Hull City 3 Everton 2

The Premier League game between Hull City and Everton at the KC Stadium on Wednesday Nov 25 2009.

The incredible uncertainty that has enveloped the KC Stadium this season is proving infectious and it spread to both sets of players on Wednesday night to ensure a hum-dinger of a contest that saw Everton's relegation fears gather pace as optimism returned to this part of East Yorkshire.

Hull City chairman Adam Pearson had set the tone for nerve-jangling encounter in a pre-match interview by refusing to offer manager Phil Brown any public guarantees about his position while there were suggestions Jimmy Bullard's knee problems had resurfaced.

What followed was singularly indecisive defending from both teams that enabled Hull to take an unassailable lead thanks to first-half goals from Stephen Hunt, Andy Dawson and Dean Marney before Everton hit back after the interval through Kamil Zayatte's penalty and Louis Saha's penalty.

Everton, who had Steven Pienaar back after two months and Aiyegbeni Yakubu in place of the suspended Marouane Fellaini and Lukas Jutkiewicz, started brightly and dominated Hull in the opening exchanges to the extent that the locals quickly became restless as mistakes followed mistake for the hosts with their defence - and especially Zayatte - looking jittery,

However, Hull, who were without playmaker Jimmy Bullard who asked to be rested after taking a knock on his troublesome knee, then enjoyed a bit of luck in the ninth minute that radically changed the game.

Hunt's cross was deflected off Joseph Yobo and Sylvain Distin was unable to clear his lines under a challenge from Jozy Altidore and the American, sporting bright blue boots, unleashed a tremendous shot that brought an excellent save from Tim Howard who then watched helplessly as Hunt knocked in the rebound.

Suddenly, Hull were transformed as their confidence levels rose and passing improved and it was no surprise that the advantage was doubled against crestfallen opponents in the 19th minute.

The second goal, a real cracker, came about after Yobo was harshly adjudged to have fouled Geovanni allowing Dawson to set his sights on goal before curling a left-footed 25-yard free-kick into the top-right hand of Howard's goal.

Lady Luck had completely turned her back on Everton and it showed as Hull put the contest beyond reasonable doubt in the 27th minute. Hunt was again a central figure as he charged down the left before sending from 12 yards out beat Howard thanks to a deflection off Tim Cahill.

Everton, who won 4-0 on this ground in the Carling Cup two months ago, provided little evidence that they were capable of staging a comeback and Hull continued to dominate with somewhat embarrassing ease.

Indeed, Geovanni threatened to help himself to a goal after dancing past the visitors' defence but shot just over.

There was a feeling that Moyes had embarked on a damage limitation exercise when Yakubu was replaced with Dan Gosling at half-time but Everton raised their game and Matt Duke was forced into his first notable save when he had to drop on Leighton Baines' shot from distance.

Everton looked like they could do with a favour to help them alond Hull eventually gave their opponents a helping hand to banish any sense of complacency when Baines fed John Hetinga and his cross was sliced over Duke by the hapless Zayatte to spark widespread anxiety across the KC Stadium in the 52nd minute.

The Hull advantage was narrowed in the 64th minute thanks to Saha's spot-kick. Brown's defence disintegrated when Cahill lifted the ball into the penalty area to Saha who was felled by Zayatte as he prepared to shot just six yards from goal.

It was no surprise to see the French striker sent Duke the wrong way for his eighth goal this term but it was a shock that Zayatte was not dismissed and Pienaar was booked for protesting at Martin Atkinson's lenience.

Everton dominated but Dawson headed Saha's tame effort off the line to ensure Hull have claimed seven points in the four games since Pearson's return.

The outcome meant Everton will go into Sunday's Merseyside derby at Goodison Park worrying about Championship football rather while Liverpool fret about their chances of making the Champions League next season.

Everton have now won just one of their last ten games and while the position of manager David Moyes might - unlike Hull counterpart Brown - not be under threat his club's top-flight status certainly is.