From Hull and back

There was something of the unexpected at Fratton Park on Saturday. Portsmouth without Dindane (just to save a cool 4 million) coming from behind to kick Iain Dowie squarely where it hurts in a game which did nothing to help the survival hopes of Portsmouth and must have given Dowie a long hard think on that journey back to the North East, with no points and no shortage of defensive issues.

To sack Phil Brown in the week was a move I and the women's institute could have understood for the guy had clearly lost control of the many issues he had in the dressing room. However when your in that much trouble at the wrong end of the table with only a handful of games left changing the guard is akin to rearranging the deckchairs on the Titanic. Dowie was appointed by Hull in the week and within 7 days his hopes of achieving the first objective of his brief are looking bleak indeed.

This was a game that Hull without an away win all season needed to win because not only did it represent their best chance of the elusive win, the cost of defeat in terms of points and morale will be irretrievable come May. So when Jamie O'hara scored with his inch perfect free kick in the 88th Minute you would expect Jimmy Bullard and Co to dig in and at least hold on for a draw. But no. They simply switched off. Maybe the O'Hara strike had been such a hammer blow after they had nearly held out for the win they simply lost all hope and focus.

Whatever happened to eventually lose a game they needed so much to win will ensure that Dowie's task has become twice as hard as it was just 4 days earlier. At least then the players would have felt that by now they would have been closer to safety.

One defeat does not make the probable a dead certain guarantee but if Hull City survive from here then Dowie will have more than earnt a contract extension - he will have to change his name to Houdini!