Crystal Palace boss Tony Pulis has backed Marouane Chamakh to improve his form this season.

The Moroccan striker scored only his second goal of the campaign on Tuesday night as Palace earned a vital 1-0 win over fellow Premier League strugglers West Ham United.

Pulis now hopes that Chamakh will be encouraged to go on and find the net more often in the coming months as the team battles against relegation.

"Chamakh never stopped running," he is quoted as saying by Goal.com. "He's got good quality and is a good player, he just needs some confidence. Hopefully that will give him some confidence to grow into the player we need."

Palace return to Premier League action on Saturday when they welcome Cardiff City to Selhurst Park.