Crystal Palace 2 Sheffield Wednesday 1: Murray’s double strike brings halt to Owls’ long unbeaten record

But Jones blamed the referee’s indecisiveness for handing Crystal Palace the points and ending the Owls’ 18-game unbeaten run.

Palace have only lost their first four matches in a league season once – back in 1925 – and they got off to the perfect start here when new signing Yannick Bolasie picked out Murray for the striker to volley home after just 29 seconds.

Wednesday almost hit back immediately through Michail Antonio and they looked the more likely to score as the half went on.

But they had to wait until after the break to get back on level terms as Antonio headed home from Miguel Llera’s corner.

Palace found it difficult to respond until Murray was awarded a penalty 17 minutes from time after a challenge from Mark Beevers.

Referee Rob Lewis eventually changed his mind after consulting with his assistant, with Owen Garvan denied the opportunity to re-establish Palace’s lead.

Murray then went close with a header before a brilliant piece of skill from England Under-21 starlet Wilfried Zaha saw him dispossess Daniel Jones and pick out the unmarked striker who stroked the ball home from close range.

Jones said: “It’s unbelievable – the referee turned the whole game. I thought he was poor.

“You can say he got it right in the end but he whipped up a frenzy with the fans and after that every challenge we made seemed to go against us.

“They’re big decisions and he changed the whole complexion of the game.

“It’s a difficult place to come without them giving them a helping hand along the way.

“We probably didn’t do enough to win the game but we certainly didn’t deserve to lose it.”

Crystal Palace manager Dougie Freedman paid tribute to Murray after his brace of goals and admitted that the striker had been the difference between the two sides as Palace moved off the foot of the Championship table.

“He was fantastic,” said Freedman.

“I feel very strongly on Glenn Murray because I was the one who brought him to the club and he put in some incredible work for the team. I believe we will get better and stronger but we showed some real character to win the game.

“We were low on confidence and playing against a side who have gone on a long unbeaten run.

“I think our performance showed exactly what this club is all about.”

Crystal Palace: Speroni, Delaney, Parr, Bolasie (Williams 81), Ramage, Garvan, Blake (Moxey 46), Jedinak, Zaha, Murray, Moritz (Goodwillie 63). Unused substitutes: Price, Ward, Dikgacoi, Wilbraham.

Sheffield Wednesday: Kirkland, Buxton, Llera, Beevers, Daniel Jones, Semedo, McCabe, O’Grady (Madine 61), Rodri (Mayor 84), Jermaine Johnson (Pecnik 77), Antonio. Unused substitutes: Bywater, Taylor, Mattock, Corry.

Referee: Rob Lewis (Shropshire).

Man of the match: Glenn Murray.