San Francisco, CA (Sports Network) - Shaun Hill, making his first career start, threw a touchdown and ran one in as the San Francisco 49ers defeated the Cincinnati Bengals, 20-13, at Monster Park.

Hill went 21-for-28 for 197 yards while Frank Gore added 138 yards on 29 carries for the 49ers (4-10), who snapped a two-game losing streak and won at home for the first time since the opening week of this season, having lost five straight.

"I thought it was an outstanding team victory from start to finish," said 49ers coach Mike Nolan. "Every phase of the game did a nice job and I do believe Cincinnati is an outstanding football team. They've got a lot of talent on their team. Certainly they have not met their goals that they had this year. We're all aware of the weapons they have on offense."

The 27-year old Hill was making his first start as Trent Dilfer suffered a concussion last week against the Vikings. Dilfer was starting in place of Alex Smith, who is out for the season with a separated right shoulder that will require surgery.

"That's everybody's goal, nobody wants to be a third stringer but it lived up to everything I thought it would," said Hill. "I think what helped me most was having confidence in the guys around me. They did a great job in practice executing and I had no doubt in my mind they'd go out in the game and do the same."

Carson Palmer went 19-for-31 with 252 yards and a touchdown and Chad Johnson had six catches for 78 yards for the Bengals (5-9), who have dropped two of their last three.

"On the offensive side of the football, we didn't run the football effectively enough," said Bengals coach Marvin Lewis. "We had some opportunities. It ended up being the difference in the football game. We've got to do a better job. We don't score when we get the ball in the red zone, we don't come away with touchdowns and that's significant. Anytime you lose it's disappointing."

Trailing by 10 points to start the fourth quarter, the Bengals made it a one- score game with a nine-play, 66-yard drive that began towards the end of the third quarter and was capped on a 35-yard field goal from Shayne Graham to make it a 20-13 contest with 11:18 to play.

San Francisco held the ball for almost five minutes on the next possession, but on a 4th-and-2 at the Bengals 24-yard line, the team opted to go for it and Hill's pass to Jason Hill fell incomplete to turn the ball over.

Cincinnati mounted an impressive drive, which included an 18-yard reception by T.J. Houshmandzadeh on 4th-and-5, and got to the San Francisco 24. However, on 4th-and-3, Palmer lofted a pass to Johnson in the left corner of the end zone, and the receiver was unable to come down with the ball.

It appeared that the Bengals were going to get the ball back as the 49ers faced a 3rd-and-9 right before the two-minute warning, but Gore broke through the middle on a 10-yard play for a first down and the Niners killed the remainder of the clock to hold on for the win.

The first quarter was a scoreless affair, but the 49ers ended the frame with the ball and scored a bit over two minutes into the second quarter. On 2nd- and-goal at the three-yard line, Shaun Hill faked a handoff, rolled out to the right on a naked bootleg and scampered into the end zone for a 7-0 lead.

The Bengals answered with a 24-yard field goal from Graham to cap a 10-play, 63-yard drive to make it a 7-3 game with 8:27 left in the first half.

After holding San Francisco to a three-and-out on the ensuing possession, Cincinnati took a 10-7 lead as Carson Palmer lofted a bomb up for Chris Henry, who caught the ball near the end zone and took it in on a 52-yard play for a 10-7 lead with 4:38 left in the second quarter.

San Francisco, though, responded with a 10-play, 76-yard drive that Hill finished when he hit Vernon Davis in the end zone from 17 yards out for a 14-10 advantage with just nine ticks left on the clock.

The 49ers extended their lead to 20-10 in the third quarter with a pair of field goals from Joe Nedney, a 29-yarder and a 38-yarder.

Game Notes

The touchdown pass to Henry was the 100th of Palmer's career...San Francisco has won five straight at home versus Cincinnati...Houshmandzadeh finished the game with five catches for 62 yards...The 49ers wrap up their home schedule next Sunday against Tampa Bay...The Bengals play their last home game of the season next Sunday against Cleveland.

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