A pair of individual errors cost Crystal Palace their unbeaten pre-season record against a Fulham side whose Craven Cottage debutants impressed in their new surroundings.
Following two draws and three wins in their five fixtures so far, Palace have looked in good shape ahead of the new Premier League season.
However costly mistakes from Mile Jedinak and Julian Speroni either side of half time suggested that they are still some way off full sharpness.
And, while the errors at the back made the difference, their clear lack of options in attack prevented them from clawing their way back into the game.
However, after a week in which his Crystal Palace future was thrown into doubt, Wilfried Zaha returned to the side following a two-week injury lay-off.
Reports have claimed that a contract dispute this summer could lead to the former Manchester United winger leaving Selhurst Park for the second time in his short career.
Watford are among the clubs reportedly keeping tabs on the situation after it was suggested that the 23-year-old wants wage parity with some of the club's highest earners.
However manager Alan Pardew selected him as part of a strong Palace side against their near neighbours Fulham at Craven Cottage.
Pardew has made signing a big-name forward a priority this summer, with Christian Benteke and Saido Berahino both linked with club-record moves to south London.
And it was obvious to see why here as the manager selected winger Yannick Bolasie and central midfielder Jordon Mutch to lead the line in what looked like a conventional 4-4-2.
Fulham, meanwhile, named jut four substitutes for the clash, with the season's curtain raiser at home against Newcastle United now less than a week away. Internet rumours had suggested that virus had swept through the squad ahead of the fixture but Fulham denied that was the reason for the lack of numbers.
Whites boss Slavisa Jovanovic knows what it takes to get out of the Championship having steered Watford to promotion 15 months ago. And, although they finished 20th last term, the former Chelsea defender has targeted a play-off spot this season.
With the future of last season's top scorer Ross McCormack still unclear, much of Fulham's success could depend on the form of new arrival Sone Aluko, who arrived on a free transfer from Hull earlier this month.
McCormack, who hit 21 goals in 45 games last term, missed out here through injury but looks set to be sold this summer with Norwich ready to spend over £10m to land him.
And he looked on from the stands as Aluko, 27, opened the scoring nine minutes from the end of a low-paced first half on the banks of the Thames.
It was a sloppy pass out of defence from Mile Jedinak which made it, allowing Fulham skipper Tom Cairney to slide Aluko into the clear. And the Nigeria international, who scored just three goals in 25 league outings for Hull last term, kept his cool to sidestep Speroni and slot the ball into the empty net.
It was an encouraging display of composure from Aluko, who, along with fellow summer signings Floyd Ayite and Tomas Kalas, impressed during the first half of their Craven Cottage debuts.
Palace, meanwhile, were struggling for incision at the other end. Scott Dann maybe should have scored in the 17th minute from Jason Puncheon's corner but a miraculous point-blank save from Jesse Joronen had kept his header out.
But, for the most part, their frontmen had struggled to find their range and Pardew responded by replacing Bolasie with Connor Wickham at half-time.
And Palace started the second half brightly, with Damien Delaney going close with a header but they were once again undone by a mistake at the back nine minutes after the restart.
This time Julian Speroni somehow spilled a Denis Odoi cross, allowing towering centre-forward Matt Smith to nudge the ball home from close range.
And some more Palace comedy followed, this time at the other end as Zaha got in the way of Puncheon as he attempted to convert Wickham's cut-back, resulting in a wild finish which flew high and wide of the goal.
Again Pardew shuffled his pack in attack, withdrawing Mutch for the fit-again striker Keshi Anderson, who has missed the last nine months following an anterior cruciate ligament injury.
And the forward got Palace back into the game 12 minutes from time, racing onto a fine through-ball from fellow substitute Luke Dreher before finishing past Joronen to make it 2-1.
The goal reinvigorated the visitors, who by now had changed eight of their 10 starting outfield players.
However, as they pressed in search of an equaliser, Ayite hit them with a sucker punch to make it 3-1 in stoppage time.
FULHAM: Joronen; Odoi, Kalas, Madl, Sessegnon, Tunnicliffe (Parker 64), McDonald, Cairney (c), Ayité, Aluko (Stearman 83), Smith (Christensen 69).
UNUSED SUBS: Rodak,
GOALS: Sone Aluko (35) Matt Smith (54) Floyd Ayite (90+1)
CRYSTAL PALACE: Speroni; Ward (Kelly 74), Dann, Delany, Soare (Dreher 69), Jedinak (Williams 82), Puncheon (Croll 69), Mutch (Anderson 62), Townsend (Lee 74), Zaha (Kaikai 78), Bolasie (Wickham 46)
UNUSED SUBS: Perntreou, Binnom-Williams, Wynter, Williams
GOALS: Keshi Anderson (78)