Match ends, Hull City 2, West Ham United 2.
HullHull City2West HamWest Ham United2
- Hernandez scores on Hull debut
- Valencia nets on first West Ham league start
- Song only named on bench for away side
- West Ham two wins in 10 league games
West Ham produced a spirited fightback to twice come from behind and deny Hull City victory at the KC Stadium.
Club record £10m buy Abel Hernandez gave Hull the lead with a header before Enner Valencia equalised with a spectacular 25-yard strike.
Mo Diame, also making his debut, restored Hull's lead against his old club, only for Curtis Davies to divert Diafra Sakho's shot into his own net.
Hull's Michael Dawson headed against his own bar in the dying moments.
It left West Ham boss Sam Allardyce holding his head in his hands - and it means the Hammers have now won only two of their last 10 league games, a run stretching into last season.
But Allardyce, who opted to start with new loan signing Alex Song on the bench, will be encouraged by the way his side battled to secure a point that lifts his side two places to 13th.
Hull, who also climb two places to 10th, came into the game amid an unsettled period that has seen chairman Assem Allam announce that the club has been up for sale for several months, and boss Steve Bruce linked with Newcastle, where manager Alan Pardew is under pressure.
But the Tigers took the initiative when Hernandez - a deadline-day signing from Italian side Palermo - connected with Ahmed Elmohamady's 39th-minute cross to beat Adrian.
| New faces | |
|---|---|
| Hull started with two players making their debuts - Mo Diame and Abel Hernandez. | West Ham gave a first Premier League start to Enner Valencia. |
| The Tigers also included new loan signings Gaston Ramirez and Hatem Ben Arfa on the bench, both coming on near the end. | The Hammers started with three recent loan signings on the bench - Carl Jenkinson, Alex Song and Morgan Amalfitano - all of whom came on. |
Hull fans were still chanting the lively Uruguay forward's name when he almost doubled the lead with a ferocious 25-yard shot that rattled the bar.
West Ham's best chance of a first half that started slowly before bursting into life fell to Sakho, home keeper Allan McGregor producing a one-handed save from point-blank range to deny the Senegal forward.
But there was nothing McGregor could do to keep out Valencia's ruthless 50th-minute finish as the Ecuador striker marked his first Premier League start with a goal to remember.
He picked the ball up in relatively safe territory, but Dawson's reluctance to close him down allowed him to work his way into range, before crashing home an unstoppable effort.
Even Hull boss Bruce described Valencia's exquisite finish as a "wonder goal", while Allardyce could not contain his delight as he celebrated on the touchline.
Yet West Ham trailed again when Diame, who left Upton Park this month after 71 top-flight appearances, was allowed to run into the area unchallenged before picking his spot.
But the visitors levelled a thrilling encounter when Davies put through his own net while trying to clear Sakho's low shot.
Still the drama was not over as West Ham came close to snatching all three points.
Valencia's stoppage-time downward header struck Dawson on the chest before hitting the bar, much to the relief of the home fans.
Line-ups
Hull
Formation 4-4-2
- 1McGregor
- 27El Mohamady
- 21Dawson
- 6Davies
- 26RobertsonBooked at 60mins
- 14LivermoreBooked at 90mins
- 8HuddlestoneBooked at 54mins
- 17DiaméSubstituted forRamÃrezat 79'minutes
- 29QuinnSubstituted forBradyat 58'minutes
- 18Jelavic
- 9HernándezSubstituted forBen Arfaat 79'minutes
Substitutes
- 2Rosenior
- 5Chester
- 7Meyler
- 11Brady
- 22Harper
- 25RamÃrez
- 34Ben Arfa
West Ham
Formation 4-1-2-1-2
- 13Adrián
- 20DemelSubstituted forJenkinsonat 76'minutes
- 5Tomkins
- 2ReidBooked at 90mins
- 3Cresswell
- 16Noble
- 8Kouyaté
- 11Downing
- 10ZárateSubstituted forSongat 62'minutes
- 31E Valencia
- 15SakhoSubstituted forAmalfitanoat 87'minutes
Substitutes
- 12Vaz Te
- 18Jenkinson
- 19Collins
- 21Amalfitano
- 22Jääskeläinen
- 24Cole
- 30Song
- Referee:
- Martin Atkinson
- Attendance:
- 21,275
Match Stats
Home TeamHullAway TeamWest Ham
- Possession
- Home41%
- Away59%
- Shots
- Home11
- Away17
- Shots on Target
- Home6
- Away5
- Corners
- Home3
- Away10
- Fouls
- Home12
- Away7
Live Text
Post update
Full Time
Second Half ends, Hull City 2, West Ham United 2.
Post update
Corner, West Ham United. Conceded by Michael Dawson.
Post update
Attempt blocked. Enner Valencia (West Ham United) header from very close range is blocked. Assisted by Stewart Downing with a cross.
Booking
Winston Reid (West Ham United) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Post update
Foul by Winston Reid (West Ham United).
Post update
Gastón RamÃrez (Hull City) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Booking
Jake Livermore (Hull City) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Post update
Alexandre Song (West Ham United) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Post update
Foul by Jake Livermore (Hull City).
Post update
Alexandre Song (West Ham United) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Post update
Foul by Jake Livermore (Hull City).
Post update
Attempt blocked. Morgan Amalfitano (West Ham United) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Enner Valencia.
Post update
Morgan Amalfitano (West Ham United) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Post update
Foul by Hatem Ben Arfa (Hull City).
Substitution
Substitution, West Ham United. Morgan Amalfitano replaces Diafra Sakho.
Post update
Foul by Diafra Sakho (West Ham United).
Post update
Tom Huddlestone (Hull City) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Post update
Alexandre Song (West Ham United) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Post update
Foul by Hatem Ben Arfa (Hull City).
