Manchester United picked up their first away win of 2014 on Saturday with a 2-0 victory over Crystal Palace.

The champions made the breakthrough on 62 minutes when Robin van Persie converted from the penalty spot following a foul on Patrice Evra.

United then made sure of the points with 20 minutes left on the clock as Wayne Rooney lashed home a spectacular volley.

Here, Sports Mole takes a closer look at the action between the two teams at Selhurst Park.

Match statistics

Palace
Shots: 15
On target: 6
Possession: 34%
Corners: 6
Fouls: 12

Man Utd
Shots: 14
On target: 5
Possession: 66%
Corners: 4
Fouls: 10

Was the result fair?

Palace did their best to make a contest out of it, but there can be no complaints over United getting the win. They dominated large spells of the match and were ultimately rewarded with two goals.

Palace's performance

The hosts can take a lot of pride from their display as they fought hard throughout the 90 minutes. They did well to soak up a lot of pressure from the opposition, but they also showed some promise in attack with some quick counters that had United worried. There are still one or two areas that manager Tony Pulis needs to sort out to make sure that the team stay away from the relegation zone, although they should be okay come the end of the season if they put in more performances like this.

Man Utd's performance

It looked like a familiar story for the champions in the first half as they controlled the match but looked toothless up front. United carved Palace open numerous times during the opening 45 minutes, only to fail time and again when it came to that killer pass. That all changed in the second half as the opening goal calmed them down and allowed them to dictate the game with a more purposeful approach. With a number of players now back from injury, you would expect David Moyes's side to start climbing the table.

Sports Mole's man of the match

Michael Carrick: United's metronome. Carrick did his usual job in midfield, breaking up play for the opposition and setting his team away at the other end of the pitch. Wayne Rooney may have been in the headlines this week for signing a lucrative new contract, but Carrick is just as important for the Red Devils.

Biggest gaffe

With the game goalless, Marouane Fellaini had the chance to endear himself to the Manchester United fans when the ball fell to him inside the Palace box. However, the Belgian shanked his effort high and wide of the goal when it looked easier to score.

Referee performance

Michael Oliver kept his cards in his pocket for most of the match, allowing both sides to play with little hindrance. There were one or two tasty confrontations over the course of the game, but the official acted swiftly and decisively when he needed to.

What next?

Palace: The Eagles are back in Premier League action next Sunday when they travel to Swansea City.

Man Utd: The Red Devils resume their Champions League duties on Tuesday with a trip to Olympiacos for the first leg of their last-16 clash.