Hull City vs Fulham. Sky Bet Championship.
MKM StadiumAttendance15,701.
Saturday 30 December 2017 18:33, UK
Substitute Aboubakar Kamara scored twice as Fulham came from behind to snatch a 2-2 draw at Hull.
Jarrod Bowen and Nouha Dicko gave the hosts a deserved two-goal lead at the KCOM Stadium, but the Sky Bet Championship strugglers failed to cope with Kamara in the second half. The Frenchman scored a penalty three minutes after the interval and equalised with a well-placed finish late on.
Hull's only change saw top scorer Bowen make his first start under Nigel Adkins, with Kamil Grosicki missing out with an ankle problem. Slavisa Jovanovic kept faith with the XI which won 4-2 at Cardiff on Boxing Day - but his side were well off the pace in the opening period.
The hosts had already served notice of their threat from set-pieces prior to Bowen's opener, with Denis Odoi heading a Jon Toral free-kick over his own bar before Dicko deflected Sebastian Larsson's cross narrowly wide.
Hull's opening goal came after 32 minutes as Bowen prodded home at the back post after Fulham failed to deal with Toral's corner. Four minutes later Dicko smashed a left-footed effort into the roof of the net to double Hull's lead, with Toral again the provider - this time with a clever through-ball.
Jokanovic had clearly seen enough and five minutes before half-time replaced Floyd Ayite and Sheyi Ojo with Neeskens Kebano and Kamara.
Michael Hector fired over from 12 yards after Bowen's free-kick evaded the Fulham defence, before Kebano headed the visitors' first meaningful chance a fraction wide in first-half stoppage time.
Dicko had a shot tipped over by Marcus Bettinelli at the start of the second half but three minutes later the Cottagers were handed a lifeline when Kamara was needlessly brought down by Hector inside the area. He picked himself up to rifle the spot-kick past Allan McGregor.
Ola Aina's powerful effort was kept out by Bettinelli, while at the other end Kebano's cross fell for former Hull midfielder Tom Cairney but Jackson Irvine was on hand to make a vital block.
Kebano hit a tame effort straight at McGregor but Hull should have restored their two-goal cushion when Bettinelli parried Dicko's 70th-minute effort to Bowen, only for the forward to shoot straight at the goalkeeper.
Kamara wasted a golden chance 11 minutes from time when he blazed over after Ryan Sessegnon had surged into the box, but converted with a cool finish following a slick move with five minutes remaining as Hull's habit of conceding late goals cost them dearly again.
Nigel Adkins: "I thought the first half was exceptional. We've gone 2-0 up, we could have been more. We started the second half well - their keeper made a good save from Nouha - and lo and behold one of our defenders has given a stupid penalty away and that changed the complexion of the game for me.
"We've got to go again because we play Bolton in 48 hours. You look at the league table and we need to get another 10 victories to make sure we're in the division again next year."
Slavisa Jokanovic: "I made substitutions because I can change all my 11 players. We didn't start the game so I tried to get a shock reaction. It's not a question about Sheyi Ojo playing a bad football game or Ayite. Both players played very well the last two games.
"New people on the pitch can give a new energy and Baka scored two important goals and credit to him too. It was my mistake. I am thinking before they scored the first goal, do something and try and get some reaction, but I didn't do enough fast. Fortunately these changes gave us some sort of shock."
