Hull City 0 Crystal Palace 1: Pearson ponders transfer move as shot-shy Tigers fail to deliver

“We did not create enough and we conceded a soft goal again,” said Pearson.

“They created very little themselves, but we didn’t stretch them. When you have that much possession you need to do something with it.

“We’ve now played three games at home (in the league and cup) and lost them all without scoring a goal, so there is cause for concern.

“I may have to change the style and be a bit more direct or perhaps I may do a bit of business (in the transfer market).

“The team are lacking confidence at home. The stats speak for themselves – our home form’s been poor over the last 12 months.

“I’m still very confident we can turn it around and the club is heading in the right direction, but I understand the fans’ concerns.

“The performances haven’t been horrific but we haven’t scored goals and put other teams under enough pressure.”

Palace took the lead when Jonathan Parr outmuscled Joe Dudgeon, bustled his way to the byline and cut the ball back for James Chester to poke the ball into his own net under pressure from Jermaine Easter.

Sean Scannell nearly added a second for the visitors after more hesitant defending but Hull goalkeeper Adriano Basso produced a fine sprawling save.

The hosts should have levelled just before the break, but Julian Speroni smothered Matty Fryatt’s close-range effort and Robert Koren’s follow-up shot was blocked.

Speroni tipped Corry Evans’s low right-footed drive round the post late on to secure the points.

Palace manager Dougie Freedman hailed the hunger of his players after their third consecutive win.

“The performance was excellent and we were resilient at the back,” said Freedman.

“Hull threw a lot at us but I thought we coped with it and I can’t remember too many clear-cut chances.

“We’re not getting carried away with our start, but we’ve got hungry young players. We play with good intensity and always try to win the ball back, and you saw that with the goal.

“That’s the sort of hunger you always want to have at your club.”

Hull City: Basso, Rosenior, Chester, Hobbs, Dudgeon, Koren, McKenna (Mclean 57), Evans, Cairney (Adebola 75), Brady (Barmby 64), Fryatt. Unused substitutes: Gulacsi, Dawson.

Crystal Palace: Speroni, Tunchev, McCarthy, McGivern, Wright, Zaha (Dorman 63), Parr, Ramage, Jedinak (Ambrose 75), Easter, Scannell (Andrew 87). Unused substitutes: Price, Williams.

Referee: G Salisbury (Lancashire).

Man of the match: Liam Rosenior.