Liverpool 2 Hull City 2

Last updated : 13 December 2008 By Footymad Previewer
Premier League leaders Liverpool had to settle for just a point at Anfield after Hull City side went two goals up before Steven Gerrard struck twice to secure a share of the spoils.

Hull took an early lead through a Paul McShane header and a Jamie Carragher own goal, but the Reds fought back to draw level in the first 45.

Despite being dominated for two thirds of the game Phil Brown's men showed exactly why they are sixth in the league and created a fair few chances of their own.

Camped in the visitors half for the opening ten minutes Liverpool were throwing bodies forward looking for an early opener, but it was Hull who stole the lead in the 12th minute against the run of play.

A free-kick from wide on the right was lofted in high and deep from Geovanni and a weak attempted header from Sami Hyypia fell at the feet of lone striker Marlon King, who was allowed to whip a ball back into the box where McShane was on-hand to nod home the opener.

Stunned by going a goal behind so early Liverpool failed to settle.

Hull's second came on 22 minutes after a bizarre altercation between Carragher and referee Alan Wiley, over a free-kick decision, left the Liverpool defender was always behind the play after Geovanni took a quick set-piece to King.

A pin-point crossfield ball from King found Bernard Mendy bombing down the right and after he effortlessly skipped around Andrea Dossena his low driven cross was missed by Hyypia and was inadvertently stabbed in by a back-tracking Carragher.

Not resting on their two-goal lead Hull were still throwing men forward and it was a quick Liverpool break that brought the home side back into the game.

A Dirk Kuyt cross wasn't dealt with by the Hull backline after good pressure from Albert Riera and was only half-cleared. The ball found its way to Gerrard who found the bottom corner past a stranded Boaz Myhill in the visitors' goal.

Liverpool started turning the screw in search of an equaliser and it came just after the half-hour mark when a hopeful cross into the box from Carragher was headed down by Kuyt to Yossi Benayoun and it was his quick thinking that set up Gerrard to rifle home his second of the match.

The Reds were unlucky not to take the lead on 42 minutes after a trademark curling effort from Xabi Alonso had Myhill beaten all-ends-up, but the ball whistled inches past the post.

Hull were lucky to go into the break with the scores level after a corner from Kuyt found its way to the back post where a Riera header was cleared off the line by George Boateng.

The second half saw Liverpool start taking control of the game and efforts from Kuyt and Benayoun tested Myhill, but it was a header from Hyypia just before the hour mark that came closest to giving Liverpool the lead, but he was denied by the post.

The Reds were terrorising the Tigers backline with wave after wave of attack and a deflected Alvaro Arbeloa cross sat up nicely for Riera who blasted his first time effort straight at Myhill who could only punch the ball clear.

Hull still looked dangerous whenever Geovanni had the ball at his feet, but Liverpool were playing high up the pitch restricting the talented Brazilian to long-range efforts which never troubled Jose Reina.

Liverpool substitute Nabil El Zhar came close to giving his side the lead with ten minutes left on the clock after a good pass from Riera across the edge of the Hull area found the youngster, who created space and his low shot brought out the best in Myhill, who managed to get his right hand down to the ball and gather at his second attempt.

With four minutes of added time on the board Liverpool had ten men in the final third looking for the finishing blow and an effort from Arbeloa looked to be flying in before a last-gasp block from Kamil Zayatte won his side a deserved point.