Perspective is a funny thing. Before the game most City fans would have taken a score draw against a side who finished 5th in the Premiership last term, but as the Tiger Nation filed out of the KC Stadium at ten to five, there was a palpable sense of disappointment in the air. After watching City take a 2-0 lead and then concede two goals late on, the score draw was seen as two points lost, rather than one precious point gained. It's a measure of how far we've come to be miffed with a mere draw against Everton.

The choice of a Brazilian or a Gabonese may sound like a hirsute woman's waxing options at a beauty parlour, but it was Phil Brown's decision on who to partner Marlon King up front, since Craig Fagan was out and pondering a call to Claims Direct. The boss plumped for new signing Daniel Cousin, who missed the Newcastle triumph through suspension after being dismissed in the Old Firm derby, choosing to give the Gabon international ex-Ranger a debut rather than selecting Geovanni, who appears to have fallen out of favour very quickly. Kamil Zayatte, who had a trial with Everton before joining City, deputised for the injured Gardner at the back. So, violating the Sabbath for City were... Myhill; Dawson, Zayatte, Turner, McShane; Halmosi, Ashbee, Marney; King and Cousin.  

Everton, who drew 2-2 with Standard Liege in midweek, kicked off playing towards the South Stand with a respectable following behind them, but it was the Tigers who showed early initiative. Halmosi wriggled past three blueshirts on the right and centred for Mendy who headed firmly at goal, but alas straight at the Tourette's Syndrome blighted Tim Howard. If he cursed his defenders at this point, it wasn’t due to a neuropsychiatric disorder. Mendy looked for a one-two but King’s return ball was beyond the Frenchman as he scampered towards the box.

City were in confident mood when on the ball but showed a little a little too much respect to Everton when defending, Fellaini pirouetted around Halmosi but his shot was tame and no threat to Bo Myhill before a backtracking rearguard invited Arteta to have a crack at goal but thankfully the shot was well wide of the mark. Leon Osman dragged a shot just wide after Phil Neville’s cutback pass caught our defence flat footed.

City were winning the midfield arm wrestle however. Mendy headed on Myhill’s goal kick for King to chase, he crossed for Cousin but Yobo was alert and headed behind for a corner. Marlon King felt he was held in the box as he tried to control McShane’s long punt, but it looked like he was sinning as much as he was sinned against, and you don’t get penalties for that despite the calls from some Tiger Nationals.

Dean Marney was proving a real handful for Everton in the first half and he put in arguably his finest 45 minute shift as a Tiger. He showed great vision to find Mendy in space in the box, but possibly the only man to give up living in Paris to move to Hull dithered, was closed down by Neville and hit a left foot shot wide.

Momentum was City’s though and soon came a lead. Marlon King’s pressure caused Yobo to concede a corner kick and from Marney’s deep centre, Micheal Turner, ghosting late into the 6 yard box, out jumped Fellaini to head beyond Tim Howard. 18 minutes in, and City deservedly lead 1-0.

Bo Myhill pulled off a fine save to preserve the lead soon after, Yakubu volleyed Fellaini’s across goal header and our netman parried the shot away, but it was back to City pressure soon after. Halmosi drew a foul from Neville on the edge of the box and from the resulting free kick Marlon King hit a shot just inches wide of Howard’s left post. "Fuck! Shit! Bollocks!" shouted Howard. Maybe.

The hard working Halmosi threaded a pass between five blue shirts to Cousin in the box, he ignored Marney’s call for a lay off and hit a shot on the turn that was deflected over for a corner. This was great stuff from City, the half came to a close and City were comfortably the better side here. Everton may be the self styled "School of Science" but it was City giving the lesson at this point, and even Einstein would have agreed that HC=Ace²

Of the three new signings, the best performance came from the fantastically mohawk-haired Kamil Zayatte who was largely keeping Yakubu quiet and winning lots of balls in the air. Cousin had an alright first half but looks like he needs time to acclimatise to the Premier League and a new partner. Only McShane disappointed, he put in some decent tackles at full back but his passing was truly woeful and he near exclusively found an Everton player with each ball from the back and that gave Everton possession and chances they didn‘t merit.  

As for the rest, good performances all round, especially Dean Marney who looked every inch the Premiership playmaker during the first half and with the moustachioed Ashbee on patrol in the centre along side him, City dominated the midfield.


David Moyes reaction to a City-centric first half was to replace Baines and Castillo with Klingon international defender Joleon Lescott and ex- Manchester United striker Louis Saha, making his belated Everton debut after a summer move.

Bo Myhill took a kick to the face as he dived at the feet of Yakubu who was pursuing a loose ball as City defended a corner. We were soon back on the attack though and Cousin and King combined well down the left flank, a one-two sent your dad’s brother’s son racing into the box but a poor touch allowed a defender to put the ball behind for a corner, from which City doubled their lead. Another Marney centre caused panic in the Everton defence and in the melee, Neville, Osman and Howard all came for the ball and it squibbed off one of them and looped in. Marlon King on the line made absolutely sure it was over but it was undoubtedly an own goal. No matter, City 2 Everton 0 and the Tiger Nation were barely comprehending the scoreline.

Not that we didn’t deserve it, we really did, but this is City, Hull City, and we’re dominating a side lauded as the best outside the big-four. Unreal. It was somewhat of a shock to the Evertonians in the North Stand too, it’s hard to keep a Liverpudlian quiet but here was a mass of silent Scousers, looking aghast as a gleeful East Stand mimed a mauling by the Tigers.

You’d expect confidence to be coursing through the veins of City’s players at this point but a doubling of the lead made them oddly fearful. Everton were looking the more confident on the ball now and chasing Arteta’s long through ball Saha forced a save from Myhill with an angled shot. Whereas before we’d calmly pass our way out of defence we now punted the ball up field, and our heel-snapping pressure gave way to merely putting men behind the ball, allowing the blue shirts to stroke the ball around and gain momentum.

Phil Brown made a substitution, but it wasn’t the one you’d expect, instead of replacing the tiring Halmosi and bolstering the midfield with George Boateng we made a like for like change, Folan on for Cousin with twenty minutes remaining. Hmmm.

Then, as feared, the visitors pulled one back. Myhill punched away an Arteta free kick chipped into the box, Ashbee and Marney, imperious in the first half but absent in the second, watched as Osman was first to the loose ball, Zayatte half cleared a weak attempt on goal only for Cahill to smash a shot that hit the bar and bounced down, did it cross the line? Hard to say from the stands, but the officials gave it anyway and the tide had truly turned in this game.

The away fans found their voice at last and Everton were energised now. McShane dispossessed Osman in the box and then, for the googolplextieth time gave away the ball, side footing meekly to Arteta who squared to Saha and his deflected shot bent wide for a corner. Asleep, City allowed Phil Neville to race onto a short corner and deliver the ball into the box and after a few deflections  Myhill gathered the Nike size 5. Fellaini was offside when he hooked a shot over the bar , nonetheless the blue shirts had signalled their intention to get something from this game. Another substitution from City, Boateng at last? No, Garcia took the place of Mendy. Arrgh!

City were impotent up front now, with King knackered after leading the line and Folan looking weak and unimposing, the ball never stayed in Everton’s half for long, and the onslaught  continued. Zayatte found himself the wrong side of Saha but made up lost ground and poked the ball beyond the Frenchman to Myhill. Saha tumbled and appealed for a spot kick but it was a good recovery challenge from our Guinean guardian. No matter, as City were made to pay for their fearful play, Yakubu and Saha exchanged passes and from inside the 18 yard box Yakubu crossed for Osman who beat an exposed Zayatte to bundle the ball into the net. 2-2, and now we feared defeat going into the final 10 minutes having spent the first 70 of this game amusing ourselves with the notion that we’re in the title hunt.

Finally we introduce Boateng, bringing off King, and the experienced Dutchman brings some composure to the now ragged looking midfield. There’s more pressure from the Scousers though, Arteta hit’s a long ball into the box and Myhill, coming out, spills the ball to Saha, who is thankfully at an oblique angle to the near post and his shot hit’s the side netting (Boaz may have got a hand to it, hard to say, but a goal kick was awarded in any case.)

Boateng’s presence visibly calms City and we even had a run at goal before Marney, largely anonymous in the second half after a sublime first, was hauled down by Fellaini who saw yellow for the transgression. The home crowd willed Dawson to go for goal but he laid off to McShane on the right and his cross was easily dealt with. City’s attacking confidence had evaporated, a great shame given our earlier joy from set pieces. Osman hits a half volley over the bar and it’s soon over, leaving the Tiger Nation to shoe gaze, contemplating what could have been.    

For 70 minutes we were superb and dominated a very good Everton side, but we lacked resilience against a side who were supposed to be a bit jaded after their midweek UEFA Cup adventure. Phil Brown might be regretting his decision to wait until 10 minutes from time to bring George Boateng’s calming influence into the game. It’s purely speculation of course but that move could have preserved a lead.

Ah well, though the immediate perspective is disappointment that we couldn’t close out a game we were in control of, the bigger picture is a pretty sight. Eight points from our first five games and we lie proudly in seventh place at this early stage. Even if we get a botty-burgled and set on fire at Arsenal next week that’s still a handy start, and in the long run a repeated cycle of a one goal win, a draw and a bumraping all season long would glean enough points to keep us in this division. You’d take that wouldn’t you? (LM)

Myhill 7.5; McShane 6; Turner 7.5; Zayette 8; Dawson 7.5; Mendy 7.5; Ashbee 7.5; Marney 8.5; Halmosi 7.5; King 7.5; Cousin 7; Folan 5.5