Coca-Cola Divisions: Dowie vows to fight on

Iain Dowie is convinced Crystal Palace will not be left adrift at the bottom of the Barclays Premiership come May.

The newly-promoted side slumped to the foot of the table with a 1-0 defeat at Bolton and after only one win in nine games the future already looks bleak.

But Palace boss Dowie insisted: "We are a developing side and we're not battered and bruised. We'll be in it to the bitter end no matter what.

"We know there is a huge gulf in class between certain teams. But we will crack on and hang in there. This team will not go down through a lack of guts and effort.

"Bolton are an aspiring top-six side and they didn't carve us apart. The result was possibly a bit harsh on us.

"We had a golden opportunity in the second half to equalise when Danny Granville should have scored.

"It was very frustrating. I thought we were sloppy in key areas."

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He can fight all he likes but they are not getting out of the bottom three all season.