Tom Soares provided the inspiration as Crystal Palace ended Leicester's six-match unbeaten run in the Coca Cola Championship.

The Eagles midfielder, reportedly coveted by a clutch of Premiership clubs, engineered goals for Carl Fletcher and Ben Watson.

England Under-21 international Soares has been linked most strongly with a move to Bolton - speculation which Eagles boss Peter Taylor furiously denied this week - and his performance against Leicester further enhanced his burgeoning reputation.

A season of inconsistency at Selhurst Park has left the Eagles staring at the dismal prospect of finishing well adrift of the play-off places, but this victory keeps alive their flickering hopes.

Palace's opener came in the 14th minute when Soares embarked on a strong run down the right flank and found Fletcher with a neat pass on the edge of the 18-yard box.

The former West Ham midfielder swivelled and buried a fine right-footed shot which flew past Paul Henderson and into the corner.

It was Fletcher's third goal of the season and just the start Palace needed as they sought to build on their recent rich run of form.

Four minutes later they should have doubled their advantage when Dougie Freedman collected possession and thrashed a left-footed shot narrowly wide of Henderson's left-hand post.

Leicester, whose season is effectively over, offered little.

All but safe from relegation yet with no realistic hope of reaching the play-offs, Rob Kelly's men failed to move out of second gear.

Palace continued to dominate and Fletcher turned provider seven minutes before the break when he crossed cleverly into the six-yard box, only for Clinton Morrison to slice a pitifully weak shot wide of the post.

Ten minutes after the break Palace came close again when a clumsy foul from Patrick Kisnorbo gave the Eagles a free-kick in a useful position down the right channel.

Watson swung the ball in and giant defender Leon Cort arrived to plant a firm header goalwards, but Morrison inadvertently blocked the effort as Leicester breathed a sigh of relief.

Moments later a wicked inswinging corner from Watson found Mark Hudson, whose header was expertly blocked by Kisnorbo.

Shortly after the hour mark, Leicester boss Kelly replaced the ineffective Geoff Horsfield with Elvis Hammond up front.

The move gave the visitors new-found attacking impetus but Palace hit back when James Scowcroft forced Henderson into a fine flying save with a close-range header.

In the 67th minute, Freedman drilled a shot over the bar when well placed as Palace struggled in vain to claim a killer second goal.

They were almost made to pay when Leicester defender Gareth McAuley met Stephen Hughes' corner at the far but sent his header just wide of the far post.

Foxes winger Mark Yeates then fired wide from 25 yards as Palace began to live on their nerves.

But after neat footwork from Soares forced a handball in the visiting ranks, Watson stepped up to seal the points from the spot.

Teams

Crystal Palace Kiraly, Lawrence, Hudson, Cort, Borrowdale,Soares, Fletcher, Watson, Scowcroft, Freedman (Hughes 73),Morrison (Grabban 78).

Subs Not Used: Speroni, Butterfield, Martin.

Booked: Borrowdale.

Goals: Fletcher 14, Watson 90 pen.

Leicester Henderson, Kisnorbo, McAuley, Stearman,Johansson (Kenton 90), Hughes, Johnson (Yeates 71), Jarrett,Porter, Hume, Horsfield (Hammond 63).

Subs Not Used: Logan, Tiatto.

Booked: Hume.

Att: 16,969

Ref: P Armstrong (Berkshire).