Alan Pardew hailed the "terrific" Glenn Murray after the Crystal Palace striker scored a brace in a convincing win at West Ham.
The 31-year-old scored two headers either side of a Scott Dann goal before being sent off for two bookable offences.
Murray had already drawn a number of saves out of Adrian before opening the scoring with a huge stroke of luck as his header was sliced into his own goal by the unwitting Aaron Cresswell.
He then headed home Jason Puncheon's free kick to put the game beyond the Hammers and, with fellow forwards Fraizer Campbell, Yaya Sanogo and Marouane Chamakh all out injured, Pardew was full of praise for Murray.
"He's got that nous as a No. 9 to find that space and be in the right place at the crucial time," he said. "He could have had a hat-trick in the first half and, I hope he doesn't feel I'm insulting him, but he ain't the quickest.
"Teddy [Sheringham] coaches here at West Ham and I had him as a player. He's a bit like that in creating room and chances for himself without pace. He's clever."
Having spent time out on loan earlier in the season as former Palace boss Neil Warnock deemed him surplus to requirements at Selhurst Park -- but Pardew had other ideas.
"We had four Championship teams that felt they had a chance of him on loan - Reading the most prominent as he has been there," he added. "But I gave him a new contract and said 'you're going to stay here and help us get out of this situation.'
"He's been unfortunate as Fraizer came in and did brilliantly for us, so he's had to be patient but he's rewarded me in this game and I can't thank him enough. He was terrific.
"I felt sorry for him that he was sent off. It was probably my fault -- I should have got Shola [Ameobi] on earlier. But it was too late."
Murray, who will now miss Tuesday's clash with Southampton through suspension, said he was guilty of a number of "stupid fouls" in the lead up to his dismissal by referee Mike Dean.
"Obviously it's great to get a couple of goals but I'm disappointed to get sent off, it was just a reaction and I think the referee was almost waiting to send me off after a few stupid fouls," he told Sky Sports.
"I gave him that option and he took it. We spoke about it at halftime -- 'Don't make a challenge' -- and I managed not to outside the box but it was just a reaction inside the box unfortunately.
"He just said there'd been a few niggly little fouls and he'd kept having to stop the game so he'd said: 'No more.'"
