Eagles humbled 2-0 at home by Cherries as an irate fan threw a projectile at Hodgson after game

By Paul Lagan at Selhurst Park

Crystal Palace 0 v AFC Bournemouth 2

The Eagles will be looking nervously over their shoulders to the clubs below them after this anaemic 2-0 home defeat to Bournemouth, left the South Londoners in 14th place in the Premier League with 16 points.

The South Coast outfit had one plan – keep it tight, hope for a set-piece and hang on for dear life.

The first two were easily achieved through hard work – the first goal came in the 25th minute from the head of Marcos Senesi, and deep into added time substitute Kieffer Moore nodded home the second.

The fact that the away side didn't need to hang on for dear life will be the worrying thing and the home fans were quick to vent their ire at the whistle with a chorus of boos and a more juicy chant that does not require reprinting, but you get the meaning.

A projectile was thrown at manager Roy Hodgson as he went down the tunnel at the end of the game. It missed luckily but the sense of unease from the crowd was palpable,

The lack of urgency, tempo and a clinical edge means the Eagles go into the Christmas fixtures with a sense of forboding.

The Eagles should have taken the lead on three minutes when a simple but effective left wing free-kick by Michael Olise was met with a goal-bound glancing header from Jordan Ayew, unchallenged – but his effort was tame, and easily held by Neto.

The visitors' stopper was soon in action again, this time tipping over his crossbar a much better effort from Ayew, a right-footed blaster.

The Cherries responded well and counter-attacked to good effect – on nine minutes Sam Johnstone parried away an excellent effort from Antoine Semenyo after excellent set up play by Dominic Solanke and Justin Kluivert.

The visitors took the lead, on 25 minutes - not with an outstanding piece of outfield skill or trickery, but with a regulation set-piece. Lesson one for defending a corner, don't let the attacker get their head to it first, then don't lose sight of the player getting ready to take advantage of the knock-on.

Sadly for the Eagles they failed on both counts and Marcos Senesi was at the far post to nod home.

Nathaniel Clyne came on for the injured Tyrick Mitchell on 28 minutes.

Kluivert was unlucky on 34 minutes when his long run and shot inched wide of Johnstone's left post.

The worrying thing from the frustrated fans was that the Eagles had the ball on the outside of the Cherries area, yet could not penetrated the fin al third, and were quickly dispossessed of the ball resulting in the counter-attack.

There were no changes by either side at half-time.

Palace started eagerly and were a tad unfortunate not to level the score on 48 minutes.

A lovely ball by Olise on the right, bisected the Cherries defence and Jefferson Lerma raced o to it. He took two strides before unleashing a venomous right-footer.

But the ball, smacked against Neto's right post and away from danger.

But having possession is one thing, doing positive things with it that at least get close to the opposition's goal is another – and the Eagles showed plenty of the former, little of the later.

Lerma's hacked shot over the crossbar on 64 minutes was a classic example.

Palace boss Roy Hodgson had seen enough and on came Will Hughes and Naouirou Ahamada -off went Jeffery Schlupp and Joel Ward.

Those replacements failed to galvanise the home side, so Hodgson opted to bring on Jean-Philippe Mateta for Lerma with five minutes left on the clock.

But it failed miserably and Bournemouth decided to have a nose-bleed, go for a foray up front and score.

This they did in added time when substitute Kieffer Moore lathed onto a clipped Philip Billing pass and nodded home.

Teams: Palace: Johnstone, Ward, Mitchell, Guehi, Olise, Lerma, Ayew, Schlupp, Andersen, Edouard, Richards

Subs: Matthews, Tomkins, Franca De Oliviera, Mateta, Clyne, Hughes, Ediowei, Ahamada, Riedewald

Bournemouth: Neto, Kerkez, Cook, Solanke, Christie, Smith, Sinisterra, Kluivert, Semenyo, Senesi, Zabarnyi

Subs:Travers, Mepham, Brooks, Rothwell, Quattara, Tavernier, Moore, Kilkenny, Billing

Referee: Craig Pawson