Crystal Palace 1 Blackburn Rovers 2 - Peter White's big match verdict

STEPHANE Henchoz has an ominous message for Premiership strikers - he's going to get even better.

The defender is set to add to his rapidly-expanding collection of international caps this week after yet another cool, composed performance at the heart of a Blackburn Rovers rearguard which came through a second half examination with flying colours.

Not even the loss of Colin Hendry, after a bone-jarring collision and eight-minute stoppage, could unsettle Henchoz, who displays the sort of precision you would expect from a native of Switzerland.

He continued to reign supreme, linking up with substitute Ian Pearce, and ensuring normal service was resumed as soon as possible against a Crystal Palace side who resorted to long balls for the speedy and strong Bruce Dyer to chase.

Against such a quality defence that was too blunt an instrument to deny Rovers their reward.

For, at the moment, they are on a roll - a Swiss roll, if you like!

With the news about Hendry turning out to be brighter by the minute, Henchoz could afford a smile as he promised: "I will get better, because I will get a lot fitter.

"For four months I did nothing, nothing at all after my operation. Then I came here and trained for the first time. The more I train, the fitter and better I will get." That will be music to the ears of Rovers fans who have already been impressed by the composure, use of the ball and outstanding technique of this young man.

Henning Berg was a hero but Henchoz has stepped into his boots so sure-footedly that the Norwegian simply hasn't been missed.

And the new man has age on his side.

But it wasn't just Henchoz and his two partners who took the eye, Rovers' full backs performed well again, especially Jeff Kenna who Palace tried to pressure in the second half but to no avail.

In midfield, Garry Flitcroft overshadowed Attilio Lombardo and Lars Bohinen looked particularly good in the first half.

Up front, Martin Dahlin might have had a goal to celebrate his first start in the Premiership and set up another which was disallowed for offside.

But it mattered not because goalscorers Chris Sutton and Kevin Gallacher have the Midas touch at the moment.

Everything they strike turns to goals.

It says much about Rovers that they lost two important players in Billy McKinlay and Jason Wilcox before the game, saw Hendry carried off, yet were able to reshape, adapt and still look a class above Palace in most respects. Selhurst boss Steve Coppell had almost an air of resignation about him afterwards, as if what he feared might happen just had.

He said: "Credit to Blackburn, I have watched a couple of videos of their games. They look very solid, they have individuals who can create things and we tried to stop Ripley, because of the effect he's had in recent matches.

"But then you look at other players and they've got the quality too.

"Gallacher's on fire, Sutton's scoring goals. There is an awful lot of firepower in their team."

If Rovers, as they should have done, had scored the third goal some of their play merited, you sense the home side might have fallen apart.

Instead, they let in Dyer at a bad time and that gave the game a closeness it didn't really warrant.

When the opposition are pumping balls forward into the box for such a speed merchant, there's always a chance something might happen.

Funnily enough, Coppell was complaining afterwards about the grass on the pitch being too long and that it had made the ball 'die' too often. Yet, for me, that contributed significantly to the Palace goal - holding up another long ball that Hendry was hoping to shepherd back to Tim Flowers. But, by then, Rovers had the cushion of a two-goal lead.

They had contained Palace, with Paul Warhurst not showing much penetration, to a couple of scares from corners and looked quite businesslike going forward.

Dahlin should have done better with an early chance but Sutton struck brilliantly in the 23rd minute.

A ball from Ripley down the right was misjudged by Marc Edworthy who completely mistimed his header on the corner of the penalty area. Sutton swooped and, full of confidence, smacked a low right-footer into the far corner.

Eight minutes later, Palace were in disarray from a lovely Rovers move. The ball was played to Dahlin near the centre spot, he laid off an instant pass to Bohinen who released it into the path of Gallacher in the inside left position.

The keeper did well to come out and block but the ricochet favoured Gallacher who calmly steered the loose ball home.

Real drama came at the start of the second half with Dyer squeezing past Hendry to get to the ball just before Flowers in the 51st minute to head over the keeper. Three minutes later, Hendry was caught in that collision and there was real concern about him at the time.

The stoppage disrupted Rovers' rhythm but Sutton thought he had scored a third in the 77th minute after Dahlin's great run had set up Gallacher. The Scot's shot was superbly saved and the flag surprisingly went up as Sutton netted the rebound.

Everyone worked hard to deny Palace's long-ball threat, with the result that the home side scarcely created anything clear-cut.

In fact, shortly before we started the 10 and a half minutes of stoppage time, it was Rovers who almost scored again.

Sutton came desperately close after being found by Dahlin.

With Rovers wearing their new tangerine shirts for the first time.

The future is definitely orange!

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