Newly-promoted duo Hull and Ipswich continued their fine starts to life back in the Premier League after an entertaining stalemate in East Yorkshire.
A topsy-turvy encounter ended all-square to leave both teams sitting on 11 points – a more than healthy return from their first nine games back at this level.
It was the Tractor Boys who took the lead, midway through the first half when Florentino Luis produced a powerful, near-post shot that was too hot to handle for Hull stopper Konstantinos Tzolakis. The visitors thought they had doubled their lead through Julio Enciso’s header but it was quickly ruled out for a foul in the build-up.
That allowed Hull to get through to half-time with only a one-goal buffer to claw back, and they wasted little time in doing so. Tim Iroegbunam rifled home a powerful shot, not too dissimilar to Luis’ first half strike, to make it 1-1.
The hosts were then in front, after Oli McBurnie – who assisted Iroegbunam – scored a powerful free-kick right on the edge of the area that gave Ipswich stopper Christian Walton little to no chance.
But they couldn’t hold on to the three points as Enciso fired home a spectacular shot from just outside the box that powered past the helpless Tzolakis to ensure spoils were shared.
Hull chief Sergej Jakirovic reflected: “At half-time we changed the system and started to be much more aggressive and on the front foot as a group.
“[Julio] Enciso scored an excellent goal but we could stop this, it was a cheap goal [to concede] as we had the ball twice in possession. We couldn’t play as bad as in the first half but I could say that’s the quality of the opponent.
“At 2-1, maybe we could’ve controlled it better. If you can’t win, don’t lose, especially after the first half and we improved a lot. I’m waiting for a win for almost two months, which is unbelievable.”
Ipswich chief Gary O’Neil said: “We were the better side, we should have punished them more in the first half. We gifted them two goals, then we responded unbelievably well.
“The goals [we conceded] were the only real disappointing part, a lot of errors for goals which has cost us but in terms of coming away from home, dominating the game, defending, attacking, I thought the lads were very good today.”
