Millen hails Eagles’ spirit in defeat

West Brom 2 Crystal Palace 0

And while the games that have followed — a home clash with Arsenal and Saturday’s encounter with West Brom at The Hawthorns — have each ended in 2-0 defeats, the 47-year-old believes in both cases there have been encouraging signs on that front.

“In the last two games, I don’t think you can accuse the players of not being together or not working hard.

“So as far as the team spirit is concerned, I have no complaints there. Of course we are on a bad run, and there is a lack of belief. But this is where they have to stay strong. They have to stay strong and dig themselves out of it.”

The loss to West Brom was rock-bottom Palace’s seventh in a row and the ninth they have suffered in their opening 10 Premier League games this term.

Substitute Saido Berahino swept home the first goal in the 44th minute from Stephane Sessegnon’s cut-back and Gareth McAuley headed in Chris Brunt’s corner with seven minutes of normal time remaining.

WEST BROM: Myhill, Billy Jones (Berahino 31), McAuley, Olsson, Ridgewell, Morrison (Yacob 73), Mulumbu, Amalfitano, Sessegnon (Vydra 86), Brunt, Long.

CRYSTAL PALACE: Speroni, Ward, Gabbidon, Delaney, Moxey, Bannan (Bolasie 65), Dikgacoi (Gayle 79), Guedioura (Puncheon 22), Jedinak, Thomas, Chamakh.

Referee: Neil Swarbrick (Lancashire).