Ben May struck an 89th-minute equaliser to keep Millwall's slim hopes of avoiding relegation alive for another week.

It looked as though Ben Watson's effort for Crystal Palace, midway through the second half, had condemned the home side to yet another defeat, but May's leveller will give Millwall belief that they can still beat the drop.

The home side matched their visitors and deserved a point, but until May's intervention they rarely put genuine pressure on the Palace defence or goalkeeper Gabor Kiraly.

Millwall boss David Tuttle had demanded a win from his relegation-threatened side - but they almost made the worst possible start.

Following good work from Watson, Dougie Freedman played a one-two with Clinton Morrison in the second minute and bore down on Andy Marshall's goal, but the Millwall keeper blocked Freedman's seven-yard effort.

The home side seemed to take heart from that escape. Although Palace were slicker in midfield and attack, Millwall more than equalled them for hunger and desire - and enjoyed the better chances.

Berry Powel - a recent signing from Dutch club Den Bosch - evaded ex-Lion Darren Ward inside the penalty area, but waited too long before shooting, and merely blasted the ball into the side netting from too tight an angle after seven minutes.

Powel was involved again in the 12th minute, contesting Ward's misjudged back-header with Kiraly inside the box. Luckily for Palace, their keeper was first to the ball, and the relieved Ward cleared.

If the first half had contained few chances, the second half was even more bereft of creativity as the match descended into a physical midfield battle.

Unsurprisingly, a defensive mistake in the 67th minute led to the first goal. Millwall centre-back Mark Phillips - recently back from a groin injury- was caught in possession by Michael Hughes, and the Ulsterman slipped the ball to his right for Watson to guide it into the bottom-left corner from just inside the penalty area.

Watson - who also netted in the 1-1 draw between these sides last December - went close four minutes later with a well-struck shot from 22 yards that Marshall did well to tip over the bar.

Freedman shot straight at Marshall from 22 yards in the 83rd minute, and Millwall's frustration appeared complete when substitute Barry Cogan raced down the right before producing an appalling cut-back.

But in the 89th minute, Matt Lawrence crossed from the right, and when the ball fell to May the striker fired it into Kiraly's bottom-right corner from eight yards.

Teams:

Millwall Marshall, Lawrence, Whitbread, Phillips, Craig,Ifil (Williams 64), Elliott, Livermore, Dyer (Cogan 65), May,Powel.

Subs Not Used: Dunne, Doyle, Braniff.

Booked: Whitbread, May.

Goals: May 89.

Crystal Palace Kiraly, Boyce, Ward, Fitz Hall, Borrowdale,McAnuff, Hughes, Watson (Leigertwood 82), Soares,Freedman (Andrews 90), Morrison.

Subs Not Used: Speroni, Fray, Grabban.

Booked: Hughes.

Goals: Watson 67.

Att: 12,296

Ref: L Mason (Lancashire).