February 2 2016

Scott Dann

Crystal Palace continued their woeful run of form with a 2-1 loss at home to AFC Bournemouth.

Alan Pardew's side suffered their fifth straight league defeat, have yet to glean three points in 2016, and badly need to arrest an alarming slide.

It began well when centre half Scott Dann, so often the scorer of crucial goals, diverted in the impressive Wilfried Zaha's cross for his fourth of the season in the 27th minute.

But the lead lasted just six minutes when Marc Pugh was allowed space on the edge of the area to neatly fire low into the bottom corner.

The Cherries' new forward Benik Afobe headed in the winner on 57 minutes after Eagles stopper Wayne Hennessey saved Matt Ritchie's shot.

New signing Emmanuel Adebayor came on for his Eagles debut and showed good touches and flashed an effort into the side netting.

But substitute Marouane Chamakh should have put the ball home from close range from Mile Jedinak's cross from the left, but instead shot straight at Artur Boruc.

Palace remain 11th but have not claimed maximum points in the Premier League since a last-gasp victory at Stoke on December 19.

Palace: Hennessey, Delaney, Souare, Ward, Dann, Jedinak, McArthur (Mutch 45), Lee (Chamakh 68), Puncheon, Zaha, Campbell (Adebayor 58).

Not used: Kelly, Speroni, Hangeland, Boateng.

Bournemouth: Boruc, Francis, Daniels, Smith, Cook, Gosling, Ritchie (Grabban 85), Arter (Distin 89), Surman, Pugh, Afobe (King 75).

Not used: Murray, Iturbe, O'Kane, Federici.

Alan Pardew: "We just cannot seem to find a goal. It was a frustrating evening: a lot of good play, but another defeat.

"We're losing too many bodies, a tough night for us. Of course it's concerning, but we go to Swansea and try and get a result. It was a good goal.

"Bournemouth worked very hard and they scored with their two chances. It's hard to take that we've lost but we have to rebound. We lacked a bit of quality: we were up for the battle but you've got to have both sides."

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."

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