Ipswich Town 1 Crystal Palace 2: Taylor spreads wings to sustain soaring ambition

The Crystal Palace manager, Peter Taylor, said he has no qualms about carrying the expectations of his outspoken chairman, Simon Jordan.

Second-half goals from Jobi McAnuff and Jamie Scowcroft at Portman Road outweighed Nicky Forster's opener for an Ipswich side who looked like causing an upset. Taylor will need to dip into the transfer market further, despite fielding the debutants Carl Fletcher, Mark Kennedy, Leon Cort and Scowcroft. A striker is a priority, following Andy Johnson's departure to Everton.

Buoyed by a winning start to his second Palace career, the former Eagles winger is confident of leading the club back to the Premiership.

"He [Jordan] wants promotion," Taylor said, "but if I'd put millions into a football club I'd want promotion as well. I'm confident our relationship will be very good. We're not a promotion team yet. We've got a good team and a good squad but we need to improve it. The chairman is first-class and has said we'll have a look at it and we'll strengthen."

Taylor was delighted with his new signings. "Carl Fletcher and Mark Kennedy haven't had a full pre-season," he said. "Carl was preparing to start in the Premiership with West Ham in two weeks, but both of them kept going great. Carl looks a good type. I've always been impressed with him, he's a good passer and he's a leader. And I'm pleased for James. He has a great affection for this club but he got the goal and he led the line very well."

Taylor also praised McAnuff, the winger who reportedly sought a move to the Premiership over the summer, saying: "It was an excellent goal - Jobi is a top-class professional and a top-class talent."

Jim Magilton fielded two new men, the former Birmingham midfielder Alex Bruce and the former Leeds full-back Dan Harding.

"We passed and moved like an Ipswich team I want to manage," Magilton said. "Nicky Forster picked up from where he left off last season and we were in control - but we had a crazy few minutes which lost us the game. But I'm delighted with the team. On any other day we would have got something from that game."

The match was overshadowed by the news that the former Ipswich and England manager Sir Bobby Robson was taken to hospital during the first half. The 73-year-old was presented to the crowd before kick-off, having been named honorary club president.

Dr Gerry Rayman, Ipswich Hospital's clinical director for medicine, said yesterday afternoon: "I am very pleased to say that he [Robson] is feeling very well. He had a good night's sleep and a good breakfast. He will be going home once we have completed our investigations."

Goals: Forster (30) 1-0; McAnuff (58) 1-1; Scowcroft (61) 1-2.

Ipswich Town (4-4-2): Supple; Wilnis, De Vos, Naylor, Harding; Peters (Haynes, 82), Williams (Richards, 59), Bruce, Currie; Bowditch (Lee, 68), Forster. Substitutes not used: Price (gk), Clarke.

Crystal Palace (4-4-2): Kiraly; Butterfield, Hudson, Cort, Granville; McAnuff, Fletcher, Soares, Kennedy (Watson, 82); Morrison (Freedman, h-t), Scowcroft. Substitutes not used: Flinders (gk), Macken, Borrowdale.

Referee: K Wright (Cambridgeshire).

Booked: Ipswich Bruce, Harding; Crystal Palace Scowcroft, Butterfield.

Man of the match: Scowcroft.

Attendance: 25,413.