Sergej Jakirovic was pleased with the character his side showed against Everton
Sergej Jakirovic was pleased with the character his side showed against Everton(Image: Richard Sellers/Sportsphoto/Allstar via Getty Images)
View Image
Hull City head coach Sergej Jakirovic was left frustrated by the manner of the goals his side conceded against Everton, but praised his players' battling qualities as they fought back to earn a 2-2 draw.
City led the unbeaten Toffees early in the second half when Joe Gelhardt scored his first Premier League goal since March 2022, only to find themselves 2-1 down courtesy of Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and Thierno Barry.
The second goal was especially painful for the hosts, with it coming from a Sorba Thomas free-kick on halfway before it ended up in the back of their own net, with Jakirovic's side again punished for avoidable errors.
Substitutes Elliot Stroud and Mo Belloumi then combined for the Algerian hitman to fire in the equaliser with just over 15 minutes to go, and preserve City's unbeaten start at the MKM Stadium.
The draw sees City move onto nine points from their opening six games in the Premier League ahead of next Saturday's trip to struggling Fulham, who are yet to taste victory.
The 1904 Club is going on the road, and you can join our panel along with Hull City assistant manager Dean Holden and owner Acun Ilicali. Get your tickets NOW!
"In the end, I think it's a fair result," Jakirovic told Hull Live after the MKM Stadium draw. "We used their mistakes, we scored the goal, but unfortunately, we gave them two goals, and at this level, these will be goals.
"We showed a strong mentality because we played more on the front foot (in the second half), we were happier with the ball, and created a good chance for Mo Belloumi.
"Maybe I was not happy with, especially the first half, with some transitions and counter-attacks, because we needed to have better decisions. We were scrappy on the ball. This is the player's decision; you cannot change anything, but in the end, I think we should be happy with this point."
After a busy three-week international break for his side, Jakirovic felt some of his players lacked energy against an in-form Toffees side after Gelhardt's 48th-minute goal, with Everton pulling level less than 10 minutes later.
"I felt we had a lack of energy in that moment," the Croatian continued. "We were not so aggressive and on the front foot. We were chasing them with the ball, especially since we are pressing the player with the ball and running around him.
"That was the reason why we made substitutions. I can say no responsibility in these situations, I can say a lack of concentration, whatever, but now it's done, so there is a lot of space to improve some things. In possession, we should be braver on the ball because we can create problems.
"It's a big cardinal mistake. But I can be happy with the boys because we showed good mentality. A point is good. Congratulations to both teams today. A great mentality, a strong mentality. We never surrendered."
Here at Hull Live , we are dedicated to bringing you the best Hull City coverage and analysis. Make sure you don't miss out on the latest City news by joining our free WhatsApp group.
You can get all the breaking news and best analysis sent straight to your phone by clicking here to subscribe. You can also subscribe to our free newsletter service. Click here to be sent all the day's biggest stories.