Streets get meaner for Hull

Everton 2 Hull City 0:WHEN HULL City lost 5-0 at home to Wigan Athletic in August in only their third Premier League match it was pretty much regarded as the beginning of the end or, at the very least, the start of an extremely long and arduous survival struggle.

Yet to everybody's amazement they picked themselves up, dusted themselves down, and returned to the Premier League mean streets with a terrific swagger, most notably winning away at Arsenal.

Even now, after only one victory in their last 12, they remain in the top half of the table, well ahead of any schedule they set themselves when the season began. But the streets are getting ever meaner, and at a time when their manager, Phil Brown, is looking round for a little bit of friendly protection from the man on the beat, he is finding that officialdom is letting him and his side down badly.

"Everybody is talking about the divide between the top four and the rest of the division in terms of decision-making, but it is there for everybody to see. The last three games we have been 'done' by poor officials," said Brown.

Having worked at the training ground all week on a plan to stifle Everton, his side were "unhinged" by Marouane Fellaini's headed goal after being in an offside position. Brown had been urging his defenders to squeeze out at every opportunity, and felt they might have protested rather more vehemently.

"I would have screamed as a right or left-back looking along the line and seeing a man scoring like that," said Brown. "I would have been at the linesman big-style. Is that the right way to go along? I don't think it is, but I have a group of 20 players in the squad who are being kicked in the proverbials week in and week out, and not getting their just rewards for putting the shift in. That affects confidence. We need to get the rub of the green somewhere along the line."

And a little more class, which may arrive this week in the shape of Wigan's Kevin Kilbane and Luis Boa Morte of West Ham United. Those days of spectacular early-season surprises have long gone.

Fellaini has the height and skill to cause any defence problems, though his temperament is almost as wild as his hair. He might have been sent off for reckless use of his elbow before he was booked in the second half by Martin Atkinson, Fellaini's 10th of the season and one that will see him miss the matches at Anfield in the FA Cup and the league.

Meanwhile, all covetous Premier league eyes are on Everton's brilliant Spanish midfielder Mikel Arteta, scorer of their second goal, with the noise of a thumbed chequebook sounding like thunder from the direction of Eastlands.