STEVE COPPELL was left stunned as Town shattered Crystal Palace’s impressive start to the Second Division season.

The South London side had won two of their matches and drawn the other going into the showdown at Selhurst Park.

Mick Buxton’s team had played a game more but had two points fewer than Coppell’s charges, who were strongly fancied for promotion.

The formbook was turned upside down by a swing of centre-back Simon Webster’s boot 10 minutes from time in front of a 6,026 crowd.

Having conceded a free-kick just outside their penalty area, Palace appeared to be expecting a Dave Cowling chip.

Instead Webster, who had scored in Town’s only previous win, 4-3 at home to Millwall on the opening day, let fly.

His thunderous drive nestled in the corner of George Wood’s net, taking the gloss off the keeper’s 100th Palace game.

At half-time, there had seemed a decent chance that Wood and his teammates would be celebrating come the final whistle.

They hadn’t played particularly well, but had still come back into the dressing room 2-1 up.

While Town had taken a fifth-minute lead through David Cork, who pounced to flick the ball home when Wood could only parry Dale Tempest’s shot, Palace had levelled through Phil Barber after 20 minutes.

Six minutes after that, Alan Irvine struck with a shot which took a deflection off Webster’s arm and deceived keeper Brian Cox.

“I was disappointed about the way we conceded the goals, because I had warned them about those two players,” said Buxton.

“They were soft ones from our point of view, and I was annoyed because I knew we should have been winning at that stage.

“Having said that, I knew that if we could equalise we were the more likely of the two sides to go on to win because we were the better one.”

The leveller duly arrived 10 minutes into the second half, when Tempest rose to head home Malcolm Brown’s cross.

Palace were rarely a threat thereafter, and both Paul Raynor and Cork had good chances before Webster made the breakthrough.

“We have played well this season and not got the result, but this time we did both and thoroughly deserved the three points,” said Buxton.

“We worked hard, created a good number of chances, and should really have buried Palace.

“Nobody who has watched us this season could complain about the entertainment we have dished up so far, and we’ll aim to carry on that way.”

Coppell, pictured, admitted: “We never got going and we were beaten by the better side.

“I was impressed with Huddersfield, and if they maintain this standard, they’ll be challenging at the top of the table this time.”