Crystal Palace boss Alan Pardew was pleased with Dwight Gayle’s performance during the 1-0 win against Watford on Sunday, despite the striker wasting two huge opportunities.

The 24-year-old was awarded a place in Pardew’s starting eleven after bagging a hat-trick in the Capital One Cup thrashing of rivals Charlton at Selhurt Park.

And the former Peterborough star, who completed a move to south London in July 2013, proved to be a constant thorn in the Hornet’s side.

Despite striking the post from Bakary Sako’s superb cross with the score level, and firing narrowly wide from just five yards out, Pardew was pleased with Gayle’s overall performance.

“Perhaps Dwight should have scored but I was really pleased with his performance today,” he said.

“He’ll always score goals, it’s the other side of his game – how we can get him in the game, how we can release him away from home.

“I thought we had some answers today, I was really pleased with him.”

Pardew, 54, was also thoroughly impressed with his side’s effective performance against newly-promoted Watford, who succumbed to their first home defeat of the season.

“You could argue we should score more goals but we have Marouane Chamakh and Connor Wickham injured – they’re two major players.

“From a manager’s perspective it was a great day for me and my team.

“I was really pleased, it wasn’t our greatest performance but a really good, professional performance and as the manager of the team that makes me happy.

“The guys did a great job.”

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