Hull City and Brentford drew 1-1 at the MKM Stadium on Sunday, Oli McBurnie's first-half penalty cancelled out by Dango Ouattara's second-half equaliser in the clubs' first-ever Premier League meeting.
Sergej Jakirovic's promoted Hull remain unbeaten at home this season, while Keith Andrews' Brentford remain unbeaten away — a point that suited both records, if not necessarily both ambitions, in a game the visitors controlled for long spells without ever quite finishing the job.
McBurnie punishes Kelleher's howler from the spot
The opening goal, on 24 minutes, was a gift. Caoimhin Kelleher's terrible pass out from the back put Aaron Hickey in trouble, the Brentford defender brought down Tim Iroegbunam as he tried to recover, and referee Robert Jones pointed to the spot. Hickey was booked for the foul, and Oli McBurnie converted the penalty — his first Premier League goal in more than 900 days, as The Times live coverage noted.
Hull, set up in a compact 5-4-1 with Mohamed Belloumi their main outlet, defended their lead well to the break. Brentford, missing suspended midfielders Yehor Yarmoliuk and Vitaly Janelt after their red cards against Liverpool, had club-record signing Mamadou Sangaré making a first league start since September, and for all their possession — 58 per cent across the game — they created little before half-time. Hull's back five, with Semi Ajayi and John Egan outstanding throughout, blocked shots and headed away a steady stream of crosses as Brentford probed patiently without reward.
Ouattara levels as Brentford finally make pressure count
Andrews changed the game from the bench. Mikkel Damsgaard and Jaidon Anthony came on for Hickey and Kevin Schade on 62 minutes, and a minute later Brentford were level: Igor Thiago set up Dango Ouattara, who finished with his right foot for 1-1, as recorded on the Sky Sports match page. The Burkina Faso forward, Brentford's club-record signing, was a constant threat before making way for Callum Wilson late on.
The game opened up after that. Hull substitute Mohamed-Ali Cho drew a good block from Kelleher at the near post — the goalkeeper making up for his earlier error — and Ouattara headed close at the other end. Hull goalkeeper Konstantinos Tzolakis finished with five saves to Brentford's one, a fair reflection of where the pressure fell, but Jakirovic's side held on. There were no red cards and only Hickey's yellow in a cleanly contested game.
So what? Both unbeaten runs survive, neither side wins
The draw leaves Hull on 10 points from eight games — a remarkable return for a side tipped by many for an immediate return to the Championship — and still unbeaten at the MKM, although their winless league run now stretches to six matches since August. Brentford move to 11 points, with just one defeat all season, but remain without an away win.
Next in the league, Hull host Ipswich Town on Saturday while Brentford welcome Nottingham Forest to west London, after both clubs play Carabao Cup ties in midweek — Brentford at Sunderland on Wednesday. For Hull, the test now is turning these home draws into wins, the same step Beyond The Final Whistle noted they failed to take in last week's defeat covered in its report of Fulham's win over Hull, and Brentford's story in its Brentford stadium feature.
Beyond the Final Whistle: a draw that tells both stories at once — Hull are organised, resilient and genuinely belong at this level, but six games without a win is a run that needs ending; Brentford are hard to beat and full of quality, yet a side that dominates this much should leave with more than a point. Who will be happier with 1-1 — Jakirovic or Andrews?
