Hull City vs Everton. Premier League.
MKM StadiumAttendance20,111.
Saturday 31 December 2016 07:45, UK
A Ross Barkley header nicked a late point for Everton as they drew 2-2 with Hull in an entertaining Premier League encounter on Friday Night Football.
The Tigers twice went in front as they looked to move to within a point of safety, with Michael Dawson putting them ahead within six minutes as he tapped home from a Robert Snodgrass corner.
But a bizarre David Marshall own goal in the dying minutes of the first half saw Everton level, before Snodgrass struck a sublime free-kick, after hitting the woodwork not long before, to see Hull ahead once again.
As they looked to be heading for a much-needed victory, Barkley popped up with six minutes of normal time to play to head home from a Leighton Baines cross to seal the draw for the visitors.
Hull briefly move off the bottom of the table ahead of the weekend fixtures - one point ahead of Swansea - while Everton remain in seventh place.
Although the first half was fairly open, Hull came racing out of the traps and made the breakthrough with just six minutes on the clock to register their first goal in three games. Snodgrass delivered a corner that found an unmarked Dawson at the back post, who tapped home to put the hosts ahead.
Everton could have equalised on the quarter-hour mark as Seamus Coleman rattled the woodwork. It was a sublime cross from Gareth Barry that found the head of the defender to knock it goalwards, but it could only find the upright before Romelu Lukaku also saw the rebound cleared from his feet.
The chances kept coming for both sides, with Dieumerci Mbokani nearly meeting a cross from Ahmed Elmohamady in the 25th minute but Coleman did enough to put him off balance before Phil Jagielka cleared the danger. At the other end, Barry slid in Barkley before the 23-year-old went for goal but it just whistled past the far post.
Hull could have made it two just after the half-hour mark as Harry Maguire powered through the middle of the park before finding Snodgrass on the left-hand side. His cross looked destined to find Adama Diomande, but Jagielka was there to tackle and send the ball flying wide.
The hosts looked set to end the half in front, but they were the masters of their own downfall in the final seconds. Mirallas whipped in a corner that was met by the fist of goalkeeper Marshall, but the ball nicked off his hand and ended up in his own net as the referee blew for half-time.
But the Hull stopper redeemed himself in the opening minutes after the break to deny Everton the lead. Mirallas raced through midfield before laying the ball off to Lukaku with the striker going for goal - but Marshall was there to produce a sublime save and push the effort onto the crossbar.
The woodwork was rattled again 10 minutes into the half as Snodgrass fired a masterful free kick onto the crossbar, with Diomande attempting to bicycle kick the rebound but fired it wide.
There was no denying him a second time, though, as the Scotsman fired home in the 65th minute. Baines had fouled Maguire around 25 yards from goal and Snodgrass stepped up to take, firing a thunderbolt free kick into the top corner to see the hosts back ahead.
Both sides continued to push for the next goal, but it was Everton who made the breakthrough in the 84th minute. Baines put in a delightful cross from the left-hand side that was met by the unmarked Barkley at the back post, who headed home to get the visitors back on level terms.
The Toffees could have dealt the killer blow on the stroke of the 90th minute as Coleman raced down the right flank before his cross found Dominic Calvert-Lewin, but he was slightly off balance and fired his effort wide of the post to see the points shared at the KCOM Stadium.
Player ratings
Hull: Marshall (6), Dawson (7), Davies (6), Maguire (7), Robertson (5), Meyler (5), Livermore (6), Elmohamady (6), Snodgrass (8), Mbokani (7), Diomande (7).
Subs used: Huddlestone (n/a), Clucas (6).
Everton: Robles (6), Coleman (7), Jagielka (7), Williams (6), Baines (7), Barry (7), Gueye (6), Barkley (7), Valencia (7), Lukaku (7), Mirallas (7).
Subs used: Funes Mori (n/a), Davies (6), Calvert-Lewin (6).
Man of the match: Robert Snodgrass.
