Then, Palace came to Portman Road in Iain Dowie's first game in charge, won 3-1, and then roared up the table to claim a play-off place and eventual promotion.
Jon Macken and Michael Hughes fired a goal in either half and the Eagles were comfortable winners, with Ipswich rarely threatening, even when the visitors had two sent off late on.
Palace started brightly and could have scored twice in the first three minutes as first Andy Johnson's flick almost found Tony Popovic, and then Lewis Price got down well to palm away a curling Ben Watson free-kick.
After an even period Palace went ahead when Sito Castro's challenge on Tom Soares only directed the ball into the path of Johnson whose cut-back was finished off by Macken from eight yards.
Price excelled again with a fine tip-away to deny Jobi McAnuff who seized on a loose ball to fire in a fierce 30-yard shot. From the corner, Watson's cross was headed home by Johnson, but he was offside.
Ipswich finally stirred into life after half an hour, as first Nicky Forster sent a fierce 25-yarder just over and then the striker crossed to Darren Currie who curled in a shot which Gabor Kiraly was at full stretch to claim.
Forster crossed just too high for an unmarked Ian Westlake as Ipswich continued to end the half strongly, but then Palace had a couple of chances through the ever-dangerous Johnson.
First, he shot over after a lay-off from Macken, then McAnuff put him through, but the angle was tight and Price used his legs to beat away the shot which was firm but straight at him.
Town nearly levelled soon after the break when a Currie corner deflected narrowly wide off a visiting defender, and home fans appealed for handball as Popovic cleared a Gavin Williams cross, but it appeared a correct decision.
Palace got the decisive second goal on 61 minutes when Hughes picked up a Richard Naylor header, advanced unchallenged to the edge of the box and arrowed a shot into the far corner.
After that, the game became more than a little niggly, and referee Andy Woolmer at times struggled to retain control, eventually showing seven yellow cards as well as two reds.
The first dismissal was on 77 minutes when Macken got a straight red for violent conduct, needlessly thrusting his hand into Owen Garvan's face - right under the nose of the referee as well.
Ben Watson was equally foolish, accumulating two bookings in just eight minutes - the first for a flare-up with Naylor after the Macken incident, then for tripping sub Dean McDonald.
Town rarely looked like getting back in though, and some disgruntled home fans in the bumper 27,392 crowd even chanted for the head of beleaguered boss Joe Royle near the end, the first time that has happened this season.