It was Quashie who set up Southampton's goal when he picked out Kamil Kosowski who finished low into the corner.
But on the stroke of half-time Nicky Barmby rifled home a right-footed shot into the corner of the net to equalise.
And after Saints restarted, tempers flared with Quashie red-carded after he grappled with a Hull player.
Southampton boss Harry Redknapp following the scuffle between Curtis Woodhouse and Matt Oakley, that led to Nigel Quashie's sending off :
"I thought the two of them started pushing each other like a pair of tarts," said Redknapp.
"Then everyone started running in. What do they have to go running in for, it's two idiots pushing each other."
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).