Crystal Palace 2 v 0 Hull City

FOR the visit of Hull City Iain Dowie was forced into a new formation as injuries robbed him of two of his best midfielders.

The absence of Jobi McAnuff and Mikele Leigertwood led the Eagles boss to experiment with a 4-3-3 formation.

The fear for the home fans was their side would be overrun in midfield and so it proved as Hull dominated the early proceedings in the opening quarter.

On 23 minutes they should have made their supremacy count when Chris Brown played in Nicky Barmby but the former Spurs and Liverpool midfielder crashed his shot against Gabor Kiraly's bar.

Apparently buoyed by the reprieve Palace immediately went on the attack and against the run of play opened the scoring with their first shot on target.

The goal was fashioned by the direct running of Tom Soares who, having beaten three men with a jinking run, squared for Clinton Morrison and the Republic of Ireland man was left with the simplest of tasks to hand the home side a lead they scarcely merited.

The goal seemed to deflate the Tigers and Andy Johnson nearly made it two after his trickery had made inroads into the Hull box but he over-ran the ball and the chance was lost.

On the stroke of half-time Johnson did find his way into the referee's notebook but it was for a caution rather than a goal.

The first chance of the second-half fell to Northern Ireland international Stuart Elliott who guided his header weakly wide of Kiraly's post.

At the other end Jon Macken almost broke his Palace duck but his left-foot shot rolled agonisingly across the face of goal.

Chances were at a premium and a raft of substitutions just after the hour mark further disrupted the flow of an already scrappy game.

The next opportunity fell to Hull's Damien Delaney but the centre-half skied his shot high into the Whitehorse Road End.

Tigers substitute Stuart Green had the chance to silence the home support when his side were awarded a free-kick in a dangerous position but his shot was high, wide and not very handsome.

For Palace the evergreen Michael Hughes broke forward late in the game but his low right-footed shot was easily gathered by Boaz Myhill.

On the stroke of full-time Johnson made sure of the points by capitalising on a hesitation in the Hull ranks to slot the ball coolly past Myhill for his fifth goal of the campaign.

The result flattered the Eagles though they do say winning without playing particularly well is the hallmark of a Championship-winning side.

Assistant manager Neil MacDonald said: "Andrew Johnson looked more comfortable when Clinton Morrison came off and we just had two up front.

"But they have to adjust to what the manager wants and we will work at it. We are not yet at 100 per cent but we have momentum and the spirit is very good."

Palace: Kiraly; Boyce; Hall; Ward; Borrowdale; Soares (Riihilahti, 65); Watson; Hughes; Johnson; Macken (Andrews, 90); Morrison (Butterfield, 80).

Subs not used: Speroni; Popovic.

Booked: Johnson; Watson; Macken.

Att: 18,630.