Hull City surrendered their unbeaten home record with a whimper as Barry Bannan's 81st minute goal earned 10-man Crystal Palace a 1-0 win at the KC Stadium. Despite seeing Yannick Bolasie sent off 11 minutes from time, the struggling Eagles gave new boss Tony Pulis a priceless first away win when Bannan converted Cameron Jerome's cross to finally break City's resistance at the KC Stadium.
City had their chances, with Yannick Sagbo denied by Julian Speroni and Liam Rosenior striking a post at the death, but there was to be no masking a poor performance from Steve Bruce's men. Losing at the KC Stadium for the first time since the start of April, a fourth defeat in five Premier League games brought a fall to 13th in the table ahead of facing high-flying Liverpool next weekend.
A damaging defeat, against a Palace side that had failed to pick up a single point on their travels, leaves Bruce with much to ponder.
A fortnight on from a humbling 4-1 loss at Southampton, a home game against the Premier League's bottom club appeared to offer an inviting chance to get back to winning ways. Bruce's response was to recall Allan McGregor, Robbie Brady and Robert Koren to form an attack-minded formation but there was little fluency to the Tigers' play in a disjointed opening half.
With Palace being watched from the stands by new manager Pulis, appointed two hours earlier, there was a determination to the visitors' play. That was enough to contain a City attack short on ideas and dependent largely on the threat from set-pieces.
A lifeless encounter saw Palace threaten occasionally on the counter attack with Yannick Bolasie shooting wide, while boyhood Eagles fan George Boyd's deflected effort was comfortably handled by Julian Speroni for City's best chance.
At times there was more drama to be found off the pitch. Attempts to parade a campaign banner that read "We are Hull City" were blocked by stewards at the front of the East Stand, a move that almost spilled over into a regrettable incident. Owner Assem Allam, the man pushing for a name change to Hull Tigers, was shown on TV cameras looking on.
The game finally found signs of life after the break inside a dramatic 53rd minute. At one end Boyd played in Yannick Sagbo only to be denied by the onrushing Speroni, before Palace countered at pace. Bolasie's ball across goal found Dwight Gayle but Ahmed Elmohamady's last-ditch challenge prevented a clean shot on McGregor's goal.
Increasingly apparent that a goal would be enough to win it, Palace were the side showing greatest intent. Both Bolasie and Cameron Jerome fired narrowly wide of goal, the first chance coming after sloppy play in midfield from George Boyd.
City had their best chance soon after but it perhaps fell to the wrong man. Once Boyd's corner kick fell kindly to Curtis Davies, the centre-half could not get his legs in order to capitalise.
The Tigers were given a numerical advantage for the second home game running when Bolasie was sent off for a crude challenge on Jake Livermore, but it was Palace who finally broke the deadlock nine minutes from the end. The dangerous Jerome was allowed to advance to the byline and pulling back across goal, Bannan arrived ahead of Liam Rosenior to roll in a well-worked goal.
City huffed and puffed for an equaliser but they were denied an equaliser at the death. After Palace cleared off the line, Rosenior's well-struck drive from distance hit the upright in stoppage time. Hull City: Allan McGregor, Ahmed Elmohamady, Paul McShane (Liam Rosenior 59), Curtis Davies, Maynor Figueroa, Robert Koren (Gedo 77), Tom Huddlestone, Jake Livermore, George Boyd, Robbie Brady (Danny Graham 46), Yannick Sagbo. Subs: Steve Harper, Alex Bruce, David Meyler, Abdoulaye FayeCrystal Palace: Julian Speroni, Joel Ward, Damien Delaney, Danny Gabbidon, Dean Moxey, Kagisho Dikgacoi (Stuart O'Keefe 75), Mile Jedinak, Yannick Bolasie, Barry Bannan, Dwight Gayle, Morouane Chamakh (Cameron Jerome 36). Subs: Subs: Neil Alexander, Adrian Mariappa, Kevin Phillips, Jason Puncheon, Jonny Williams.Attendance: 23,043 (921 away).
