West Ham recovered from an awful start to defeat Crystal Palace 5-2 and move three points clear of the bottom of the Women’s Super League table.

Both teams began the day on five points, and it looked set to be Palace’s day when early efforts from Mille Gejl and Indiah Paige-Riley found the net.

But the Hammers took the lead before half-time through Vivianne Asseyi, Seraina Piubel and Manuela Pavi, and late strikes from Anouk Denton and Katrina Gorry sealed an important three points.

Palace took the lead from the first opportunity of the game, Annabel Blanchard sliding a ball into Gejl on the left side of the box and the Dane sending her shot into the bottom corner.

Inside 11 minutes they doubled their advantage, pressing West Ham and winning the ball back inside the hosts’ half.

Riley picked up the ball just outside the box on the right and cut inside before sending a weak shot towards the far corner that somehow found its way in.

West Ham were soon back in it, though, breaking down the right in the 17th minute.

Seraina Piubel carried the ball towards the line before sending in a cross that was perfectly weighted for Asseyi to slide in and tap home.

Despite the goal, it was Palace who continued to look the most dangerous and they spurned a glorious chance when Kinga Szemik spilled a cross to the feet of Blanchard but she could only spoon it over the bar from close range.

West Ham made them pay in the 36th minute with another break down the right.

This time Piubel took it on herself, breaking into the box and beating Shae Yanez at the near post for her first WSL goal.

And before half-time, the hosts were ahead. Asseyi could not get a long ball under control but it broke for Pavi, who had the simple task of putting it into an empty net.

West Ham came out the stronger after the break and might have extended their lead, with Asseyi landing a free-kick on the roof of the net and Oona Siren unable to capitalise on a couple of clear openings.

Palace struggled to create anything meaningful and the game was put beyond the visitors in the 82nd minute as right-back Denton was given far too much time to run forward and send a fine left-footed shot into the far corner.

And West Ham added a fifth in injury time, captain Gorry firing in from a tight angle via a deflection after a cross had clipped the far post.