IT was a case of two penalties – one given, one not – as Wanderers succumbed to a desperately disappointing first home defeat of the season.

Palace had already been awarded five spot kicks this season, and took three points back home to South London after Glenn Murray made it six successful efforts 11 minutes from time.

But Wanderers will feel aggrieved that a first-half handball by Damien Delaney in front of his own goal was not spotted by Tyne and Wear official Geoff Eltringham, after Mark Davies had headed towards goal.

Wanderers perhaps shaded a poor first half but were lucky not to have gone in a goal down when Owen Garvan's fine cross from the left found Glenn Murray unmarked eight yards out, only for the big striker to head wide.

There were few moments of genuine quality, summed up by a frantic scramble in the Palace box a few moments earlier when Darcy Blake made a fine block on Chris Eagles' goal-bound shot before both he and Kevin Davies seemed to get in each other's way before the danger was averted.

Home fans weren't impressed with the standard of football, and let it be known at the break, but they found their voice again in the second half as Wanderers finally started to warm up.

Mark Davies brought a low save out of Julian Speroni and Kevin Davies missed a gilt-edged chance in front of goal after latching on to Matt Mills' flick.

You sensed that the Whites might pay for their profligacy, and so it proved with 12 minutes left on the clock.

Wilfried Zaha – the former Wanderers target who was a lively customer all day – wriggled past Zat Knight and drew a challenge, deemed a trip by referee Ellingham.

Glenn Murray blasted right-footed past Bogdan for his sixth goal of the season, and his third penalty in a week, after bagging two in a 3-2 victory over Cardiff last weekend.

Sub Chung-Yong Lee blasted just over the bar in the closest the Whites got to a comeback.

But this is a result that undoes so much of the good work from Hillsborough last weekend, and heaps pressure on manager Owen Coyle to come up with something heading into Tuesday night's home clash with Leeds.