It did not take long for Jordan Ayew to repay the faith bestowed in him by Crystal Palace manager Roy Hodgson, by making a triumphant entrance to the New Year as he finally broke his duck after 13 games, helping his side claim a vital 2-0 away win over Wolverhampton Wanderers in the Premier League on Wednesday.
After missing the Eagles last three games, the 27-year-old was handed a starting role in place of countryman Jeffrey Schlupp. He eventually scored the opening goal before Luka Milivojevic added another deep in additional time.
Ayew came close to finding the back of the net after the break but his effort was thwarted by Conor Coady.
With seven minutes remaining, Ayew found himself in a good position to connect a pass from Patrick van Aanholt and fired it past goalkeeper Rui Patricio for the opener. The goal marked the Ghanaian's first league goal since he scored for Swansea City in the 1-1 stalemate against Everton on April 14, 2017.
Palace captain Milivojevic sealed the victory late in additional time from the spot after Wilfried Zaha was brought down by Ryan Bennett.
Ayew had been facing criticisms from Palace's fans after going 12 games without a goal and shooting just once on target, a situation which prompted the club's top hierarchy to openly declare their interest for Liverpool forward Dominic Solanke.
With 22 points, Crystal Palace have edged further away from the relegation zone as they sit 14th on the log. They will host Manchester City at the Selhurst Park on January 14.
