CRYSTAL Palace continued their recent upturn in form with a dominant 2-0 win over fellow strugglers Cardiff City to record a third win in four matches.

And on-loan striker Cameron Jerome, who opened his account for the club with a sixth minute header, believes the secret to the Eagles’ change in fortunes has been down to be less in awe of the opposition.

Jerome explained: “I think we showed far too much respect to our opponents in the first seven or so games and you can't stand in awe of teams in this league because you will get blown away.

“Now though we’ve rolled our sleeves up and we aren’t showing respect to anyone.

“We are playing our own game and dictating it to the opposition.

“Cardiff were poor but I think that was just because we were the better side and we have to give ourselves some credit.”

He added: “We set the tempo and that is what you have got to do at home - you have to take your game to teams and the only way to survive in this division is to win your home games.

News Shopper: Cardiff keeper David Marshall is beaten by Jerome's effort

“We’ve put in some great performances in the last month and started picking up the results.

“Now we’re back in the hunt and things are getting interesting.

“It’s great to get a win, and from my personal perspective to get a goal, but we have got to keep steady because we are playing catch up at the moment and there is a long way to go.”

The Eagles have now won three out of their four games since the appointment of Tony Pulis and Jerome believes his former Stoke City boss has made an immediate impact at Selhurst Park.

“There has been a response ever since Keith took the reins and Tony’s carried on that momentum,” the striker said.

“Everybody is playing for him and we are really tight as a unit now.

“We’ve kept four clean sheets out of five, which is brilliant stuff.

“He's come in and stamped his authority.

“All of the other players know exactly what the manager expects of them and there have been no complaints.

News Shopper: Jerome is mobbed immediately afterwards

“Without working hard in life you don’t get anywhere, no matter what job you do.”

Next up for Jerome and his team-mates is a trip to Chelsea, who lost 3-2 to his parent club Stoke City on Saturday, and the 28-year-old insists they have nothing to fear ahead of their short trip across London to Stamford Bridge.

Jerome said: “Nobody expects us to get anything from Chelsea but we will go there and play our own game.

“If you get anything from it it’s a bonus but we won’t show them too much respect.

“The pressure is on them.”

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