Zaha leads Palace in 2-1 win over struggling Fulham

LONDON, October 24 (Reuters): Wilfried Zaha helped Crystal Palace secure a 2-1 Premier League win over bottom side Fulham at Craven Cottage on Saturday, with the winger scoring one goal and providing the assist for the other.

The victory was Palace's first since their 3-1 win at Manchester United last month as Roy Hodgson's side moved up to fifth place on 10 points.

"We definitely needed to bounce back," said Zaha, who has scored five goals this season. "We needed to show more attacking sense and I felt we did that today.

"I've set myself personal goals and that's what I'm attacking every day. We know they're working hard at the back so it's up to us to get that one opportunity and to take it."

Palace took the lead when Zaha slipped a weighted ball through the defence for midfielder Jairo Riedewald, who slotted his shot past the onrushing goalkeeper Alphonse Areola for his first goal in the Premier League.

Ademola Lookman was Fulham's brightest spark, and the forward had plenty of opportunities to equalise, having a shot pushed wide by Palace keeper Vicente Guaita before another effort came off the inside of the post.

But the visitors doubled their lead in the second half when Michy Batshuayi fired a low cross into the six-yard box for Zaha to slide in at the far post and tap the ball home.

Scott Parker's problems were compounded when Fulham were reduced to 10 men late on after substitute Aboubakar Kamara was sent off for a foul on Eberechi Eze.

Fulham midfielder Tom Cairney scored a consolation goal in stoppage time with a long-distance effort, but Palace held on for the victory while winless Fulham remain bottom of the table with just one point.

"We need to take more risk at times in the final third, we weren't clinical enough," Parker said. "Tom's shot is the only time I see us have a shot on goal.

"We need to learn from how this panned out. We had dominance but, at times, lacked a dynamic-ness."