The sending-off of Nigel Quashie seconds before the half-time whistle ultimately ended Southampton's dominance in this match and the Saints had to settle for a draw against Hull at the KC Stadium.

Quashie had been orchestrating all of Southampton's slick moves as they raced into a 1-0 lead thanks to Kamil Kosowski.

But moments after Nick Barmby had poached to equalise for the Tigers Quashie saw red after grabbing a Hull player around the neck in a mass halfway-line melee.

Saints started with promising intent, trying where possible to get livewire Theo Walcott on the ball and creating menacing situations down the right through Quashie and Rory Delap.

And it was not long before the visitors found the telling pass to break the deadlock after six minutes.

With defenders backing off him teenage ace Walcott dribbled his way into the box and found an unmarked Quashie.

The Scotland international feigned to shoot but instead played in the overlapping Kosowski on the left who turned inside and coolly finished low into the bottom right corner.

City's cause was further dented when their main aerial threat up front, Ben Burgess, limped off to be replaced by Barmby.

It was one-way traffic from the Saints and Walcott was only denied from close range after 19 minutes by a good smothering save from keeper Bo Myhill.

Brett Ormerod was next to go close for Harry Redknapp's men swivelling inside the six-yard box before flicking the ball against the right post.

Walcott sent a shot just over after another mazy dribble but against the run of play the home side were level on the stroke of half-time.

After Jon Welsh forced Antti Niemi to parry away the resulting corner caused confusion in the area and Barmby pounced to rifle home right-footed into the left corner.

Tempers flared after Saints kicked off and there was a mass of players pushing each other in the centre circle, after speaking with his assistant the referee booked both Welsh and Southampton's Matt Oakley and sent off Quashie.

Buoyed by their numerical advantage Hull seemed a different side after the restart with England Under-21 international Welsh eager to get on the ball and make things happen.

But Southampton still looked the more dangerous in the final third, especially from Delap's long thrown-ins.

Walcott was also still a threat and after another trademark run in field his skimming shot from 20 yards was put out for a corner by a fine finger-tip save from Myhill.

The home side were lacking the inventiveness to break down their opponents so Peter Taylor sent on Northern Ireland international Stuart Elliott.

It seemed to spark something in the home side who managed to get in behind the Saints' backline minutes later only for no one to get on the end of Stuart Greene's centre and Elliott's subsequent fizzing corner.

Redknapp added striker Kenwyne Jones to proceedings and his pace and physical presence helped ease some of the pressure on the visitors.

And as the game wore on both sides seemed to run out of steam and the draw was looking the most likely result even with Hull throwing more players forward.

Teams

Hull Myhill, France, Cort, Collins, Delaney, Green, Welsh, Woodhouse, Burgess (Barmby 13), Paynter (Elliott 63), Brown (Fagan 85).

Subs Not Used: Duke, Lynch.

Booked: Woodhouse.

Goals: Barmby 45.

Southampton Niemi, Delap, Powell, Svensson, Higginbotham, Kosowski (Hajto 45), Oakley, Quashie, Belmadi, Ormerod (Fuller 71), Walcott.

Subs Not Used: Smith, McCann, Jones.

Sent Off: Quashie (45).

Booked: Oakley.

Goals: Kosowski 6.

Att: 18,061

Ref: P Walton (Northamptonshire).