Stoke City 1-0 Crystal Palace
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Wales midfielder Joe Allen drilled in his sixth Premier League goal since arriving from Liverpool last summer
Crystal Palace remain rooted in the Premier League relegation zone after Joe Allen's second-half winner lifted Stoke City into the top half.
Potters defender Bruno Martins Indi had a header cleared off the line in a first half which offered few thrills.
Stoke continued to create the better chances after half-time, Marko Arnautovic picking out Ramadan Sobhi who teed up Allen's low angled drive.
The victory moves Stoke into ninth, while Palace stay second-bottom.
Palace, who have won just one Premier League game since Sam Allardyce took over, are only above Sunderland because of their better goal difference.
Big Sam struggling to turn around Palace's fortunes
Former England boss Allardyce arrived at Palace, following the departure of Alan Pardew in early December, with a managerial CV brimming with escapes from the Premier League drop.
But avoiding his first top-flight relegation is becoming increasingly difficult.
Palace have only won seven of their last 46 league fixtures - losing 28 - with Allardyce guiding them to just one victory in his eight games at the helm.
There were signs of improvement from last weekend's shocking 4-0 home defeat by relegation rivals Sunderland, with the visitors looking more defensively stable as Allardyce reverted to a 4-2-3-1 formation.
Attacking threat was sporadic, though.
The Eagles managed just one shot on target - Patrick van Aanholt's low first-half drive straight at Stoke keeper Lee Grant - as Allardyce's team remain two points adrift of safety.
"I'm encouraged by the performance I saw - but we still didn't pick up the point we deserved," said Allardyce.
Stoke didn't create much, just three shots on target including Allen's winner (yellow arrow)...
...but Palace created even less. They managed to stick just one of their six shots on target (red arrow)
Stoke edge 'war of attrition'
Stoke have consistently competed for a top-half finish since manager Mark Hughes replaced Tony Pulis in 2013, finishing ninth in each of their three seasons under the former Wales boss' guidance.
And the Potters look well on course to accruing their largest points tally - eclipsing the 54 in 2014-15 - in a single Premier League season.
Stoke, who moved above West Ham and Watford into the top half, have earned 32 points from their 25 games.
These three points were certainly hard-fought in a game described by Hughes as "a war of attrition at times".
Despite controlling possession and territory, Stoke did not create many chances themselves and were reliant on the only moment of real quality to earn just their second win in seven league matches.
Austria forward Arnautovic was the architect of the winner, showing superb vision to pick out Sobhi with a superb diagonal pass which the Egyptian winger held up before laying off to the onrushing Allen.
And the Wales midfielder did the rest, drilling out of Wayne Hennessey's grasp into the bottom corner.
Post-match reaction
Stoke manager Mark Hughes:
Hughes pleased with 'ugly' Stoke win
"It was a hard-fought win I have to say. We needed that breakthrough and it was a great goal when it came.
"We always felt that we would see the game through to a conclusion once we went ahead, and we restricted Palace to very few opportunities.
"Joe Allen times his runs well, he has an aptitude for it and it was a great finish.
"We are not in bad shape overall, we are doing OK but now we have to navigate our way through some very difficult games."
Crystal Palace manager Sam Allardyce:
Palace need to keep believing - Allardyce
"I'm disappointed for the lads. They had many moments in the game when we were in control and none more so than when Stoke scored.
"They scored their only shot on target in the second half. It's a 1-0 defeat again and not the point that we deserve at least.
"We have to keep battling on and believing. These are an honest bunch of players. Last week was a fluke, we conceded three goals in three minutes.
"Today the overall performance was there but the result wasn't. It's a results business and we need them fast.
"It's not been the results I expected. I thought it would have been easier for me to get the players to understand certain things. We all need to take more responsibility but we have to keep our chins up and graft away."
Crystal Palace defender James Tomkins:
"We looked a lot more solid today.
"Stoke had one shot on target in the second half and scored but we can take positives from the game.
"We all need to stay positive. We all believe that we can pull together and get out of it. Nothing is going our way."
Analysis - 'Big Sam seems incapable of turning it around'
Former England defender Martin Keown on Final Score:
"There were problems at Crystal Palace before Sam Allardyce arrived, and Big Sam seems simply incapable of turning this around.
"The manager, who's so experienced, needs to work hard to get the fear out of his side. But I just don't see it happening now."
Man of the match - Bruno Martins Indi (Stoke)
Dutch centre-back Martins Indi was exceptional as Stoke hardly let Palace have a sniff of goal. He made a game-high 11 interceptions - more than double of any other player - as Stoke kept the clean sheet
What's next?
A week off for both clubs as the FA Cup resumes, before they get back to Premier League business in a fortnight.
Palace face a huge relegation scrap against sixth-bottom Middlesbrough at Selhurst Park on Saturday, 25 February (15:00 GMT), while Stoke go to top four-chasing Tottenham on Sunday, 26 February (13:30).