By Mark Ritson at Goodison Park
CRYSTAL Palace grabbed their first Premier League win of the season with a stunning 3-2 victory at Everton this afternoon.
Again, the same scoreline as the match in April brought home the three points, which saw Yannick Bolasie score his first goal in the top flight after strikes from Mile Jedinak and Fraizer Campbell.
Everton, on the back of playing 72 hours previously in the Europa League, dominated the opening 20 minutes and only had one goal to show for it, before their fans became restless and the match fell into the Eagles' hands.
As a result of the win, Palace are up to 15th in the table, having started the match bottom due to results elsewhere over the weekend.
Inside the opening ten seconds from kick-off, the ball was played out wide to Yannick Bolasie, who set himself up to shoot but decided against doing so and his second touch was cleared away.
Everton winger Christian Atsu hit the side-netting for the hosts after riding a challenge from Damien Delaney inside the box, before the Blues took the lead on nine minutes through Romelu Lukaku.
Leon Osman threaded the ball into the big striker's path, and the Belgian burst through the heart of the Palace defence to place past a helpless Julian Speroni.
Lukaku nearly had a second minutes later when he tried to shoot on the turn six yards out but the Palace defence put a good block in.
The game settled down, with both sides enjoying possession in the middle of the park but without creating anything.
Jason Puncheon's neat bit of skill nearly allowed Bolasie to burst into the box but the pass was overcooked, while Joel Ward took a nasty whack to his upper body but managed to get up and carry on.
However, the Eagles stunned Goodison Park on the half-hour mark when they equalised through Mile Jedinak's well-placed penalty.
James McArthur ran on to Bolasie's headed flick-on and nicked the ball in front of the onrushing Tim Howard, who clearly brought him down, giving referee Michael Oliver an easy decision.
Jedinak stepped up and sent the custodian the wrong way, placing the ball to the right.
The goal knocked the stuffing and rhythm out of the hosts, as Palace grew confident and went looking for a second.
Ledley was the man who nearly got it when he spun on the ball inside the box after a great cross from Bolasie, and the Welshman saw his goal-bound effort blocked.
There were calls for handball against his marker but Oliver was having none of it placed in a good position.
The Eagles cranked up the pressure and this time Bolasie had a go, only to see the ball come back off the woodwork.
The DR Congo international cut inside from the left and struck a shot which took a large deflection off John Stones, before looping over the stranded Howard and coming back off the top of the post.
Atsu was proving to be Everton's main source of creativity down the right and saw a couple of deliveries snuffed out by the Palace defence.
The natives were getting restless – maybe forgetting that their side had been in action 72 hours previously in a big Europa League win against Wolfsburg.
Palace failed to take advantage of a weak header from Sylvain Distin early on in the second half, with Campbell and Ledley combining before spreading the ball wide.
But chance to take advantage fell flat as the ball ended up back in Palace's own half – and from the long ball back forward Bolasie was flagged offside.
Samuel Eto'o dragged a shot well wide in response, but then the Eagles stunned the blue half of Merseyside once again when they took the lead.
Campbell was the man with the finish, rising above Howard to head home from Martin Kelly's right-wing cross to send the visiting support crazy in the far corner.
You just knew Everton were going to come back at Neil Warnock's men, and they nearly grabbed an equaliser when Atsu delivered low from the byline to Lukaku, whose goal-bound effort was superbly blocked by Dann off the line.
Dann, himself, had a shot charged down at the other end after Ledley found himself free at a corner, and then the Eagles really took their game up a notch as they scored a third.
Bolasie was the man got it – his first Premier League goal – and boy did he enjoy it, running straight to the fans.
It was a fantastic ball in from Puncheon to set him up after Everton failed to clear down the middle.
But you just knew the hosts were going to come back at the visitors, and they were given a lifeline when Dann upended James McCarthy and Oliver pointed to the spot.
Leighton Baines did the rest, sending Speroni the wrong way.
And minutes later they very nearly equalised when Lukaku's first time shot went just wide of the far post.
Six minutes were added on. It was a backs-to-the-wall job for Palace – and there was a heart-in-mouth moment when Dann's attempted clearance headed towards his own goal but Speroni saved well with his feet.
Everton continued to pile on the pressure but Warnock's men stood firm and held on for a superb three points to lift them off the bottom of the Premier League.
Palace: Speroni, Kelly, Dann, Delaney, Ward, Puncheon, McArthur (Guedioura 84), Jedinak ©, Bolasie (Fryers 87), Ledley, Campbell (Doyle 86).
Subs Not Used: Hennessey, Mariappa, Zaha, Gayle.
Attendance: 37,574
Referee: Mr Michael Oliver
