Fulham were beaten 2-1 by Crystal Palace in a behind-closed-doors friendly at Motspur Park on Friday evening.
Gonzalo García and César Palacios were given a first run out since their signing on Monday, and looked lively in a promising first half for the Whites which had seen us take an early lead through Antonee Robinson.
But a scrappy Ismaïla Sarr goal from a Palace corner restored parity, before our visitors struck early in the second half through Matheus França – a goal which would prove to be the winner.
Fulham needed just three minutes to get in front, with Oscar Bobb switching the play to find the forward run of Robinson who took a touch before lashing clinically beyond Walter Benitez.
Gonzalo’s first attempt in black and white took only 11 minutes, but Benitez was able to parry his snapshot away from danger, before Josh King fizzed a wicked effort agonisingly wide from long distance.
The Whites were controlling proceedings and Gonzalo had another effort on target two minutes later, but the angle was tight and Benitez was able to smuggle it around the post.
A well worked corner then saw King pick out Bobb at the far post – he cushioned the ball back into Gonzalo in the middle, but the striker sent his header over.
The first Palace threat came as we approached the half hour mark, when Jorgen Strand Larsen worked a yard of space after capitalising on a loose pass. His curling shot was destined for the corner, but for a stunning fingertip save from Bernd Leno.
An equaliser wasn’t far away, though, with Sarr bundling in after Chris Richards had nodded Adam Wharton’s deep corner back into the six-yard box.
The Whites looked to respond through the lively Bobb, who shimmied beyond his man in the area before drawing another save from Benitez.
It was the Norwegian winger who set up the next chance, too, finding Palacios who thumped his effort against the crossbar.
Palace remained a threat with the options in their frontline, and it required another superb Leno save to deny Sarr a second as half-time loomed.
But within two minutes of the restart, they were ahead. Calvin Bassey got as tight to França as he could, but only succeeded in deflecting the shot beyond replacement goalkeeper Benjamin Lecomte.
More good running from Robinson presented a half chance for an equaliser when he teed up Gonzalo, but the striker placed one marginally the wrong side of the far stick.
He was replaced by Rodrigo Muniz for the closing stages, and the Fulham number nine quickly went for an audacious chest and overhead kick from the edge of the box, but the ambitious attempt dropped wide.
Justin Devenney could have wrapped things up with eight minutes to play, but a firm block from Joachim Andersen denied his former teammate.
Fulham 1-2 Crystal Palace highlights
Fulham probed for the goal which would have earned a deserved draw, but the Eagles held firm to take the spoils.
Fulham: Leno (Lecomte 46'); Tete (Castagne 46'), Bassey (De Fougerolles 80'), Cuenca (Andersen 62'), Robinson (Sessegnon 62'); Reed (Berge 46'), Iwobi, King (Zepa 80'); Bobb (Smith Rowe 54'), Gonzalo (Muniz 72'), Palacios (Kevin 72')
Subs not used: Borto, Kusi-Asare
Crystal Palace: Benitez, Riad (Tomiyasu, 45), Richards (Sosa, 63), Canvot, Cardines (Mingueza, 45), Kamada (Doucoure, 63), Wharton (Hughes, 45), Mitchell, Sarr (Devenny, 45), Nketiah (Rak-Sakyi, 63), Strand Larsen (Franca, 45)
Subs not used: Matthews, Whitworth, Benamar, Jemide, Ozoh.