nPower Championship: Crystal Palace 4 - Watford 0

TWO goals from Chris Martin help Crystal Palace to their first league win of 2012 as they blew away Watford in spectacular style at Selhurst Park.

Winger Wilfried Zaha and Kagisho Dikgacoi were also on the target for the hosts, who recorded their most emphatic win of the season to keep their slim hopes of making the Championship play-offs alive.

Eagles boss Freedman selected an unchanged side for the third straight game, sticking with the starting XI that had picked up a pair of draws on the road against Middlesbrough and Bristol City in midweek.

However, unlike on Tuesday the Eagles did not let their lead slip this time and picked up the three points that keeps them within touching distance of the top half.

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In a sluggish opening Palace and Watford traded half chances before, with 22 minutes on the clock, the home side took the lead after Jermaine Easter had found himself in some space down the right. The striker whipped in a low cross that just evaded Martin but reached Zaha at the back post. The winger's fist shot was saved by Scott Loach but Zaha kept his head to smash the rebound home.

Watford were offering hardly anything going forward but they almost equalised when Craig Forsyth's long range effort almost found a way past Julian Speroni after bounced awkwardly in-front of the Argentinian shot-stopper.

It was an important moment as within two minutes the Eagles had doubled their advantage. Darren Ambrose was tripped by Forsyth on the right touchline. The midfielder picked himself up and floated the free-kick into the Watford area which was not dealt with by the visitors' defence and Martin was on hand to pick his spot and nod the ball home.

It was almost three when Ambrose and Martin combined well on the right flank but Easter was unable to get on the end of the latter's teasing cross and the away side managed to hack the ball clear.

The home side did not have to wait too long to extend their lead still further though, as Martin grabbed his second of the afternoon as he got on the end of Ambrose's free-kick after it was flicked on by Easter at the near post.

It was 4-0 on the hour as Dikgacoi squeezed Ambrose's corner home at the near post. The final touch might have come off the defender but the South African will want to claim it as his third goal in Palace colours.

Substitute Sean Scannell almost made an instant impact when he charged down Loach's clearance, although fortunately for the Hornet's keeper the ball flew wide of his post.

Watford came within inches of pulling one back with just over 10 minutes to go when Paddy McCarthy headed inches wide of his own goal, but otherwise the home team held firm and saw out the remaining minutes without any real drama.

Crystal Palace: Speroni; Clyne, McCarthy, Gardner, Parr; Dikgacoi, Jedinak (Garvan 84); Zaha (Scannell 72), Martin (Murray 71), Ambrose; Easter

Unused subs: Price, McShane.

Watford: Loach, Hodson, Eustace, Mariappa, Iwelumo, Forsyth (Yeates 73), Doyley, Kacaniklic, Garner (Massey 46), Hogg, Nosworthy.

Unused subs: Dickinson, Buaben, Bond.

Referee: C Pawson

Attendance: 13,324