Premier League - Hull comeback halts Man City

Eurosport - Mon, 17 Nov 09:04:00 2008

Two Stephen Ireland goals were not enough to earn Manchester City a win at Hull City as the sides drew 2-2 in the Premier League.

2008-2009 Hull-Manchester City Geovanni scores a free-kick - 0

Geovanni earned the home side a share of the spoils with a deflected second-half free-kick after Ireland's heroics had put City in control.

Daniel Cousin gave Hull the lead at the KC Stadium following a dreadful Tal Ben Haim error, before an equally serious blunder from Kamil Zayette allowed Ireland to equalise, and the midfielder put City in front with a peach of a strike just before half-time .

Between them, the two sides had picked up none of the previous 18 Premier League points available, and both managers will probably be satisfied with a draw just to stop their recent rot.

The teams' poor form had put them under pressure, and that told twice in the first half as those terrible defensive mistakes led to the first two goals.

City centre-back Ben Haim underhit his backpass to Joe Hart woefully on 12 minutes, allowing Cousin to sneak in and prod the ball into the net.

To compound City's misery, Hart was injured in attempting to save the shot and had to be replaced by Kasper Schmeichel after damaging ankle ligaments.

The 21-year-old will almost certainly miss England's friendly international against Germany on Wednesday, the latest among a clutch of players to pull out of Fabio Capello's squad.

With Richard Dunne suspended and Dietmar Hamann on the bench, City's captain's armband passed to record signing Robinho.

It was a curious decision by Mark Hughes, considering the Brazilian's limited acquaintance with the English language, and he did little to gee up his troops in the injury-enforced break following the opening goal.

The visitors struggled to assert themselves following a sequence of one win from seven Premier League games, but were handed a lifeline eight minutes before half-time.

Zayette intercepted a poor Robinho pass but, under no pressure, took a catastrophically heavy touch and let in Ireland, who slotted into the empty net with his left foot.

If Ireland's first goal was lucky, his second was a beauty. He collected a low lateral pass from the left from Javier Garrido and, unmarked, bent a superb shot inside the far corner from the edge of the box to send City into half-time in front.

Geovanni fired over from 35 yards with an ambitious free-kick early in the second half, but had more success when a second set-piece was awarded 25 yards out for a soft foul on Marlon King by Micah Richards.

The Brazilian's effort deflected off Vincent Kompany in the wall, wrong-footing Schmeichel and looping into the right side of the Manchester City net.

Hull looked the more likely to snatch victory, not least from a thrice-taken Geovanni free-kick.

Twice the Brazilian's effort was blocked, but referee Phil Dowd adjudged that the wall broke early and booked Shaun Wright-Phillips and Ireland.

At the third attempt the shot was deflected for a corner, with Dowd ignoring Darius Vassell who once again advanced too soon to charge the ball down.

Vassell had City's best chance in the final minute of the 90, but saw a close-range volley blocked superbly by Boaz Myhill.

Alex Chick / Eurosport

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  1. All the comments re Geovanni and how City would be rubbish without him....yeah, he's class and plays with heart and passion (and scores some stunning goals) but we're more than just a 1 man team. Take a look at Marney, Ashbee, Dawson, Myhill, Turner - played in the lower leagues and not looking out of place in the Premiership. Then take a look at King, Cousin, Boateng (hopefully soon Stelios) - let go by their clubs, unwanted, and look at how they play for City - playing for the team and for the love of the game. Oh yeah, don't forget the manager - Phil Brown - sensible, grounded, not a whinger/whiner. From some of these posts all I can see are some sore losers who expected a goal fest against Hull and got beat!!

    From sam, on Tue 18 Nov 11:57AM
  2. In case ye dont know Steven Ireland i a P.Rick.

    From MICHAEL M, on Mon 17 Nov 8:34PM
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    From , on Mon 17 Nov 7:50PM
  4. tommihew thanks for that support,i agree with most of your comments,maybe i am being a bit to naive about managers,I like to see them being passionate about their side on touch line,but not confrontational with refs and officials,we all make mistakes at times ,which can be unfortunate in a football game ,usally things even out along the way,perfection is impossible, without some kind of video ref on jubious decisions,which to my thinking would not be suitable ,too much stop, start, just maybe apply to goal decisons

    From Peter C, on Mon 17 Nov 6:12PM
  5. what a sad boy jonathanwilliamson is....letting your petty hatred of my football club and all the others in the premiership. perhaps when/or probably if his own team ever gets to the top league will he also hate them too?.....i feel sorry for you it must be really eating you up....loser

    From Chris W, on Mon 17 Nov 12:54PM
  6. Hull are a credit to their fans and manager - they try and play football, can also mix it and have vocal support.

    City are in absolute disarray, the chief architect of which is Mark Hughes, whose team selections beggar belief at the moment.

    No Did Hamann in the side when his experience, breaking up of attacks, passing, dubious free kick winning etc is exactly what is needed, especially away, plus Vassell getting another full 90 mins, for what reason nobody except Hughe sknows. Ben Haim was also his signing - oh dear.

    I'm all for sticking with Hughes but he really needs to display more common sense and stop moaning about referees - City should have beaten Spurs and Hull, regardless of refereeing decisions - to bemoan your luck in this respect repeatedly is the sign of a clueless, desperate manager.

    From Paul F, on Mon 17 Nov 12:35PM
  7. :) I was also being deliberately obnoxious because im bored and wanna talk football heh heh. City fan eh? Nice one, i like city. Well all I hope is that your big men up top dont start doing a manager swap shop. Keep your City soul its a big attaraction to a non supporter, and it doesnt matter how much money you have, you deserve to grow into a super power, slowly and surely.
    Peter C, yeah cool Phil Brown thats his name :) yeah i see your point about him not criticising the Refs but this is what irks me about the whole premship. On the pitch it should be only the captain who confronts the ref about dubious decisions, keep the language decent, and you should be able to say what you want to the ref. I hate the fact that a ref can just pull out a card just because his precious little self esteem may have been hurt, and he's embarrassed because of his own decision. Too many cards come down to that nowadays. Managers should have the right to say whatever they want about a ref after a game too! as long as they keep the langauage respectful. Too many managers get fined, or hauled up infront of a FA tribunal for saying nothing more than what the rest of us around the country are thinking.

    From Tom, on Mon 17 Nov 10:21AM
  8. Some of the comments aimed at Hull City and the city are not justified As regards the Hull City players we all recognise they are not in the same league, as most Prem teams full of over paid prima donnas,Hull players have shown good honest hardwork, team spirit,and are not dirty,pure graft has got them to where they are now,and I think Phil Brown is doing a fanastic job for the club and players .Have you noticed too, he has so far not ridiculed the referees,(respect) not like most premier league managers ,who like to have winge after each game, if things have not gone their way (Well Done lads keep it up)

    From Peter C, on Mon 17 Nov 9:46AM
  9. my bad tommihew now i get what your saying im a city fan..well there is a long way to go yet and dont forget have to play them again

    From Graham, on Mon 17 Nov 9:34AM
  10. Nah im a gooner, so yeah I admit, im bitter about the fact we lost against em. But still I am 100% convinced that Hull are only whatere they are not because of their tactics and abilities but only because opposition teams and managers are constantly thinking they'll be a walk over. So...you could say that means they deserve their spot because of teams underestimating them? Fair, but i put more stock in ability and skill of manager and players. I think Hull are distinctly average in both so dont deserve such a lofty position. Saying that i'll just go ahead and contradict myself because im beginning to like Hulls manager. Dunno why though, still sussing that out. All im saying is that if geovanni gets injured for any decent length of time you'll see Hull for the team they really are.

    From Tom, on Mon 17 Nov 9:13AM
  11. well in hull
    show city that money ant everything
    city are so weak at the back

    From J, on Mon 17 Nov 9:01AM
  12. dont be such a tool tommihew hull have every right to be where they are they play together as a team..fair play to them and at this rate they do deserve a second season in the premiership..you obviously support one of the teams that are in the bottom half..and must be threatened that hull will be still here next season and your team wont be.

    From Graham, on Mon 17 Nov 8:55AM
  13. Ive had enough of Hull. Its about time they realised theyre shooting well above their weight and got back into the relegation zone where they belong. Geovanni... yeah yeah. whatever, the guy has talent, but one guy cant you win you jack. Their bubble will pop soon enough. I mean Hull staying up at the cost of...who Sunderland? Bolton? Fulham? Hull dont deserve a second year in the top flight cause we all know they'll be a one season wonder..

    From Tom, on Mon 17 Nov 8:35AM
  14. Hull City are doing great this season. They are the 'new kids on the block' and are playing really well. They play good honest football and that is why they are doing so well.To be in the top 1/3rd of the table in their first season in the premiership they are to be congratulated not ridiculed as some people have done on here. (For Sparkys information... Hull is NOT a slum, We are not all Smackheads and we dont all drink Fizzy pop! We are a no better or worse city than any other in the country.)

    From Sue, on Mon 17 Nov 8:33AM
  15. i support Manchester United, but i'm just curious, who the hell would buy Tal Ben Haim? when that guy isn't making mistakes in defence, he's injuring his teammates. a failed investment.

    From aleksicn93, on Mon 17 Nov 8:06AM
  16. Face it City, you are growing always have been, always will be........

    DEAL WITH IT !!!!!!!!!!!

    MAN UTD FAN 4EVER

    seef it.

    From Andrew, on Mon 17 Nov 6:43AM
  17. i think that city is better than hull with robinho.but hull has geovanni who is their best player.......geo have score many fantastic goals.....

    From Arif, on Mon 17 Nov 5:13AM
  18. i think hughes should go back to blackburn, ince isnt doing too well!!

    From Jamie, on Mon 17 Nov 3:51AM
  19. david s, you fkin fairy, your boyfriends calling

    From DV8R, on Mon 17 Nov 3:12AM
  20. i got a question?,why not play jo n elano...those brazilians can do something,,,y play vassell n benjani,these 2 not creating so much n only can hole the ball..city fans

    From Chunket L, on Mon 17 Nov 12:00AM
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