Manchester City 1 Hull City 1 : match report

28 November 2009 17:11
Hull City's players were able to make light of last season's half-time team-talk, sitting down in the corner after Jimmy Bullard made no mistake from the spot to extend Manchester City's miserable run to seven straight draws. [LNB]Following six straight Premier League draws, Shaun Wright-Phillips' goal looked to have got City's season back on track, only for Bullard to fire in from the spot to make it four games unbeaten and plunge Eastlands into frustration yet again. [LNB] Related ArticlesPremier League tablePremier League actionPremier League fixturesSport on televisionAfter all the drama of the past three months, including arguments with Brazil about his ankle and the player seemingly courting Barcelona, Robinho finally got back out on the field to show what all the fuss is about. [LNB]Once again playing on the left of a four-man midfield, a role that requires tracking back and all sorts, Robinbo quickly looked like he wanted to prove a point and he had a key role in a first half that saw City completely dominate but waste a host of chances. [LNB]But another recalled player, Micah Richards, almost gifted Hull the opening goal, allowing Richard Garcia's cross to drop over his shoulder and giving Stephen Hunt the room to send in a low shot that was blocked and hacked away. [LNB]City's pressure was constant but they were not testing goalkeeper Matt Duke. That changed when Robinho drifted past Paul McShane and curled in a low shot that flew narrowly wide of the goal. [LNB]Duke was finally tested with a stab at goal from Emmanuel Adebayor and Robinho also failed to hit the target with an ambitious over-head kick. [LNB]But in first-half added time, City took the lead, courtesy of a wicked deflection. Carlos Tevez picked out Wright-Phillips and the England winger skipper around a challenge from Hunt and hit an early shot that kicked off Anthony Gardner and somehow beat Duke at the near post. [LNB]The half-time team-talks were confined to the changing room and Hull manager Phil Brown nearly got the response he was after when Jozy Altidore played the ball into the path of Garcia and the winger's shot beat Shay Given but was hacked off the line by Joleon Lescott. [LNB]The half chances continued and Robinho was withdrawn with a quarter of an hour remaining but with 10 minutes left referee Lee Probert pointed to the spot after Kolo Toure tangled with Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink. [LNB]Bullard swept in from the spot to provoke celebrations every bit as memorable as Brown's ill-advised team-talk in the 5-1 defeat here last season. [LNB]

Source: Telegraph