Hull City 1 Watford 1: Stung by the Hornets, but Tigers tip-toe in right direction

Watford Baah-humbugged Hull's welcome party when, 88 minutes in, Kwadwo Baah pulled the ball back for Rocco Vata to slide in an equaliser. In a stroke, the The 11-game winless streak became a dirty dozen.

Still, beggars cannot be choosers and, still bottom of the table at full-time, the cowed Tigers are certainly that.

A 1-1 draw was still a tip-toe in the right direction and the fact the new Spanish coach had to build towards it rather than bulldoze to it on a wave of positivity was a tick in the box for the new man.

Hull's scruffy goal, converted by Chris Bedia after 82 minutes had the home fans signing "City til I die!" but they could just have easily gone with the original - "I'm H-A-P-P-Y". They had been in danger of forgetting what that felt like.

By full-time it had to be downgraded to satisfied so they sang Selles' name again, as they had throughout, alternating between two ditties in his honour.

If Hull could feel hard-done-by at the end of the game, they ought to have been grateful to be level at the midway point.

Bold, front-footed, always probing and aggressively blocking - maybe the memo meant for Hull's players went to the stewards around the press box instead of the players.

Normally you might have been annoyed at the stewards standing in front of writers and commentators live on air as they checked their press passes and those of the staff members sat alongside them, but the first half was one you could definitely take your eye off.

But as the night wore on and the fog rolled in, Hull started to get better.

Judging by the "Welcome Ruben Selles" adverts on the electronic hoardings on roads approaching the ground, the Tigers' hierarchy were hoping their new, 41-year-old Spanish coach would prompt a bit of excitement but his opening night got off to a slow start.

On a cold, mizzly and later foggy night only 18,694 made the effort but those that came were singing the first of two Selles songs before the game was a minute old.

When Ryan Longman steered a shot wide from Kasey Palmer's pull-back in the second minute, the volume and the hopes raised, but it was not it would take most of the first half to pick that momentum back up again.

Hull generally passed the ball around at the back a bit further up the field but when Steven Alzate, on his first start, had his pocket picked taking an Ivor Pandur pass with his back to goal in the penalty area, it was a flashback to the football Hull fans hoped they were moving away from. Fortunately Vakoun Bayo could not make anything of it.

Seeing a Hull corner back at Pandur's feet within a couple of passes was another unwelcome reminder of Walterball.

But Selles did at least show he could solve the problem of Watford having too much early space in midfield, Charlie Hughes' block looping Bayo's shot up for Pandur to catch, Francisco Sierralta heading a deep Louza ball wide and Girogi Chakvetadze trying his luck from distance.

Palmer dropped deeper and Longman became a second centre-forward as 4-2-3-1 morphed into 4-4-2 which was great for Hull, but lowered the entertainment level from dull to stultifying as both teams tippy-tapped the ball for a bit before letting the other have a go.

The most thrilling moment was some off-the-ball push-and-shove between Palmer and Louza which got both of them booked, along with Huill goalkeeping coach Erbil Bokzurt.

As the first half went on Hull managed to eke out the odd chance, Regan Slater glancing a cross just beyond both the far post and Longman, and Joao Pedro's shot smothered when Lewie Coyle picked Slater out for a pull-back.

Ryan Giles hit a bouncing shot at the goalkeeper but Bayo ended the first half by dragging wide a chance he ought to have scored.

Hull got on top at the start of the second half, playing well from tee to green, only to get the yips once the goal came into view.

Jolted – possibly – by Giorgi Chakvetadze's run across goal and shot onto the roof of the net, they began to create.

When a good passing move down the right broke down Hull pinned Watford in and won it back, only for Slater's ball in to be too far behind Pedro. Likewise Giles' cross after Longman played him in beautifully.

When Palmer's pass to Pedro beat the offside trap ran straight instead of straight at goal, creating an angle which let Daniel Bachmann touch his shot behind, something referee Leigh Doughty and his linesman were somehow oblivious to.

The pressure was building, Selles frantically urging a ballboy to retrieve the ball rather than leave Coyle to fetch it.

But when Bachmann dodged a bullet dribbling in his own area only to pick out Slater, the woefully-overhit pass had him raging at Longman, who swung at fresh air after Slater had a shot blocked.

Mason Burstow's first touch after coming on as substitute was a shot at the goalkeeper from a Palmer pass deserving of better.

His more straight-forward pass to Burstow five minutes later was as woeful as the other had been good.

PIcked out again in the 78th minute, Burstow's shot was deflected behind for a corner.

He stuck at it, and when his shot deflected across goal it rather bounced off Bedia and crawled over the line.

That the goal was made by and scored by two Selles substitutes made it all the sweeter.

It looked like the storyline had been written, only for the Hornets to produce a late sting.

Hull City: Pandur; Coyle, Hughes, McLoughlin, Giles; Alzate (Mehlem 67), Slater; Kamara (Omur 85), Palmer, Longman (Burstow 67); Pedro (Bedia 72).

Unused substitutes: Burns, Puerta, Drameh, Racioppi, Jarvis.

Watford: Bachmann; Porteous, Sierralta, Pollock; Ngakia (Andrews 61), Kayembe (Sissoko 76), Louza, Larouci (Ebosele 72); Ince (Baah 61); Bayo, Chakvetadze (Vata 72).

Unused substitutes: Dwomoh, Doumbia, Morris, Bond.

Referee: L Doughty (Lancashire).