What a relief. Palace win against Norwich to put an end to the most frustrating of winless streaks. Here are Robert Sutherland's five talking points. Photo credit: Sebastian F

We've played better and lost

This wasn't a classic performance. It was a nervous, edgy encounter teeming with a sense of not wanting to fail. And with that fear of failure comes an unwillingness to take the kind of risks that win you matches.

We've seen Palace play better than they did against Norwich, only to lose. The defeats to Tottenham, Bournemouth and Watford were all games in which Palace created more clear-cut chances but failed to take them. Matches where individual errors undermined better performances.

The difference here was a willingness to take chances, to defend collectively and to focus for the entire match. And it worked.

jason finally finds his punch

It's taken all season for Jason Puncheon to find his range, a point of frustration for one of Palace's most influential midfielders.

With a wonderful shot that zoomed past the outstretched arms of John Ruddy, Puncheon put an end to the talk of him not contributing. He may not have scored goals this season, but we've missed him when he hasn't played.

Punch, who according to Alan Pardew, carries the club in his heart, was visibly emotional when he scored. This is a player willing to run with the ball, to drive at the heart of defences.

Perhaps, prior to this injury, he spent too much time worrying about creating chances for others. But that goal proved that he's still capable of picking his spot. And this time, it was a hugely crucial effort to give Palace three points in a relegation six-pointer. We've missed him.

let's Give Hennessey the benefit of the doubt

One of the problems we've all witnessed in this run is an inability to keep clean sheets. It's therefore only right that, with no goals conceded against Norwich, credit is given to the players for the work done.

Key to this clean sheet was the Wayne Hennessey save less than sixty seconds after Palace went into the lead. At a point where a Norwich goal might have given them the impetus to push on, Hennessey stretched to push away a Ryan Bennett shot that looked certain to go in.

This spell of games without a win has been punishing on all of our players - but Hennessey has probably suffered more than most. His every move is analysed to the most minute level -- more so than any other player -- and even yesterday, he was subject to ironic cheers when he collected a cross and chants calling for Julian Speroni.

Whether he's worthy of being our first team goalkeeper or not, we're better than what Hennessey was subjected to yesterday. Pardew has given him the benefit of the doubt - its time Palace fans did the same.

Jedinak beast-mode saw us through

Norwich played a surprisingly direct approach on Saturday, and in Scott Dann, Damien Delaney and crucially Mile Jedinak, Palace had all the tools needed to combat it.

Jedinak lead by example, getting his head to crosses, clearances, goal kicks and free kicks, putting his body in the way in a bruising encounter for him.

He also showed a temperament that we've criticised him for previously. It's generally accepted that the Palace captain isn't a passing midfielder, but he did that job brilliantly. It was a performance worthy of the Man of the Match award.

Let's never do that again

Winless runs in the league happen sometimes. Three, four, five game runs. Not 14 games. Not three and a half months.

We didn't deserve to go on such a run for so long. We lost out to plenty of last minute goals, and plenty of tight encounters.

The point to take from this run is that the players never lost that spirit. That willingness to fight. After such a prolonged spell, they could have been forgiven.

But Palace persevered. And that's what mattered.