Ireland at the double

City have to settle for point against Tigers

By Richard Bailey   Last updated: 16th November 2008

Ireland at the double

All smiles: Ireland celebrates

Man of the match - Stephen Ireland. Fine second goal and was at the heart of all City's best attacks.

Moment of the match - Ireland's second goal just before the break. A superb finish.

Attempt of the match - Geovanni's bicycle kick at the start of the second half. It just missed but was great to watch.

Save of the match - Myhill's late stop to deny Vassell when the City striker looked set to win it.

Talking point - City may well complain that the free kick from which Hull scored their equaliser should never have been given.

Goal of the game - No doubt about this one. Ireland's curling strike which found the bottom of the net to make it 2-1.

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Hull City and Manchester City had shared the points in a roller coaster of a game at the KC Stadium that eventually ended 2-2.

The home side started the brighter and forced City into gifting them the opener when Tal Ben Haim left his back pass short and Daniel Cousin capitalised to slip the ball under Joe Hart - who injured himself in the process and was forced off.

Hull defender Kamil Zayette then repaid the favour when he handed Manchester City an equaliser in the 36th minute.

Zayette had seemingly cleared up any danger after a Robinho through ball but instead of letting the ball run through to goalkeeper Boaz Myhill he dribbled the ball into the onrushing Stephen Ireland who slotted the ball into an empty net.

Ireland then claimed his second of the game when he majestically curled the ball around Myhill from the edge of the area nine minutes later.

Hull got themselves back into the game after a Geovanni free-kick wrong footed substitute keeper Kasper Schmeichel after deflecting off Vincent Kompany in the City wall.

In the end it was Geovanni who edged the battle of the Brazilians as he salvaged Hull an entertaining draw against his former club.

The home side began brightly and after 10 minutes they created a fine chance which was spurned by captain Ian Ashbee.

Sam Ricketts whipped in a cross from the left, allowing Dean Marney to cushion a first-time pass to Ashbee, who scuffed his effort low and wide.

Errors

Hull were ahead four minutes later, though, with Ben-Haim to blame for a defensive howler.

Micah Richards rolled the ball to his defensive partner and, with only Cousin in attendance, the Israeli inexplicably played the striker in six yards from goal.

Cousin slotted home with ease, while keeper Hart was left injured on the turf.

He limped off minutes later, all but ensuring his withdrawal from the England squad, with Schmeichel his replacement.

Hull then hit City on the break and created the next opportunity, Cousin glancing wide from a Ricketts cross.

After 37 minutes, Kamil Zayatte produced the second horrific defensive error of the match.

Robinho - wearing the captain's armband - hit a through ball which missed every blue shirt and was collected with ease by Zayatte who played the ball back across his own goal and into the path of Ireland, who tapped into an open net.

The midfielder had his second before the half was out, taking Garrido's square ball on his instep before curling his shot expertly beyond Myhill.

It took just two minutes of the second period for Geovanni to get the home supporters on their feet, firing over with a thrilling bicycle kick after latching on to King's drifted cross.

The match started to settle into something of a pattern, with Hull lofting the ball high towards their opponents' box and the Eastlands side content to clear back into Tigers territory.

Deflection

Geovanni, typically, was the man to change things. With an hour gone, he lined up a free-kick 25 yards from goal and directly in front of the posts.

His shot took a heavy deflection off Vincent Kompany in the wall, leaving Schmeichel floundering and earning him a sixth Premier League goal of the season.

Revitalised, the East Yorkshire side almost took the lead seconds later, Cousin forcing a smart save out of the substitute keeper.

Both sides looked to the bench to squeeze a winner, with Jo replacing Benjani for Mark Hughes' side and veteran Nick Barmby on for Cousin.

Hull had three successive free-kicks from 20 yards in the closing stages but none managed to clear the wall.

With 90 minutes up, Vassell broke clear and hooked a shot goalwards only to see Myhill beat the ball away at his near post.