Hull 2-1 Stoke match report: The Daily Mirror verdict

Phil Brown’s celebration was muted. A clenched fist, a few hand-shakes, and then off down the tunnel for a quiet Guinness with his staff.

“We have to learn some humility again,” new chairman Adam Pearson had warned before the game. Brown passed the test as Hull won the game - only the fourth Hull victory in the league in 2009.

Pearson “categorically“ denied Brown would be sacked if Hull won here.

So thanks to Jan Venegoor of Hesselink’s stoppage-time goal, Brown’s reign limps on, with signs that life is returning to his side after a week of introspection and soul-searching behind the scenes.

For how long, and whether there will be a change of heart in midweek, only Pearson knows. It is a delicate situation.

Pearson peppers every interview with barbed comments about how the club has been run recently, and a glaring lack of definitive backing for Brown.

“Bring back realism and prudence,” wrote Pearson in his match programme yesterday. “In the last nine months the club has over reached itself.”

Brown’s squad is earning too much and is too big. “Good house-keeping is needed“ because “not enough time has been spent on squad control.”

Brown sent No.2 Brian Horton to face the media after the match and, asking for the first question, said: “Whose firing?“

Oh, the irony.

This was only Hull’s third win of the season, and came from a gutsy performance driven by Jimmy Bullard making his first start since signing 10 months ago for £5million.

He was probably one reason why Pearson referred to Brown’s transfer policy recently as  “too much Champagne and too little Ale“. Big wages, big fee little return so far because of injury.

But he was a bundle of energy yesterday. “Infectious in the dressing room,” said Horton. Whatever Bullard has, it can only be hoped the rest of Brown’s squad catch it.

Thomas Sorensen couldn’t hold Bullard’s shot 30 seconds into injury time and Hesselink bundled home.

Stoke fell apart in the last 10 minutes. First Abdoulaye Faye was sent off when he appeared to hack Nicky Barmby down, although replays showed there was little contact. And then Tony Pullis caused major dissent by substituting substitute Tuncay in a tactical reshuffle, just seven minutes after sending him on.

Nothing about Hull’s nervous start suggested a win was on the way.

Disorganised defending led to Stoke’s opener after 29 minutes demonstrated that sack rather than back might be Pearson’s next move.

Ryan Shawcross punted a 60 yard ball towards Hull’s defence from the edge of his box, and it sailed over the challenged of Kamil Zayatte’s challenge and into the path of Matthew Etherington. Hull’s right back Bernard Mendy had gone missing.

Etherington sprinted goal-ward taking two touched before lashing a shot past Matt Duke. It was his third of the season and second in as many games.

“Tango, Tango, what’s the score?“ came the cry from the Stoke end as the home fans. But their taunts were silenced after 62 minutes when Seyi Olofinjana levelled - their first goal for three games.

The Nigerian was signed by Brown from Stoke, and he collected a pass from Stephen Hunt on the edge of the box and side-stepped the challenge from three defenders to curl home. Skill and composure in front of goal that has been lacking in recent games from the Tigers.

Stoke could have gone ahead again when Shawcross’s header hit the bar. Tigers defender Anthony Gardner was spared the embarrassment of an own goal when Duke parried away his clearance from Etherington’s cross.

The ball trickled just wide of the post and on those margins jobs can be kept or lost.

With 90 minutes on the clock, Hesselink caused rare celebrations at the KC Stadium with his finish. The newly humble Brown didn’t join in.