Jobi McAnuff gave edgy Crystal Palace a narrow half-time advantage against lowly Northampton as FA Cup fever made a low-key return to south London.

The Coca-Cola Championship promotion hopefuls took an early lead through veteran midfielder Michael Hughes.

But as a half-full Selhurst Park sat back and anticipated a comfortable afternoon, Colin Calderwood's League Two play-off chasers grabbed a shock equaliser through Josh Low.

However McAnuff's second goal in two games calmed Palace's nerves shortly before the interval.

Iain Dowie's side, showing five changes from the line-up which saw off Leicester on Monday, went ahead after being awarded a soft free-kick on the edge of the Northampton area.

Hughes expertly curled his shot around an ineffective Northampton wall and past the despairing dive of Lee Harper with just two minutes on the clock.

Andrew Johnson then hit the side-netting from McAnuff's low cross and Ben Watson volleyed wide from Hughes' corner as Palace went for a second goal inside the opening five minutes.

England World Cup hopeful Johnson then latched on to some distinctly League Two defending to play in Dougie Freedman, but the ball got stuck under the Scot's feet as he shaped to shoot and Town managed to clear.

In the 12th minute Palace were hit with a sucker punch as Andy Kirk intercepted the ball in midfield and broke clear.

The striker raced into the Palace penalty area before squaring to Low, who coolly slotted the ball past a helpless Gabor Kiraly for his third goal of the season.

Worryingly for Dowie, Northampton looked the better side for long periods of the half, with Kirk forcing a smart save from Gabor Kiraly and former Aston Villa stalwart Ian Taylor firing wide from close range.

The Cobblers were undone, however, in the 36th minute when Wayne Andrews drove in a low cross from the right and McAnuff thumped the ball past Harper and into the roof of the net.

Teams:

Crystal Palace Kiraly, Boyce, Ward, Hudson, Borrowdale, Macken (Black 66), Hughes (Riihilahti 72), Watson, Andrews, Johnson (Berry 83), Freedman.

Subs Not Used: Speroni, Wilson.

Goals: Hughes 4, McAnuff 37, Johnson 53 pen, Freedman 88 pen.

Northampton Harper, Doig, Chambers, Bojic (Brett Johnson 79), Crowe, Low, Taylor, Jess (Mendes 73), Hunt, Kirk, McGleish.

Subs Not Used: Bunn, Cross, Bonner.

Goals: Low 12.

Att: 10,391

Ref: I Williamson (Berkshire).