Swansea City boss Paulo Sousa paid tribute to his side for ending their 90-year wait for a win at Crystal Palace with a classy and gutsy display.

A 14^th minute strike from Shefki Kuqi against his old club was enough to keep the Swans in fifth place.

And with a number of their play-off rivals slipping up on a busy night of Championship football, the three points could prove vital at the end of the season.

"It's an important win - and a tough win - because it is always difficult coming to Crystal Palace to try and play good football,'' explained Paulo.

"We managed to do that in the first-half, but suffered a bit after the interval. But we were well organised and that has enabled us to get this important result. It shows how much we are maturing as individuals and as a squad.

"We are more mature, we are suffering pressure better and are more consistent. To win games, sometimes you need to be always strong and focused 100 per cent on doing the right things, and that's what we've done here.

"I'm pleased for Shefki (Kuqi) that he got the goal. He is a player who has added some different characteristics to our squad and we try to use him in the best way to get the three points.

"And the clean sheets (17 so far this season) gives us consistency and confidence to look forward with a lot of happiness.''

Even Crystal Palace manager Neil Warnock was full of praise for Swansea, despite being bitterly disappointed with the result.

"Swansea are probably the best side we've played this year,'' he said. "They'll take some stopping, will Swansea.

"But I thought until the end we could have got a result. The disappointment is not scoring a goal; but Swansea don't concede many.

"I felt we should have had a penalty in the first-half as anywhere else on the pitch it's a free-kick.

"We were not going to get many chances, so we need decisions like that going for you.

"But I thought the referee was poor. He probably had one of those days that he wished he stopped at home."