“An overall brilliant performance and great result against a strong team,” was the midfielder’s view on the game, speaking to Palace TV.
“I thought we started quite poorly, especially with our pressing. But credit to them, they're a good technical team. They moved the ball well and it took us a bit of time to get into the rhythm.
“But after the first 10 or 15 minutes, we created plenty of chances and deserved the win in the end.”
The second-half saw Palace suffer a brief scare when – 2-0 up going into the interval – Alkmaar pulled a goal back, but Ismaïla Sarr struck again moments later to restore the two-goal lead.
With there being plenty of substitutions on both sides in the second period, chances proved rarer after the break, with Hughes stating: “I wouldn't necessarily say it was dominant in the second half. I think we controlled the game without the ball, which you can do, which we're very good at sometimes.
“The lads are playing every three days, so there's bound to be a bit of tiredness creeping in. But it shows the strength in depth we have that we can make changes and give players that deserve a few minutes a chance.”