A late equaliser from substitute Nick Barmby earned Hull a 1-1 draw with Stoke at the Britannia Stadium.

The Potters had taken the lead deep in first-half stoppage time thanks to a deflected goal by Liam Lawrence, the Stoke midfielder's fifth strike of the season.

But Barmby, on for Stephen McPhee in the 66th minute, netted in second-half injury time to give the relegation-threatened Tigers a share of the spoils.

Hull, who went into the game fourth from bottom in the Championship table, found themselves under instant pressure as Lawrence raided along the Potters' right.

Hull threatened in the 11th minute when Lee Peltier and Nicky Forster combined to set up Dean Windass who could only loft the ball over the crossbar from little more than six yards out.

It was to be the last involvement from Peltier, on loan with Hull from Liverpool, who found himself limping out of the action in the 22nd minute when he was replaced by Dean Marney.

And two minutes later Stoke, lying seventh in the table ahead of kick-off and eyeing play-off involvement, went close as an unmarked Danny Higginbotham met Lee Hendrie's right-wing corner with a powerful header which goalkeeper Boaz Myhill fingertipped over the crossbar.

Higginbotham was wide with another header from another Hendrie corner before Windass met a Ray Parlour flag-kick at the other end, this time the header being punched away by Steve Simonsen before McPhee's follow-up was deflected over.

Next, Jon Fortune put Ricardo Fuller through thanks to a raking pass, though the Stoke striker's control let him down.

But then, in the second of three minutes' added time, Lawrence cut in off the right-wing and set his sights on the top corner, with video evidence later confirming his effort deflected off Andy Dawson before looping over stranded goalkeeper Myhill.

Both sides lined up unchanged for the start of the second period which opened with Dean Marney blasting a free-kick over from 25 yards before.

At the other end, Fuller pounced on an penalty box error by Hull centre-half Damien Delaney and set the crossbar reverberating.

As play swung again, Parlour tested Simonsen with a dipping 25-yard effort which was palmed over.

Then, in the 61st minute, Stoke left-back Andy Griffin found himself covering out of position on the right and rolled an under-hit backpass to Simonsen whose clearance was charged down by Forster.

But as the Tigers striker slotted into an empty net, Essex official D'Urso ruled the goalkeeper's kick had been blocked by Forster's arm and disallowed the goal.

Hendrie was guilty of a glaring miss in the 71st minute when, with Myhill at his mercy, the midfielder dragged his shot wide.

And the Tigers were to make the hosts pay when, with full-time approaching, Jon Parkin nodded down a hopeful Hull punt forward for Barmby who lashed a fierce half-volley past a helpless Simonsen.

Teams

Stoke Simonsen, Hoefkens, Fortune, Higginbotham, Griffin,Lawrence, Eustace (Russell 65), Matteo, Hendrie (Martin 88),Sidibe (Pericard 79), Fuller.

Subs Not Used: Hoult, Zakuani.

Booked: Matteo.

Goals: Lawrence 45.

Hull Myhill, Ricketts, Turner, Delaney, Dawson,Parlour (Parkin 70), Ashbee, Peltier (Marney 23),McPhee (Barmby 66), Windass, Forster.

Subs Not Used: Duke, Coles.

Booked: Barmby.

Goals: Barmby 90.

Att: 17,109

Ref: A D'Urso (Essex).