Mark Hudson's strike gave Crystal Palace a 1-0 win over Sunderland at Selhurst Park.
Sunderland's seven-match unbeaten run was brought to an end at Selhurst Park, as Mark Hudson's first-half strike gave Crystal Palace a much-needed 1-0 win.With visibility poor due to the winter weather gripping the UK, Roy Keane's Black Cats failed to maintain their recent charge for the play-offs, as Peter Taylor's Eagles moved up two places to 16th in the Championship.
The North East club looked the most fluid in possession as heavy fog enveloped Selhurst Park, and Republic of Ireland international Liam Miller flashed a shot wide inside ten minutes after a corner from the left.
David Connolly then played in Grant Leadbitter with a sumptuous through-ball, but the young midfielder was unable to produce the requisite finish and dragged his shot wide.
Graham Kavanagh also threatened Julian Speroni's goal with a fierce long-range effort, but Palace fought back and both Mark Kennedy and Clinton Morrison went close in the space of 60 seconds.
Four minutes before the break, Hudson made the breakthrough, as he met Shefki Kuqi's cushioned header down with a superb half-volley.
In the second half, Palace had to withstand constant pressure but keeper Speroni was equal to everything The Black Cats threw at him, as he made a number of key saves.
Kavanagh was denied again on 54 minutes, whilst Dean Whitehead saw a well-directed header float just over.
However, Speroni saved his best moment for a Stanislav Varga header with 11 minutes to go, as he leapt acrobatically to turn the ball over the bar and give Palace an important victory.
Click below for match summary:
Crystal Palace 1-0 Sunderland
