West Ham United 0-1 Crystal Palace
Barclays Premier League
West Ham United were unable to prevent Crystal Palace from registering a fifth straight victory as Mile Jedinak's second half penalty earned his side the points at the Boleyn Ground on Saturday.
Jedinak coverted emphatically from the spot after Pablo Armero clipped Cameron Jerome inside the box and West Ham could not find a way back.
Despite creating chances before the break, the home side struggled to break down the resolute Eagles in the second half.
It means West Ham remain on 37 points, still seven clear of the bottom three.
Following an emotional tribute to Dylan Tombides, as the Club retired his No38 shirt during a minute's applause, the Hammers created the first opening of the game when Andy Carroll rose well at the far post, but headed Kevin Nolan's cross over the top.
Palace went close themselves with a header on 15 minutes when Kagisho Dikgacoi nodded Yannick Bolasie's corner towards goal, but Carroll was in position to block on the line.
West Ham's threat grew as the half went on and Mo Diame brought the best out of Julian Speroni in the Palace goal with a rasping shot from the edge of the box which needed tipping over.
With 35 minutes on the clock Speroni denied Diame again, blocking down low to his right at the near post, and as the Hammers recycled possession Carroll thundered a header goalwards that Speroni saved on instinct.
Carroll was in the thick of the action at the start of the second period, getting on the end of a Stewart Downing cross on 51 minutes, but scuffing his shot wide of the near post.
Then, five minutes later, another ball broke to the big No9 in the box, but Damien Delaney threw himself in front of the shot to block.
His intervention gained even greater value shortly afterwards as Palace took the lead. Cameron Jerome's run took Winston Reid out of the game, then as he entered the area he was clipped by Pablo Armero and went down to the turf.
Referee Martin Atkinson pointed to the spot, and Jedinak did the rest, burying his penalty in the top left hand corner of the goal.
The goal seemed to knock the wind out of West Ham's sails as Palace pressed on for another.
It nearly arrived on 66 minutes when a scramble in the Hammers box ended with Jason Puncheon having a shot blocked behind.
Joe Cole came off the bench and drilled a shot wide of the mark with time running out, but a Hammers equaliser would not come on a frustrating afternoon.
West Ham United: Adrian; McCartney, Tomkins, Reid, Armero; Nolan (Nocerino , Noble, Diame; Downing (J.Cole 78), Carroll, Jarvis (C.Cole 70)
Subs: Jaaskelainen, Taylor, O'Brien, Johnson
Booked: McCartney
Crystal Palace: Speroni, Mariappa, Dann, Delaney, Ward; Digkacoi, Jedinak; Puncheon (Gabbidon 87), Ledley, Bolasie (Parr 90); Jerome (Murray 82)
Subs: Hennessey, ince, Gayle, Guedioura
Goal: Jedinak pen 59
Booked: Murray
Referee: Martin Atkinson
Attendance: 34,977