Crystal Palace hosted West Bromwich Albion in their Premier League match this evening.
Thomas Ince opened the scoring for the hosts with a chip over the keeper, before his corner was headed in by Joe Ledley to double their lead.
At the start of the second half, Thievy Bifouma raised West Brom's hopes of a comeback, as he scored within a minute of entering the pitch.
Palace made the game safe when Ben Foster hacked down Marouane Chamakh in the area, and the striker stepped up to place the resulting penalty into the net.
Here, Sports Mole takes a closer look at the events that unfolded at the Selhurst Park.
Match Statistics
Crystal Palace
Shots: 10
On Target: 6
Possession: 34%
Corners: 4
Fouls: 13
West Brom
Shots: 16
On Target: 6
Possession: 66%
Corners: 7
Fouls: 13
Was the result fair?
Crystal Palace started the game strongly and deserved their two-goal lead after a positive first half. Although West Brom had the majority of the possession they didn't threaten enough, but Thievy's goal a minute into the second half provided a huge boost to their confidence. They looked the more likely to get the next goal, but poor defending allowed Chamakh to run through on goal, and Foster ended up bringing him down in the area. The third goal sealed the away team's fate, and allowed Palace to regain control for the remainder of the game.
Crystal Palace's performance
Tony Pulis will have been delighted to see his side earn their third consecutive home win in the Premier League. They held on after conceding and managed to weather the storm, before restoring their two-goal advantage. The Eagles may have seen only 34% of the ball, but they used it better than their opponents and scored at vital points in the game. Another plus for the manager will have been seeing impressive debuts from Ince, Ledley and Scott Dann, as well as the return of Glenn Murray from a long-term injury.
West Brom's performance
West Brom were poor in the first half, but started the second brilliantly. They scored within a minute, and had chances to equalise before Chamakh's third killed the game. Pepe Mel will have been disappointed with the defensive display of his team, and the ease at which they allowed Palace to score each of their goals.
Sports Mole's man of the match
Thomas Ince: It took Ince just 15 minutes to make an impact in the Premier League, as the 22-year-old showed his class with a confident chip over Foster. His excellent delivery from a corner set up Ledley for Palace's second goal and the visiting defence will be glad they don't have to face him every week. If he continues to impress, then England manager Roy Hodgson may be tempted to give him a chance for the national side ahead of this summer's World Cup.
Biggest gaffe
Foster was not the only Albion player at fault this afternoon, but his foul on Chamakh gave away the penalty that led to the third goal. He can have no complaints at the decision, and was lucky to stay on the pitch following his rash challenge. Had the scoreline stayed at 2-1 going into the final 20 minutes, then there is every chance West Brom could have salvaged a vital point.
Referee's performance
Chris Foy was called into a big decision following Foster's foul on Chamakh. It was a definite penalty, but the keeper was lucky not to even pick up a yellow card. He handled the game well, and rightfully handed out three bookings to West Brom players.
What next?
Crystal Palace: The Eagles visit Everton in the Premier League on Wednesday.
West Brom: West Brom host league leaders Chelsea on Tuesday.
Alex Meyers
