Source: Daily_Mail
Manchester City 1 Hull City 1: Joker Bullard and Brown have the last laugh
Manchester City failed to see the funny side as Jimmy Bullard'scontroversial late penalty condemned them to a seventh draw in a row. [LNB]Bullard and his team-mates had the Hull fans in stitches as theyre-enacted manager Phil Brown's infamous team talk on the Eastlandspitch last season. [LNB]The players sat on the turf while Bullard became 'manager' and wagged a berating finger at them. [LNB] Funny man: Jimmy Bullard mimicks Phil Brown in his celebration after scoring against City[LNB] [LNB] [LNB]But home manager Mark Hughes was keener to talk about why the82nd-minute penalty had been given by referee Lee Probert, claiming itcost his side a much-needed win. [LNB]Initially, it seemed the decision was awarded against Joleon Lescottfor handball. But once TV replays had shown the ball had brushed histhigh and missed his arm, Probert said he had penalised Kolo Toure forholding onto Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink. [LNB]Hughes was not impressed, saying: 'They had a break from thereferee. My first thought was the referee has given it for handball, hemade a signal that indicated that. Ii have seen it since and the balldidn't touch Joleon's hand but now the referee says he's given it forthe challenge in the box. would debate that as well.' [LNB]Even Brown, whose side are unbeaten since his job was under threatfrom new chairman Adam Pearson at the start of the month, had somesympathy. [LNB]'It was 50 per cent of one incident and 50 per cent of another. Putthem together and maybe that is a penalty. But we probably deservedsomething from the game for our second half performance.' [LNB]No matter. Having spent £200million on new players, ManchesterCity's owners from Aabu Dhabi are likely to expect victories againstthe likes of Hull regardless of a flawed decision or two from areferee. [LNB]Given that other draws in their run have come against the likes ofBirmingham, Fulham and Burnley, Hughes must hope his prediction that'we will turn the corner and start winning games' comes sooner ratherthan later. [LNB]To give credit, he is aware enough to see his team's shortfalls. [LNB] Level headed: Hull City's Jimmy Bullard scores from the spot[LNB] [LNB]Once given the lead on the stroke of half-time through a deflectedshot by Shaun Wright-Phillips, they should have gone on to win by more,particularly as Robinho looked in the mood in his first game back afterthree months out with a stress fracture of the ankle.[LNB]Hughes said: 'If we'd taken the second goal, we would have won thegame comfortably. At 1-0 there is always the chance the opposition cancreate something. [LNB]'We are frustrated because we are getting in situations and notfinishing them off. But if the referee had deemed not to give a penaltywe wouldn't have had too much drama.'[LNB] Brown detected Manchester City tension as the finishing line approached. [LNB]'The longer the game went, the more anxious their fans became and that spilled onto the players,' he said. [LNB]Worryingly for Hughes, there are few signs his expensive collection of signings are gelling. [LNB]Gareth Barry was left out after recent below-par performances.Emmanuel Adebayor and Carlos Tevez rarely looked like a £50millionstrike force. On the one occasion they did link up, Tevez shot straightat Matt Duke. [LNB]The first half was petering out, with Stephen Ireland and ShaunWright-Phillips both off target with decent chances, whenWright-Phillips took things into his own hands just before the intervaland got lucky when his potshot cannoned off the head of Anthony Gardnerto wrongfoot Duke. [LNB] Happy times: Hull manager Phil Brown celebrates[LNB] [LNB]But Hull - given their half-time team talk by Brown in thedressing-room on this occasion - came back strongly and nearly levelledwhen Richard Garcia's effort was cleared off the line by Lescott. [LNB]When Robinho departed after 75 minutes to a standing ovation, the home side sat back even more and paid the price. [LNB]Hughes now badly needs a win in midweek against Arsenal to reach theCarling Ccup semi-finals and take some of the pressure off. [LNB]For once, Brown can relax. 2009 has been a disaster, the club barelywinning a game after the 5-1 defeat at Eastlands on Boxing Day lastyear that saw him lambast his players on the pitch at half-time. [LNB]Returning to the scene of the crime and leaving with a point finally draws a line under that episode and Brown was humble enough to thank his players for keeping him in a job after Adam Pearson replaced his pal Paul Duffen as chairman. [LNB]Brown said: 'I have had nothing but support from the players. Achange of chairman always causes uncertainty at a club but the responseof the players is why am still sitting here. [LNB]'Tthe goal celebration was absolutely fantastic. Ii couldn't delivermy congratulations to the players afterwards because was laughing toomuch.' [LNB]That is what real team spirit is all about and Hughes will ferventlyhope his players - many of whom he signed at great expense - will cometo his aid now. [LNB] Hull return to Manchester City looking for no repeat of on-pitch team talkHughes cools Spurs interest in Richards, stating defender will stay at Man CityDES KELLY: Why Stoke ride high in a league of happinessMANCHESTER CITY FC
