Crystal Palace took a giant step towards securing their Championship status with a hard-fought 1-0 win over play-off chasing Leeds United at Selhurst Park yesterday.

Palace took the lead in just the second minute, Neil Dann’s deflected strike from the edge of the area sending Kasper Schmeichel the wrong way in the Leeds goal.

Stunned by this early setback, Simon Grayson’s men tried to hit back but found themselves thwarted by a Palace team content to sit deep, break up play and hit the ball long.

When Leeds did threaten it was from free-kicks and corners delivered by Robert Snodgrass as from open play the Yorkshiremen were reduced to shooting from distance.

Palace should have killed the game off on the stroke of half time only for Kagisho Dikgacoi to shoot straight at Schmeichel following good work from Nathaniel Clyne down the right.   Inevitably, Leeds piled on the pressure after the break and chances were at a premium for Dougie Freedman’s men.

Substitute Davide Somma had the best opportunity to drag the visitors back into the game but his shot was easily saved by Julian Speroni in the 75th minute.

The Argentine shot stopper was again saving from Somma in the 84th minute as the Palace team struggled to get out of their own half.

Danns was sent off in stoppage time for a second bookable offence after clattering Snodgrass but Palace held on for a crucial win to leave themselves six points clear of the relegation places with only two games left to play and with a better goal difference than the teams below them.