Crystal Palace manager Iain Dowie hailed his side's resilience as goals from Jobi McAnuff and Andrew Johnson saw his side's promotion charge gather momentum with a 2-0 victory over Leicester.

The Eagles bagged their fourth successive league victory after ripping into a despondent Foxes side in the second half, leaving Leicester with a mere two points from a possible 21.

Despite a tame penalty miss from Johnson after 75 minutes McAnuff spared his team-mate's blushes three minutes later before the England striker netted in stoppage time.

And after Palace cemented their place in the play-off zone, a delighted Dowie said: "I think there is a belief in the dressing room that we can keep clean sheets and grind results out.

"If you get a clean sheet you can win the game and we are always confident of scoring.

"There is an expectation around the place at the moment and when it was 0-0, we all felt quite edgy.

"But even when we missed the penalty, I knew if we kept going, we would get the goal.

"It is a testimony to the lads' fitness that we finished so strong."

And looking ahead to the transfer window, Dowie added: "I have brought the wrong characters into the club on occasions, people who haven't been able to adjust to the character of our dressing room.

"So it is important at this stage that we get the right people in if we are to continue in this vein of form."

The home team took command from the off in the second half.

But after 75 minutes they suffered a huge shock when Johnson's penalty was expertly saved by Leicester's Rab Douglas.

Jobi McAnuff's drive was handled by Leicester defender Patrick McCarthy but a superb stop by Douglas down to his right denied Johnson.

However, McAnuff then spared Johnson's embarrassment three minutes later.

Substitute Dougie Freedman found himself in yards of space on the right-hand side of the box and he squared for McAnuff to smash home.

Johnson, who ran hard throughout the 90 minutes, then saw his perseverance pay off in stoppage time when he dashed onto a Michael Leigertwood through-ball to net a second for Palace.

After watching his side torn down in the second half Leicester boss Craig Levein said: "Not many teams will come here and get a win this season.

"But I thought that after Rab Douglas' penalty save the boys would get a lift but we lost a goal quickly and it proved to be the sucker punch."