Hull skipper Ian Ashbee earned a crucial point for his relegation-hreatened side and denied Crystal Palace boss Peter Taylor a win over his former club.

Palace looked to be heading for victory thanks to Carl Fletcher's 30-yard thunderbolt shortly after half-time, but Ashbee's header 18 minutes from the end meant Phil Brown's team have now collected 10 points from their last four Coca-Cola Championship matches.

Dean Windass - playing the first game of his second spell at Hull - hit the post with a free-kick in first-half stoppage time and headed against the bar late in the second half, while Palace's Shefki Kuqi missed a sitter shortly after his team had taken the lead.

Taylor left Hull in the summer to move to Palace, and he could have argued that his old team were fortunate not to be reduced to 10 men early in the match.

In the 25th minute, the impressive Michael Turner was lucky to escape with only a booking from referee Clive Penton after he appeared to kick out at ex-Hull man Stuart Green following a challenge between the two on the Palace right.

Shortly afterwards, Palace almost took the lead when Mark Kennedy's right-wing corner reached Leon Cort - another former Hull player - at the far post, and Tigers keeper Boaz Myhill did well to claw away his header.

In the 34th minute, Stephen McPhee was booked for an apparent dive after racing onto Jon Parkin's fine pass before tumbling dramatically inside the box as he pushed the ball past Scott Flinders.

McPhee even sustained an injury when falling and had to be replaced, giving Windass his second 'debut' following his loan move from Bradford earlier this week.

Windass almost made it the perfect return in first-half stoppage time, but his 25-yard free-kick hit the post with Flinders beaten.

But it was the home side who took the lead in the 51st minute, the lively Jobi McAnuff evading Sam Ricketts on the left before setting up Fletcher to send a superbly-struck 30-yard effort beyond Myhill's dive.

Palace should have made it 2-0 three minutes later, but Kuqi somehow headed over from six yards after Kennedy's long cross had picked him out.

And in the 72nd minute, Brown's men punished Palace when Ashbee escaped the marking to head Marney's right-wing corner past Flinders' right hand.

Hull were delighted, but they escaped in the 74th minute when Cort's fierce close-range shot hit Myhill full in the face, and Turner scrambled the ball clear.

At the other end, Flinders almost allowed Parkin's angled drive to slip from his grasp four minutes from full-time, before Windass nodded against the crossbar in stoppage time.

Teams

Crystal Palace Flinders, Lawrence, Hudson, Ward, Cort,McAnuff, Fletcher, Green (Ifill 62), Kennedy (Morrison 83),Freedman (Soares 70), Kuqi.

Subs Not Used: Kiraly, Butterfield.

Goals: Fletcher 51.

Hull Myhill, Dawson, Delaney, Turner, Ricketts, Marney,Ashbee, France (Elliott 82), Forster, McPhee (Windass 37),Parkin.

Subs Not Used: Duke, Coles, Duffy.

Booked: Turner, McPhee.

Goals: Ashbee 72.

Att: 17,012

Ref: C Penton (Sussex).