Crystal Palace 1 West Brom 0 - Report

A penalty from Luka Milivojevic was enough to earn all three points for Roy Hodgson's side in a game that lacked quality and spark at Selhurst Park.

Albion did play the better football of the two teams with Allardyce's side particularly bright in the opening half-hour.

But they gifted the hosts the lead in the 37th minute when Darnell Furlong handled a cross from Wilfried Zaha in the box.

Milivojevic tucked the penalty away to give Palace something to hold on to.

But despite Allardce saying before kick-off this was a "must-win" game for his side, the Baggies created very little from that point.

Conor Gallagher and Matt Phillips both had half-chances to pull a goal back.

But the penalty aside, neither team truly looked like scoring.

The result leaves Albion eight points from safety - and with an inferior goal difference - with just nine games remaining.

Report

Albion arrived at Selhurst Park having impressed in recent weeks without getting the points they desperately needed.

But with their having been more positives than negatives in their performances, Allardyce opted to name the same starting XI for the fourth successive game.

Continuing in a 4-3-3 formation, Okay Yokuslu sat in the holding midfield role with Ainsley Maitland-Niles and Conor Gallager more advanced.

Matheus Pereira started on the left flank with Matt Phillips on the right while Mbaye Diagne was the central striker.

Palace were boosted by the news star man Zaha was fit to start with the Ivory Coast international partnering Christian Benteke up front.

In a 4-4-2 formation, Jordan Ayew started on the right of midfield with Eberechi Eze on the left.

It was the Baggies who started the game on the front foot with Allardyce's men creating a decent chance to opening the scoring in the first few minutes.

Phillips delivered a cross to the back post which Pereira cushioned into the danger area.

And that was met by Gallagher who should have shot but instead took a heavy touch which allowed the ball to run through to Vicente Guaita.

The Baggies were playing some really nice, one-touch, stuff with the team appearing to be under instruction to play out more from the back.

And they threatened again as the clock ticked towards the 20-minute mark.

A clever ball from Pereria found Yokuslu in the box who then worked himself some space with a smart back-heel.

But from 12-yards the Turkish international then powered a strike over the bar when he really should have hit the target.

Albion had comfortably been the better team as the half-hour mark approached with Palace having carried next to no threat.

But in the 37th minute, the hosts were gifted the lead when a cross from Zaha hit the outstretched arm of Furlong.

Referee Simon Hooper initially didn't spot anything.

But following a VAR check, he was called to his pitch-side monitor to look at the incident again.

And he then pointed to the penalty spot with Luke Milivojevic converting from 12-yards.

That was harsh on the Baggies who - while lacking a cutting edge - had undoubtedly been the better of the two sides as they made their way off at the break.

Allardyce opted to change his team's shape at the interval with Albion moving to a 4-2-3-1 system that saw Pereira move into the number 10 role and Maitland-Niles shift to the left-wing.

It was Palace who created the first chance following the re-start, though, with Benteke seeing a shot in the box parried away by Johnstone.

Albion then responded with Maitland-Niles doing really well to send in a cross from the left.

And that delivery eventually broke for Gallagher who saw a low drive from 10-yards blocked by a defender.

Yet again it was the Baggies who were the better side with Palace having to defend a number of decent crosses into the box.

But in the 63rd minute, Allardyce opted to make his first change with Hal Robson-Kanu replacing Pereira in a move that Albion match Palace's 4-4-2.

Having barely threatened, Hodgson's men then created two half-chances with Eze firing straight at Johnstone from 20-yards.

Benteke then entered the box before seeing a strike well blocked by Kyle Bartley.

Having previously been sunny, heavy rain then started to descend on Selhurst Park which then quickly became hail.

And that began to have a big impact on the quality of the game with both teams struggling to find any rhythm.

But while the conditions improved, the football didn't with Allardyce getting angrier and angrier his team kept wasting chances to get the ball into the box.

And that continued right up to full-time with the Baggies, in truth, having created nothing but half-chances over the course of the 90 minutes.

Teams

Palace (4-4-2): Guaita, Ward, Kouyate, Cahill, Aanholt, Ayew (Townsend 84), Milivojevic, Riedewald, Eze (Schlupp 74), Zaha, Benteke.

Subs not used: Butland, Dann, Mateta, Wickham, Batshuayi, Kelly, Hannam.

Albion (4-3-3): Johnstone, Furlong, O'Shea, Bartley, Townsend, Yokuslu, Maitland-Niles, Gallagher, Pereira (Robson-Kanu 63), Phillips (Snodgrass 71), Diagne.

Subs not used: Button, Peltier, Ajayi, Livermore, Diangana, Grant, Robinson.