The victory spelt the fifth win in a row for Aidy Boothroyd's men, proving that they can roll their sleeves up and get down and dirty when the occasion calls for it.
Tommy Smith's first half strike was joined in the second half by Marlon King's fifth goal in five games as Watford regained their six point gap at the top of the table.
For Richard Lee at the back, it was his third clean sheet in a row while Mart Poom recovers from his back injury.
Boothroyd saw no reason to meddle with a winning side, and having been nominated for October's Manager of the month award, he clearly knows what he's doing.
The on fire strike partnership of Henderson and King continued up front and with Adam Johnson helping to score the goals from midfield, it was certainly a Hornets line up with goals in them.
Neil Warnock decided to call upon several youngsters including 15 year old John Bostock who earned a place on the bench.
Marlon King was the first to approach the Palace box, but with his shot deflecting off of the last man, the first ten minutes passed by without much pressure from either side.
Up the other end of the park, Ben Watson attempted to play in Dougie Freedman, but his ball across the face of goal had too much zip on it and flew across the goal with no one challenging.
With 20 minutes gone there was little to write about, but King did pop up to get the travelling Hornets on their feet when his shot from the edge of the box had to be deflected to safety and bounced just wide of the upright.
Tommy Smith then completed one of his typical by-line runs to cross for Gavin Mahon at the far post, but still Watford couldn't find the target.
Adam Johnson continued to be the shining light on the left flank with his quick feet and sharp mind. Weaving his marker this way and that they simply couldn't contend with him.
You could sense that the goal was coming and on 32 minutes, Tommy Smith stepped up with the goods. Doyley fed Mahon on the far post and the skipper headed down to King. The marksman took it to the by-line, chipped it back into the centre of goal, but all the Palace defender could do was head it down into the path of Smith and he was never going to make any mistake from close range, having the task of stabbing it over the line.
Watford continued to press before the break, but never really asserted themselves with much quality in front of goal. You could sense that there was more to come from Watford and they were still only in second gear.
With a bit of luck, the break would serve a purpose for Watford who would be able to regroup and come out in the second half with a lot more venom in their attack.
It was Palace however who came out the brighter when Mark Hudson saw his header well held by Richard Lee five minutes into the second half.
Lloyd Doyley attempted to break his duck at the other end, but to say his shot was wayward would be an understatement.
John Joe O'Toole looked more and more dangerous as the game went on, coming close to scoring his first of the club on a couple of occasions. But Watford were having to defend in numbers at times as Palace sense if they weren't to attack now, the game would soon slip away from them.
But Watford seemed to sense the danger and changed gear in order to extend the lead.
Doyley intercepted the ball to prevent the Palace attack, set Johnson free down the channel and his quick feet soon bedazzled the entire Palace back line. Finding King free on the edge of the box, the striker scored his fifth goal in five games when he unleashed his shot across the keeper and into the far corner of the net.
Immediately thereafter, Boothroyd took the chance to mix thing up, introducing McAnuff, Priskin and Ellington at the expense of Smith, Henderson and King.
Palace were doing their best to narrow Watford's lead and Lee had to be alert to punch away Franck Songo'o's effort when the Eagles had looked at their most deadly. A spell of possession had seen the debutant well placed, but Lee flew off his line and punched to safety.
Five minutes of injury time were played out in as lacklustre fashion as the rest of the game. But three points is three points after all. Job done.
CRYSTAL PALACE (4-4-2): Speroni; Lawrence, Hudson, Fonte, Hills; Songo'o, Watson (Bostock 71), Fletcher (c), Hughes (Morrison 71); Freedman (Idrizaj 65), Scowcroft. Subs: Swaibu, Martin
WATFORD (4-4-2): Lee; Doyley, Shittu, DeMerit, Stewart; Johnson, Mahon (c), O'Toole, Smith (McAnuff 67); King (Ellington 74), Henderson (Priskin 74). Subs: Loach (gk), Mariappa.
BOOKINGS: CRYSTAL PALACE; Lawrence (unsporting behavior 30). WATFORD; DeMerit (unsporting behavior 49).
SENDINGS OFF: CRYSTAL PALACE none. WATFORD; none.
GOALS: CRYSTAL PALACE; none. WATFORD; Smith 32, King 66.
REFEREE: K Stroud
ATTENDANCE: 13,986 (763 Watford supporters).
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