Scunthorpe 1 Palace 2
The result would have put Palace in the play-off positions, had they not gone into administration.
David Mirfin looked like he had denied Palace a win when he equalised on 84 minutes at Glanford Park.
The hosts had enjoyed the majority of the play before Palace took the lead on 63 minutes.
Top scorer Darren Ambrose put Palace ahead with his 12th league goal of the season.
The midfielder struck a lovely right-foot shot across goal when the hosts failed to clear a corner.
Nine minutes later Marcus Williams was sent off for a professional foul on substitute Kieran Djilali.
As play opened up in Palace’s favour, the visitors looked likely to hold on, until on 84 minutes David Mirfin glanced home a header from Scunthorpe’s 12th corner of the game.
Palace reached half-time level at Glanford Park, despite being under pressure for most of the first half.
Palace, seeking to build on one defeat in nine games and a 3-1 FA Cup triumph over Wolves, started with the same side that defeated the Premiership side on Tuesday.
Alan Lee, still with the head bandage to cover the war wounds after receiving a gash to the head against Wolves, was again partnered by makeshift forward Danny Butterfield, with striker Stern John, returned from Ipswich, on the bench.
Scunthorpe had two early chances, Garry Thompson striking low past Clint Hill with Julian Speroni making a low save, then Grant McCann scooping the ball over inside the box from a deep Cliff Byrne cross.
Then they should have scored in the aftermath of a corner on 14 minutes. The ball fell to Byrne who, with his back to goal, turned and slid the ball wide from eight yards.
From a third Iron’ corner a few minutes later, Rob Jones felt he was impeded in the box, but referee Paul Tierney ignored his claims.
After Lee, bandaged after suffering a gash in the head against Wolves, headed harmlessly into the side netting, Matt Lawrence did well to track playmaker Gary Hooper and block his intended cross, at the expense of another corner.
Palace were under the most pressure, Nick Carle conceding a free-kick jumping at Sam Togwell 25 yards out, but McCann put the ball well over Speroni’s goal.
Hill then had Palace’s first effort on target, heading straight at Joe Murphy from eight yards as the half-hour approached. Murphy had to be alert to take the ball at the feet of Danns as Palace broke up the pressure.
Butterfield’s lunging tackle on 35 minutes on the half-way line sparked outrage, not least from victim Paul Hayes who was quick to grab the defender-turned-attacked round the neck.
That sparked a mass convergence with the pair eventually booked, along with an infuriated Shaun Derry, his sixth of the season, who had to be dragged away from the melee.
Scunthorpe earned nine corners in the first half, but for all the pressure Palace defended well, with Claude Davis often clearing the danger and Lawrence heading behind on 40 minutes.
Just before half-time Palace found their feet, Danns crossing from the left, but top scorer Ambrose could not reach the ball at the far post.
Palace remained under the cosh at the start of the second half, with Hooper putting in a tasty cross from the right, but it ran behind Hayes.
Lawrence made an excellent tackle to stop the marauding Hooper and Butterfield could be spotted in familiar territory – defending the right-back position. Even Lee headed a corner clear.
Lawrence was unlucky to be booked for a foul on Hooper with the assistant referee flagging for offside, which the referee ignored.
McDermott shot from distance forcing Speroni into a diving save, then Ambrose’s shot across goal was put out for a corner.
When Scunthorpe failed to clear Ambrose found himself on the left hand side of the penalty area and struck with his right foot past Murphy to give the Eagles the lead.
Scunthorpe fans thought they had scored when Hooper struck the high part of the side netting from Thompson’s cross.
Iron left-back Williams was then sent off for a professional foul when Djilali went forward and the defender went across the young Palace player on 72 minutes.
The visitors had already begun to open up the game and chances emerged. Djilali shanked a promising cross into the crowd, fellow substitute Calvin Andrew’s shot came off Mirfin for a corner and Andrew struck a firm shot at Murphy.
Even the scoreboard and countdown clock gave up as Iron boss Nigel Adkins sent on Brendan Moloney for McDermott, but his team didn’t, with Derry clearing a promising move and Speroni leaping to grab the ball as it hung in the six-yard box.
Then on 84 minutes Jonathan Forte’s persistence on the left earned a corner out of Clyne. From McCann’s dead ball, Mirfin glanced a header into the top corner from the near side of the six-yard box.
In injury time, Lawrence, who had a great game at the back, hobbled off holding his thigh, Lee Hills replaced him.
Danns stole victory with a curling left-foot shot, ducking in from the right to curl in a left-foot shot, prompting Neil Warnock and his management team to explode with joy in the dugout.
Palace: Speroni, Clyne, Davis, Lawrence (Hills 90), Hill, Danns, Derry, Ambrose, Carle, Lee (Andrew 74), Butterfield (Djilali 64) Subs: John, Scannell, Hills, Andrew, Comley, N’Diaye
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