Crystal Palace 1-2 Bournemouth

Marc Pugh celebrates his goal — Marc Pugh scored his second league goal of the season

Bournemouth extended Crystal Palace's losing streak to five matches after they came from behind at Selhurst Park.

The Eagles took the lead when defender Scott Dann turned in Wilfried Zaha's low cross.

But Palace's lead lasted barely six minutes before Marc Pugh cleverly bought himself space and fired in a precise low shot.

And Benik Afobe nodded in the winner after Wayne Hennessey saved Matt Ritchie's shot.

Palace manager Alan Pardew threw on new signing Emmanuel Adebayor for his first Premier League appearance since May, but the hosts could not find an equaliser.

Marouane Chamakh wasted the best chance when he fired straight at Artur Boruc from Mile Jedinak's cut-back.

Palace remain 11th, while Bournemouth move up one place to 15th and are now seven points clear of the Premier League relegation zone.

Afobe does it again

Cherries showed resilience - Howe

Bournemouth were among the league's biggest spenders in the transfer window and eyebrows were raised when the Cherries paid £10m for Wolves striker Benik Afobe.

And the striker might have provided those critics with ammunition when he missed a glaring chance midway through the first half, sending a volley across the face of goal from Charlie Daniels' searching cross.

But the 22-year-old had scored in his previous two matches and he made it three in a row when he was quickest to follow up the rebound from Hennessey's save - earning the Cherries a first come-from-behind win of the season.

"I've come here for a lot of money in some people's eyes," Afobe said. "I need to prove my worth and I can only do that by scoring goals."

Goal no solace for Palace

Wilfried Zaha heat and pass maps — Wilfried Zaha got into threatening positions (left), but his passes (right) usually failed to find a Team-mate, although he did record one assist (in blue)

Pardew's side are crying out for a regular goalscorer like Afobe, having entered this match with just one goal in their last six matches - and that an own goal scored by Tottenham's Jan Vertonghen.

And although this match saw a Palace player find the net for the first time since 19 December, it was fitting that it was not a forward, but centre-back Dann - whose tally of four goals this season is four times as many as Palace's strikers have managed between them.

The hosts battled tirelessly to end their miserable run, with Wilfried Zaha a constant threat on the left wing - but the fact that his assist for the first goal was his first of the season tells you all you need to know about the effectiveness of Palace's strikers.

Manager Pardew must hope that Adebayor is the man to convert those chances - or he faces seeing his side slip down the table.

Man of the match - Wilfried Zaha

Wilfried Zaha takes on Adam Smith — Wilfried Zaha (right) recorded an assist and took on opposition players 16 times, more than anyone else on the pitch

What they said: 'You have to commit murder to get sent off against us'

Palace losing too many bodies - Pardew

Crystal Palace manager Alan Pardew was exasperated with referee Mike Jones' failure to send off Adam Smith for hauling back Jordon Mutch just outside the area - the Bournemouth full-back was shown a yellow card.

"No one ever gets sent off against us," Pardew said. "No one. You have to commit murder to get sent off against us.

"There's an incident tonight, I think if we're a bigger club maybe we get the calls. Since I've been here I've been amazed by some of the decisions I haven't had where at Newcastle I would have got them."

Bournemouth manager Eddie Howe: "We weren't very good first half, but we showed great resilience and we just about deserved it.

"It was a high-class goal [from Marc Pugh] and it proved to be a lifeline. Second half we were a lot more fluent and we broke really dangerously through the heart of the pitch.

"We believe in Benik and he's doing ever so well for us. We're not the finished article but we're moving in the right direction."

The stats you need to know

Seven of Palace's 25 goals this season have come from defenders, a league high.
Marc Pugh's goal was Bournemouth's first of the season in the 15-minute period before half-time.
After losing five of their first six away Premier League games, Bournemouth have lost just one of their last seven (W3 D3 L1).

What's next?

Bournemouth host Arsenal on Sunday - with ex-Gunners striker Afobe looking to score for the fourth game in a row - while Crystal Palace visit Swansea on Saturday.

Line-ups
Match Stats
Live Text

Line-ups

Crystal Palace

Formation 4-2-3-1

13Hennessey
2Ward
6DannBooked at 51mins
27Delaney
23Souaré
15JedinakBooked at 68mins
18McArthurSubstituted forMutchat 45'minutes
11ZahaBooked at 43mins
42Puncheon
14LeeSubstituted forChamakhat 68'minutes
9CampbellSubstituted forAdebayorat 58'minutes

Substitutes

1Speroni
4Hangeland
22Mutch
25Adebayor
29Chamakh
34Kelly
38Boateng

Bournemouth

Formation 4-1-4-1

1Boruc
15A SmithBooked at 81mins
2FrancisBooked at 65mins
3S CookBooked at 76mins
11Daniels
6Surman
30RitchieSubstituted forGrabbanat 85'minutesBooked at 90mins
4Gosling
8ArterSubstituted forDistinat 90+4'minutes
7Pugh
20AfobeSubstituted forKingat 75'minutes

Substitutes

12Iturbe
17King
23Federici
25Distin
27Murray
28Grabban
32O'Kane

Referee:: Mike Jones
Attendance:: 24,855

Match Stats

Home TeamCrystal PalaceAway TeamBournemouth

Possession: Home51%; Away49%

Shots: Home14; Away8

Shots on Target: Home3; Away4

Corners: Home5; Away3

Fouls: Home11; Away15

Live Text

Post update
Match ends, Crystal Palace 1, Bournemouth 2.
90'+7'
Full Time
Second Half ends, Crystal Palace 1, Bournemouth 2.

90'+4'
Substitution
Substitution, Bournemouth. Sylvain Distin replaces Harry Arter.
90'+2'
Post update
Attempt missed. Emmanuel Adebayor (Crystal Palace) right footed shot from the centre of the box is close, but misses to the right.
90'
Booking
Lewis Grabban (Bournemouth) is shown the yellow card.
89'
Post update
Damien Delaney (Crystal Palace) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
89'
Post update
Foul by Joshua King (Bournemouth).
88'
Post update
Foul by Mile Jedinak (Crystal Palace).
88'
Post update
Dan Gosling (Bournemouth) wins a free kick on the right wing.
87'
Post update
Offside, Crystal Palace. Damien Delaney tries a through ball, but Marouane Chamakh is caught offside.
86'
Post update
Attempt saved. Jason Puncheon (Crystal Palace) left footed shot from outside the box is saved in the bottom right corner. Assisted by Joel Ward.
85'
Substitution
Substitution, Bournemouth. Lewis Grabban replaces Matt Ritchie.
83'
Post update
Attempt saved. Marouane Chamakh (Crystal Palace) right footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Mile Jedinak.
81'
Booking
Adam Smith (Bournemouth) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
81'
Post update
Jordon Mutch (Crystal Palace) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
81'
Post update
Foul by Adam Smith (Bournemouth).
80'
Post update
Corner, Bournemouth. Conceded by Mile Jedinak.
79'
Post update
Offside, Crystal Palace. Wayne Hennessey tries a through ball, but Emmanuel Adebayor is caught offside.
76'
Booking
Steve Cook (Bournemouth) is shown the yellow card.
75'
Substitution
Substitution, Bournemouth. Joshua King replaces Benik Afobe.

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