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Southend however where simply a different class from their opposition at times and, in all honesty, Rob Newman's side looked lightyears apart from the outplayed home side. A bumper crowd of 10,449 - mostly home supporters - were frustrated, yet enthralled, as their side struggled to cope with the superb, entertaining, free-flowing football of the men from Essex. The fact that United came within seconds of losing the game seems simply ludicrous.
Southend gave an early warning of their intentions when City goalkeeper Matt Glennon did well to claim Mark Rawle's dangerous cross in only the third minute. Seconds later however it was Darryl Flahavan's heroics that denied the home side, the Blues custodian punching away a Stuart Green corner under pressure after Phil Whelan had conceded the flag kick.
Steven Clark headed out a Green cross, but the ball fell only as far as Lawrie Dudfield who scuffed a volley straight at Flahavan.
On eight minutes United went behind. Leon Cort, trying to cut out a long ball down the left touchline, was left flat-footed as he was outpaced by Green who homed in on goal before firing a low angled drive past the helpless Flahavan.
It was Hull's opening goal that really kick-started Southend into action, and within minutes the match had really swung as united dominated possession. Mark Greaves had to be on his toes to hack away a Graeme Jones cross before Glennon pushed a fine Rawle centre over the crossbar.
A fine run and shot resulted in Ryan Williams dragging an effort just wide before referee Eddie Evans, officiating his very first Football League match from the middle, began to spoil the game with a series of rediculous bookings, beginning with the mysterious caution of Blues skipper Kevin Maher.
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On 14 minutes however perhaps Hull should have doubled their advantage, a hesitant Cort leaving the ball to fall into the path of Dudfield who someone spooned a shot a Flahavan. Seconds later and City, perhaps disappointed by Dudfield's miss, lost their tempers in dramatic style. A fierce, but fair challenge by Ian Selley on Shaun Smith brought fury from the City players, of which three attacked the innocent Selley. Bizarrely Evans, a man seemingly desperate to make a name for himself only booked culprit Ian Ashbee but strangely also added Selley's name to the book. With 18 minutes on the clock Hull still hadn't calmed down and Williams also escaped a dismissal following a truly disgusting lunge at debutant Neil Jenkins. The inexperienced Evans, it seemed, was overawed by the huge Yorkshire gathering on that west side of the ground. Stephen Broad and Jones soon found their names added to the growing list of petty cautions.
As play was eventually allowed to flow once more, Green somehow smashed the ball off target from only three yards before the flying Stuart Elliott couldn't quite manage to get his head onto Dudfield's dangerous cross-goal centre.
Jenkins could well have done better when he volleyed a neat Jones cross well wide before a fine Shrimpers move saw Rawle turn a bring a super stop out of Glennon to end a rather entertaining, and somewhat heated, first period.
Southend did well in the first half, they were behind and could well have conceded a couple more, but they crerated more chance than the home side, and it was in the second half that Southend completely dominated, virtually from start to finish.
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As United streamed forward yet again in the 62nd minute, the noisy band of visiting supporters behind were left furious when Rawle, clean through on goal was blatantly pushed to earth by cumbersome defender Greg Strong well inside the panalty area. It was all pretty academic however as from the ensuing corner United equalised with an early contender for goal of the season, Maher's flag kick eventually dropping to Jenkins, who at and angle and 20 yards from goal executed an exquisite chip over the head of Glennon and into the very top left hand corner of the net. There was no doubt that at this stage of the match there was only going to be one team victorious, and that side was playing in two-tone blue; navy and sky.
Football however is one of the most unpredictable sports around, and amazingly, with their first attack of the half, Hull regained the lead only six minutes later, Elliott finding himself in miles of space to connect onto Williams through ball and slip a low shot past the despairing Flahavan.
The goal seemed to shell-shock United, but not for long as the resiliant Shrimpers - with victory their only aim - came back at Hull, purely begging for more and more. Jenkins curled a shot at Glennon on 70 minutes and within seconds Jones goalbound header was nodded out for a corner by Strong and Maher's dangerous corner was gathered by the worried Glennon at the second attempt.
Ian Selley lofted a neat 18 yard lob inches over the top of Glennon's goal and superb pace and skill by Rawle complerely foxed the City defence, the ex-Boston frontman then slipped the ball to substitute Tes Bramble who used fabulous strength to hold off his opponent before unfortunately sending a shot quite wide of the target.
Referee Evans however could not remain out of spotlight himself for long, and soon reduced Hull to ten-men, brandishing a second yellow card at Ashbee following a soft tackle on Jones. In all fairness it was only just a free kick and most certainly not another caution. Southend however had reason for extra torment in the final five minutes with the homesters down to ten men, and with time ticking away Southend were thrown a life line when John Anderson, under absolutely no pressure, needlessly headed a Stuart Thurgood cross out for a corner, but with United ready to attack the set piece, Evans bizarrely awarded a goal kick.
It came however, it was left late - the third minute of injury time to be precise - but Unuited grabbed their most deserved leveller. A loose ball suddenly found itself at the feet of Bramble, who on the edge of the area found space to fire a lowe shot towards goal, the ball took a deflection off a Hull defender, possibly Anderson, and bounced into the net to the obvious delight of the Southend support behind the goal.
Let's hope Rob Newman's side can keep up the sterling work against Carlisle United on Tuesday night...
Mark Wallis
www.thelittlegazette.com