Click here to watch video highlights of Hull City's draw with Manchester City and other Premier League goals.

In a true blood-and-guts Roses encounter, goals from Hull duo Daniel Cousin and Geovanni sandwiched a first-half double from Stephen Ireland to ensure both sides gained reward for their part in an absorbing contest.

Either the world's richest club or the top-flight's newest recruit could have won it late on with Boaz Myhill saving brilliantly from Darius Vassell in stoppage time and Geovanni having, thanks to referee Phil Dowd's strict enforcing of the laws on encroachment at free-kicks, three attempts at goal only to be frustrated each time.

A winner for either would, however, have been cruel at the end of a finely-balanced game in which there was even parity
in the number of almighty blunders committed by the respective defences.

The first came after just 14 minutes courtesy of a woefully under-hit back pass by Ben Tal Haim that allowed the Tigers to take the lead through Daniel Cousin.

Then, with the hosts seemingly in control, a similarly woeful piece of defending allowed the Blues back into the game when Kamil Zayatte's poor control allowed Ireland to equalise by rolling the ball into an inadequately guarded net.

The Republic of Ireland international then added a second with a sublime finish in first-half stoppage time that, due to its cruel timing, might have finished off many sides.

Not, though, Phil Brown's
battlers who regrouped and claimed a point with a deflected free-kick from Geovanni just after the hour that ended a three-game losing run.

It ensured the Brazilian playmaker, who spent last season with the Blues, outshone his countryman Robinho in a game that left Hull manager Brown purring: "Games like this will bring the crowds back.

"It was a game that could have gone either way and I am sure Mark Hughes will say his team could have won three points, but so could we. The players deserve tremendous credit."

Brown's enthusiasm for what he had just seen was understandable with his Hull players contributing fully to a game that will have underlined to the millions watching around the world just what makes English football so special.

No quarter was asked or given by two sides intent on attacking the opposition at every opportunity. Add to the undoubted quality on show a couple of instances of almost comical defending and there was no wonder the crowd of 24,902 gave both the Hull players and their Manchester counterparts a standing ovation at the end.

The first of those calamitous errors came after Micah Richards had passed to Tal Haim before calling for a return ball. It would have been the sensible option, but instead the Israeli international opted to turn back towards his own goal before casually rolling a pass that allowed Cousin to beat a badly exposed Joe Hart in the visiting goal. Hart was injured while trying to block the shot and has since been withdrawn from the England squad to face Germany on Wednesday night.

Mark Hughes's side, who had also gone into the game on the back of three consecutive defeats, were clearly rattled to go behind in such a farcical manner and offered little for the next 20 minutes or so. That was, however, until an equally dreadful mistake by Tigers defender Kamil Zayatte handed the Blues a way back into the game.

A lazy pass from Cousin had allowed Darius Vassell to claim possession just inside his own half and the former England international quickly found Robinho. The Brazilian, in turn, then attempted to thread a pass through for Shaun Wright-Phillips only to get his angles badly wrong.

The ball fell to Zayatte who, after taking one touch, then clumsily allowed it to run away from him following a second touch and presented Ireland with a chance that he was not going to waste.

Ireland then added a second on the stroke of half time with a sublime right-foot finish from the edge of the area after being found by overlapping left-back Javier Garrido.

Hull rallied after the break with Geovanni going close with an acrobatic effort that went wide, and Kasper Schmeichel had to be alert to keep out a drilled shot from Marlon King.

However, the Blues' substitute goalkeeper could do nothing about the home side's equaliser just after the hour when Geovanni's free-kick took a wicked deflection off Vincent Kompany before bouncing into the net.

Brown's side then had a late chance to win it when Ian Ashbee was fouled on the edge of the area by Vassell but the Brazilian's thrice taken free-kick went wide to ensure honours were deservedly shared.