Substitute Richard Peacock rescued a point for Hull City with a lovely late equaliser as Fulham had to settle for a share of the spoils at Boothferry Park this afternoon.
The midfielder lofted home an impudent finish with fifteen minutes to go after Jim Stannard had failed to get either appropriate distance or ample direction on a punch clear as he was challenged for a cross by Greg Abbott. That strike cancelled out Sean Farrell’s close range header from Julian Hails’ cross in an intriguing draw.
Hull had began brightly with Neil Allison forcing a fine save from Stannard in the very first minute with a powerful header after Fulham failed to deal with a short corner. Jeff Eckhardt drove Fulham’s first opportunity over the bar after Gary Hobson had made a meal of clearing Gary Brazil’s free kick.
Linton Brown blasted wide from the edge of the box for the home side before Alan Fettis got down low to keep out a Farrell drive and Duncan Jupp went close to breaking his league duck when his speculative strike from fully thirty yards ruffled the side netting. Fulham failed to build on Farrell’s glancing header that gave them the lead – even after Stannard had saved a penalty from Brown after the Hull striker had thrown himself to the floor having lost control of the ball.
Brazil bashed an effort against the post when found by a fabulous Farrell ball and the introduction of Peacock for Christopher Lee gave the home side more of a creative presence in midfield. After he had stroked in that sublime equaliser, Brown headed wide as City searched for all three points but Lee Tierling might have won it for Fulham after coming off the bench for his first outing of the season but the former Southampton man screwed a shot wide from close range from Martin Pike’s corner.
HULL CITY: Fettis; Hobson, Warren, Allison, Abbott, Lowthorpe, Lee (Peacock 61), Atkinson (Hargreaves 74), Norton, Moran, Brown. Sub (not used): Wilson.
GOAL: Peacock (75).
FULHAM: Stannard; Angus, Eckhardt, G. Thomas, Pike, Jupp, Ferney, Hails, Baah (Tierling 75), Brazil, Farrell. Subs (not used): Harrison, Kelly.
GOAL: Farrell (29).
REFEREE: William Flood.
ATTENDANCE: 6,089.
