Crystal Palace 1 Hull City 0 match report: Jason Puncheon helps Eagles move away from relegation zone

A tense game at Selhurst Park saw the home side leave with three points

Any more results like this and Tony Pulis may have trouble persuading Crystal Palace co-chairman Steve Parish that he actually needs to spend money before Friday’s transfer deadline day.

A second successive home victory courtesy of a goal from Jason Puncheon helped lift Palace up to the dizzy heights of 14th position, five points clear of the relegation zone.

Hull deserved to take something from an ill-tempered encounter, but with his proud record of never having been relegated now looking likely to remain intact, that will hardly concern Pulis.

The Palace manager had singled out opposite number Steve Bruce’s purchase of strikers Nikica Jelavic and Shane Long for a combined £12million as evidence of why it seemed imperative that Palace bring in new faces this month. That analysis seemed accurate in the 13th minute when Irish striker Long raced past Danny Gabbidon to collect a through ball and went down in the box.

Referee Roger East waved away Bruce’s appeals on the touchline and at first glance it looked a clear dive, but replays showed there was contact with the back of his leg.

Within three minutes Palace were in front through a slice of fortune that always eluded Pulis’s predecessor Ian Holloway. Yannick Bolasie embarked on a superb run down the right and picked out Puncheon unmarked. His subsequent header hit Marouane Chamakh on the back before rebounding back into Puncheon’s path, and he smashed it past goalkeeper Allan McGregor.

Hull then went close on a couple of occasions, only to find goalkeeper Julian Speroni in top form.

A free kick from Mile Jedinak brought the best out of McGregor before Speroni was relieved to see another dead-ball strike from Tom Huddlestone spin away to safety after spilling the ball.

If Hull could consider themselves unfortunate to be trailing at the break, they only had themselves to blame for not levelling the match after the first 20 minutes of the second half. Jake Livermore missed the target with the goal gaping before Liam Rosenior failed to score when a simple finish was all that was needed.

Pulis threw on club captain Paddy McCarthy for his first league appearance in 21 months as Palace attempted to keep their heads above water.

Hull continued to press and Pulis reverted to a more familiar four-man defence. But with time running out, McGregor was dismissed for stupidly kicking out at Stuart O’Keefe and the points were Palace’s.