Crystal Palace fell to their third consecutive defeat at home after goals from Gabor Gyepes and Chris Burke gave Cardiff City a 2-1 win at Selhurst Park.
Clint Hill had brought the scores level on 57 minutes with a header from a Darren Ambrose corner after Gyepes had opened the scoring on four minutes. But Burke won it for Cardiff with a brilliant strike from the edge of the box on 66 minutes.
Despite the defeat Palace left the field to a standing ovation at the end of both halves thanks to their committed performance.
It was a lapse in concentration in the fourth minute that gave Dave Jones' side the perfect start when Steve McPhail flicked on a low Peter Whittingham corner to Gyepes, who did well to guide the ball into the bottom corner.
Whittingham then tried his luck on 16 minutes when he fired a rising drive over the bar on 16 minutes, but from then on it was all Palace.
The Eagles were denied two penalty decisions when first Stern John went down under a challenge in the box and then Darren Ambrose's leg was blocked as he attempted to shoot. On both occasions referee Mr Boyeson waved them away, and in the first saw a hand ball by John as he tried to control the ball.
Clint Hill then hit the bar with a looping header from a corner, while Cardiff City goalkeeper David Marshall was well placed at the near post to save Darren Ambrose's half volley from ten yards.
Marshall could do nothing though about Ambrose's next effort when he found himself stranded from a corner and the Palace midfielder looped a clever chip over his head that didn't have enough dip on it and landed on the top of the net.
As Palace continued to boss the half Cardiff threatened late on when they broke quickly and Kelvin Etuhu raced through the Palace defence. With Hill chasing him and unable to get the challenge in for fear of conceding a penalty, the towering striker opened his body up to shoot but Speroni came out quickly and smothered the shot.
And in the final minute of the half Johhny Ertl, playing at right back, finished a lung bursting run on the right flank with a low cross into the six yard box that Andrew couldn't direct goalwards thanks to a pressuring tackle from the covering defender.
The second half started with quick fire chances for both sides as first Chris Burke almost caught Speroni out with a long range volley that dropped over the bar and then a brilliant Sean Scannell cross found Ambrose at the far post but he screwed his first time effort wide.
Etuhu then should have done better for Cardiff on 55 minutes when he had a shooting opportunity just inside the box and smashed over the bar, before Palace got the goal they deserved two minutes later.
Ambrose floated a corner to the penalty spot and Hill managed to shrug off his marker and head the ball downwards and past Marshall from ten yards out.
It could have been two on the hour mark when Andrew was played through on goal but he took two touches too many and allowed the chasing defender to get a tackle in as he prepared to shoot just inside the box.
Palace's hard work was undone on 66 minutes when Mr Boyeson gave a harsh free kick against Neil Danns for hand ball. The ball struck his hand when Chopra hit it at him from four yards.
From the resulting free kick the ball was headed down by Whittingham to Chris Burke, who did brilliantly to knock the ball into space with his chest on the edge of the box and then fire across Speroni into the bottom corner.
Palace pushed hard in the final stages of the game and Paul Hart gave Academy striker Wilfred Zaha his professional debut when he replaced Stern John ten minutes from time.
But it was another Academy product who almost levelled the game when Scannell saw his snap shot from just oustide the area blocked by a committed City defender, while Shaun Derry then had to shove the referee out of the way to get a half volley away that flew just wide.
In the end though Cardiff managed to see out the final minutes to take all three points back to Wales.
Att: 13, 464 (667 away)
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Paul Hart has named Patrick McCarthy in the starting XI for his first start since October 24th, while Academy striker Wilfred Zaha and Academy centre half Jack Holland are given places on the bench.
Crystal Palace: 1. Julian Speroni, 3. Clint Hill, 4. Shaun Derry, 5. Patrick McCarthy, 7. Darren Ambrose, 8. Neil Danns, 9. Stern John (36. Wilfred Zaha, 80), 14. Sean Scannell, 15. Lee Hills, 18. Calvin Andrew, 22. Johannes Ertl
Subs: 21. Kieran Djilali, 28. James Comley, 33. Alassane N'Diaye, 34. Alex Wynter, 35. Charlie Mann, 37. Jack Holland
Cardiff City: 1. David Marshall,4. Gavin Rae, 6.Gabor Gyepes, 7. Peter Whittingham, 8. Michael Chopra (44. Ross McCormack, 89), 10. Steve McPhail, 11. Chris Burke, 12. Tony Capaldi (3. Mark Kennedy, 60), 14. Paul Quinn, 17. Kelvin Etuhu (26. Warren Feeney. 75), 23. Darcy Blake
Subs: ,18. Solomon Taiwo, 20. Peter Enckelman, 27. Adam Matthews, 28. Aaron Wildig
