IAN Holloway was a very happy man after witnessing a 3-0 win for the Eagles his first Palace-Brighton derby match.
The 49-year-old didn't know too much about the rivalry beforehand and revealed that striker Glenn Murray was a doubt before the game on Saturday morning.
But the former Seagulls striker hit back with two goals to ensure Palace hit the 40-point barrier.
"I'm pleased as punch as I've experienced as wonderful thing in this local derby, and apparently it was a must-win game," said Holloway.
"Unless you work for Chelsea, you don't normally have those, do you? It was a fantastic day for me and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
"I thought the atmosphere the crowd created was superb, including the Brighton fans, and hopefully everyone went home happy.
"We spoke about getting it wide and interchanging and moving, but what we really needed was Glenn Murray with his header.
"He was ill in the morning before the game and wasn't going to play, but we managed to get him out there.
"It was a fantastic cross, he got his eyebrows on it, and before you know it, it's going to be a hard task for Brighton with ten men.
"The way we win the ball back and set those two widemen off the way that Glenn actually capitalises on, and the timing of what he does is really good because it's difficult to know when it's coming into the box."
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The 49-year-old didn't know too much about the rivalry beforehand and revealed that striker Glenn Murray was a doubt before the game on Saturday morning.
But the former Seagulls striker hit back with two goals to ensure Palace hit the 40-point barrier.
"I'm pleased as punch as I've experienced as wonderful thing in this local derby, and apparently it was a must-win game," said Holloway.
"Unless you work for Chelsea, you don't normally have those, do you? It was a fantastic day for me and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
"I thought the atmosphere the crowd created was superb, including the Brighton fans, and hopefully everyone went home happy.
"We spoke about getting it wide and interchanging and moving, but what we really needed was Glenn Murray with his header.
"He was ill in the morning before the game and wasn't going to play, but we managed to get him out there.
"It was a fantastic cross, he got his eyebrows on it, and before you know it, it's going to be a hard task for Brighton with ten men.
"The way we win the ball back and set those two widemen off the way that Glenn actually capitalises on, and the timing of what he does is really good because it's difficult to know when it's coming into the box."
The contents of this article must not be reproduced without the permission of the Croydon Advertiser.
Follow me on Twitter for the latest news, exclusives and live match updates @AdvertiserSport
If you're on Facebook, please 'Like' our page at www.facebook.com/AdvertiserSport
And now you can watch our exclusive away video clips on our YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/AdvertiserSport