IF revenge is best served cold, then Trevor Francis will have been delighted that he only had to wait 18 months before three North End chefs served up just what he wanted.

Two second-half goals gave Crystal Palace an opening day victory over Preston at Deepdale, the first time Francis had returned since the play-off semi finals of 2001.

Both goals came after North End had been reduced to 10 men, and after North End had taken the lead despite being a man down.

As well as having to deal with their first league game following the three month summer break, Preston also struggled to come to terms with their new formation, which saw three centre-halves at the back, two wing-backs, three central midfielders and Richard Creswell partnering new boy Ricardo Fuller up front.

It wasn't through lack of effort that North End failed to sparkle, nor was it a case of being out of their depth against Palace. They didn't seem familiar with their surroundings, that's all.

After an opening minute attempt from Eric Skora, who forced Palace keeper Matt Clarke into a stunning save after blasting a shot from a Fuller run, North End did very little.

Apart from a Graham Alexander cross which Rob Edwards tamely headed at Clarke on 15 minutes, Preston's attack was restricted to long balls forward throughout the first half as the two frontmen painfully missed the crosses from the likes of Lee Cartwright and Iain Anderson, neither of who started, which have been the hallmark of Preston's success in the past.

In defence, Colin Murdock, Michael Jackson and Chris Lucketti struggled to get to grips with the new system at the back, and it was more through luck than anything that Tony Popovic's shot trickled wide on 30 minutes.

Cresswell's pace created a chance on 36 minutes after Alexander had sent the ball forward. Cresswell squared the ball at the byline to Fuller, but the chance was cleared by the Palace defence. The resulting corner led to Fuller being booked after he fouled inside the area.

The referee, incidentally, added to Preston's uphill struggle with his incomprehensible understanding of the off-side rule.

On the stroke of half-time, Palace debutant Andrew Johnson was stretchered off the pitch very slowly after colliding innocently with Jackson inside the Preston area. He is now being treated for a neck injury.

North End finally kicked into life when they were reduced to 10 men, which forced them to return to something resembling their traditional formation.

Skora picked up his second yellow card of the game after Dougie Freedman had beaten Preston's defence and had most of Preston's half to himself until Skora pulled him back.

Only quick thinking by Clarke prevented North End taking the lead on 51 minutes when McKenna fired a deadly shot at goal, set up by Fuller.

But North End did break the deadlock on 67 minutes when Fuller picked up a Cresswell flick-on and looped into the Palace goal.

Just a minute later, Palace were back in the game as Darren Powell took advantage of confusion in North End's back line when he re-routed Danny Granville's drive.

Preston refused to sit back, with Fuller and Cresswell launching a series of assaults on the Palace goal, with only the acrobatics of Clarke keeping

Preston from taking the lead.

Four minutes from time, Palace poached the winner when Steve Kabba found himself in space inside the area and smashed home into the top corner of Tepi's net.

PRESTON NORTH END 1

CRYSTAL PALACE 2