Saints have enjoyed some memorable wins against Crystal Palace, Wednesday night's visitors to St Mary's, over the years.

These are their five biggest victories over the Eagles.

SAINTS 6 CRYSTAL PALACE 0
May 4, 1971

Saints ended the 1970/71 season in seventh place – at that point their joint highest position – and with a club record division-one points tally thanks to this rout at The Dell.

Jimmy Gabriel headed the home side into a 23rd-minute lead from a Les Harfield corner.

Harfield doubled the lead from ten yards ten minutes later and a Ron Davies header from a Mick Channon cross made it 3-0 before half-time.

Brian O’Neil scored the fourth on the hour before a Channon brace completed a comprehensive win.

Channon saved the best for last, smashing in a 20-yard free kick in the 77th minute to ensure he pipped Davies to be the club’s top scorer with 18.

This victory ensured Saints finished three points above Manchester United and qualified for Europe for the second time in three seasons.

In those days, two points were awarded for a win and Saints’ tally of 46 from 42 games surpassed that of two years earlier by one, when they also finished seventh under Ted Bates.

Daily Echo: Ron Davies and Mick Channon in August 1970

SAINTS 4 CRYSTAL PALACE 1
May 15, 2016

Just as they did 45 years earlier, Saints thrashed the south Londoners on the final day of the season to qualify for Europe again.

This win secured a record sixth-place finish in the Premier League and a record points tally of 63 from their 38 games under Ronald Koeman.

Damien Delaney and Julián Speroni combined to gift Sadio Mane the opener.

Cuco Martina’s hanging right-wing cross was met by Graziano Pelle, who headed it in.

Ex-Saint Jason Puncheon fired into the top of the far corner to give Palace hope.

Saints sealed the win with a Ryan Bertrand penalty, after Mane was brought down, and Steven Davis’s third goal in two games.

Daily Echo: Graziano Pelle heads in Saints' second against Crystal Palace in 2016

SAINTS 4 CRYSTAL PALACE 1
October 9, 1979

A midweek Phil Boyer hat-trick ended Palace’s unbeaten start to the season under the Dell floodlights.

He headed the 17th-minute opener from a Trevor Hebberd cross and soon provided the second for Nick Holmes, who doubled the lead from 15 yards after a one-two.

Boyer hooked the third over John Burridge, a future Saints goalkeeper, on the hour.

Full-back Paul Hinshelwood pulled one back a few minutes later but Boyer completed his hat-trick in the 89th minute after a smart turn on the edge of the area.

Saints boss Lawrie McMenemy said: “We could have beaten anybody the way we played tonight…I’m delighted for Phil – he earns his goals by unselfish running.”

Daily Echo: Phil Boyer in 1979

CRYSTAL PALACE 1 SAINTS 4
April 26, 1958

Saints were 4-0 up before the hour to all but secure their place in the new division three for the 1958-59 season.

This was the last season the third division was regionalised so the top 12 teams in the south and the north merged to form the new third division, with the rest making up division four.

In their penultimate game in the old format, Saints took a fourth-minute lead at Selhurst Park courtesy of Brian Clifton, who scored two first-half goals.

Derek Reeves, Saints’ top scorer for four successive seasons in the late 1950s, fired in the second in the 20th minute and Clifton made it 3-0 on the stroke of half-time by driving in a Ken Birch chip.

Terry Paine drove in the fourth through a crowded penalty area in the 56th minute, following a corner by John Hoskins.

Daily Echo: Derek Reeves

SAINTS 3 CRYSTAL PALACE 0
September 1, 1956

Saints continued their excellent start to Ted Bates’ first season in charge with this win in division three (south).

Two first-half headers put Saints in control.

A diving header from Tommy Mulgrew, who would score a century of goals for the club, put Saints in front in the 28th minute.

Derek Reeves nodded in the second in the 36th before new signing Jimmy Shields fired in his fourth in five games.