Nottingham Forest relieved some of the pressure on boss Colin Calderwood by winning away at Crystal Palace.
Calderwood's men off bottom after battling win in London
Nottingham Forest relieved some of the pressure on boss Colin Calderwood as they climbed off the bottom of the Championship with a 2-1 victory at Crystal Palace.
It was only the Midlanders' second win of the campaign and saw them rise above Doncaster.
Palace substitute Shefki Kuqi had equalised Chris Cohen's first-half opener for Forest, but the visitors were not to be denied and bagged the points when Matt Thornhill took advantage of confusion in the home penalty box to scramble home with nine minutes remaining.
Forest made a flying start and laid siege to the Palace goal in the opening minutes.
Striker Robert Earnshaw forced home goalkeeper Julian Speroni to tip a fantastic effort over the bar in the second minute, after the Welshman did well to make space on the edge of the box.
Victor Moses fired Palace's first shot of game after 10 minutes when he ran on to Matthew Lawrence's pass, but he blasted over the bar from an acute angle.
The visitors took a shock lead after 28 minutes when Joe Garner won them a free-kick after he was fouled by Moses.
Cohen curled the ball in from the right and it sailed into the top corner.
Earnshaw nearly doubled Forest's lead seven minutes before the break but mis-hit his shot when through on goal to give Speroni a comfortable stop.
With Neil Warnock's half time teamtalk ringing in their ears, Palace came out for the second half.
Kuqi was drafted into the action in place of Craig Beattie who struggled to impose himself on the contest.
The substitute quickly imposed himself on the game as Palace upped the pressure and stepped their search for an equaliser, but Forest got bodies behind the ball and defended with desire.
The substitute had the desire effect after 75 minutes when he beautifully chested down Danny Butterfield's knock on and hit a stunning half volley past Forest stopper Lee Camp.
Forest looked set to settle for a point as the home side went forward with a vengeance.
But the visitors stunned Selhurst Park again after 81 minutes when Speroni parried a shot - a goalmouth scramble ensued before substitute Matt Thornhill forced the ball over the line for Forest.
Palace stormed the visitors' box in the closing stages but Calderwood's men got worked hard and battled their way to the finish with all three points.
