Giorgi Kinkladze proved his worth to Derby by grabbing the winner in a drab contest against Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park.

Derby had planned to offload the 29-year-old Georgian this summer to slash their wage bill following their relegation from the Premiership.

But they were unable to get rid of him and he rewarded the club for keeping him with an 82nd-minute strike.

The midfielder met Lee Morris' cross with a sweet 12-yard strike to take the three points back to Pride Park.

Dougie Freedman, Palace's two-goal hero in Saturday's 4-2 success against Wolves, lost his scoring touch in the fourth minute when he skied the Eagles' best chance of the night.

The striker lifted Danny Butterfield's cross over the top when it seemed easier to hit the back of the net.

That was as good as it got for the Londoners as what began as an exciting match turned into a damp squib with precious few moments of excitement.

Golden chance

Derby duo Fabrizio Ravanelli and Rob Lee both missed the match with Achilles problems.

For Palace, 17-year-old Wayne Routledge made his second start after being excused from England Under-19 action in Hungary.

But Eagles boss Trevor Francis was without the injured Shaun Derry, Matt Clarke, Ade Akinbiyi, Kit Symons, Jamie Smith, Julian Gray, Dean Austin and Aki Riihilahti.

Palace's Andrew Johnson drew a comfortable save from Mart Poom with a deflected drive after just 15 seconds before Freedman fluffed his golden chance.

The visitors' first effort on goal came when Adam Bolder's scuffed shot bobbled harmlessly wide in the 24th minute.

County's Paul Boertien and Bolder both drew routine saves from Palace keeper Alex Kolinko as half-time neared.

The game only livened up in the 61st minute when Derby substitute Lewis Hunt - on for head injury victim Brian O'Neil - scythed down Granville to earn the third yellow card dished out by referee Phil Dowd.

Palace's diminutive teenager Routledge made the occasional lively burst down the right flank before being withdrawn late on for Dele Adebola.

With 20 minutes to go Derby striker Malcolm Christie raced clear on the right and theatrically threw himself to the ground after the slightest touch by Granville.

The Palace defender was booked - and Kolinko sparked worried gasps among the home crowd when he fumbled Boertien's free-kick before gathering at the second attempt.

Five minutes later Kinkladze wasted Derby's best chance by refusing to shoot early but he made amends with eight minutes to go.

Lee Morris pulled the ball back from the left wing and Kinkladze swept a 12-yard shot past Kolinko and into the far corner for a tidy goal.

With virtually the last kick of the match Poom held on to Tommy Black's stinging drive to keep victory intact.

Crystal Palace: Kolinko, Fleming, Popovic, Powell, Granville, Thomson, Butterfield, Mullins, Routledge, Freedman, Johnson. Subs: Black, Rubins, Frampton, Cronin, Adebola.

Derby: Poom, Barton, Higginbotham, Riggott, Boertien, Morris, O'Neil, Murray, Bolder, Kinkladze, Christie. Subs: Strupar, Grant, Evatt, Hunt, Twigg.

Referee: P Dowd (Staffordshire).