Crystal Palace manager Iain Dowie believes his side can still win automatic promotion to the Barclays Premiership after Clinton Morrison and Darren Ward shot down Derby.

The Eagles boss was delighted after watching his side claim a second win in two days and believes the result can fire their promotion charge.

First-half goals from Morrison and Ward were decisive at Selhurst Park as Palace went fifth with two games in hand in the Coca-Cola Championship table.

Morrison put the home side ahead on 29 minutes before a stunning Ward volley doubled their lead on 40 minutes.

But with second-placed Sheffield United 18 points clear of the Eagles, Dowie believes consistency will be the key to cutting the Blades' advantage.

He said: "We have got to believe we are capable of getting clean sheets and climbing this league.

"If the lads have this attitude, we will be a difficult force to stop.

"At times we haven't worked hard enough in games but we have started to get a bit more grit and solidity about us.

"I have always said we are an emerging team and over the past few weeks we have improved as a unit.

"It was nice to get a result without a great performance.

"I think we should have had two penalties but they weren't given and maybe refs are thinking differently when Andy Johnson is involved.

"A lot has been said about him but I can tell you he is a fantastic pro and I have never seen him dive.

"I wouldn't pretend that we were fantastic but we could have beaten Derby by five goals at least.

"Now it is up to us to put our own winning streak together and I am optimistic we can chase down Sheffield United."

Despite a positive first half, Derby fell apart after a defensive clanger from Michael Johnson, which saw them crash to their first defeat in seven games.

But boss Phil Brown was delighted with his side's efforts and insists he can not wait to sign a new striker to blast his side up the Championship table.

He said: "A mistake in a set-piece cost us the game and that's very sad.

"To lose that way is very hard to digest and there are some very disappointed players in the changing room.

"We controlled the game but didn't take our chances and that was the difference between the two teams.

"Their quality of final ball was better than ours. I think Lee Camp was fouled for the first goal and he told me so after the game; sometimes you get these decisions and sometimes you don't.

"Palace are a top six side and have a great chance of going up. It was just a shame to lose our unbeaten run like that.

"We worked so hard and the 20,000 fans who weren't at the game will see the result and think we were beaten easily.

"But that wasn't the case and to see the travelling support clap off our lads at the end says it all.

"Now it is so important to get a new striker in when the transfer window opens, we may need two.

"And the sooner something happens the better - it will be interesting to see what effect that has on us."