Everton 1-1 Hull: Sone Aluko comes on to equalise Romelu Lukaku's opener and claw back a draw for Tigers

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Romelu Lukaku opened the scoring after being played through by Belgium team-mate Kevin Mirallas in the first-half
Hull substitute Sone Aluko equalised after the interval by beating Tim Howard at his near post from a tight angle
Some Everton fans booed the team after the final whistle
Everton stay 11th with Hull remaining in the bottom three

By Dominic King for the Daily Mail Follow @@DominicKing_DM

Published: 16:39 EST, 3 December 2014 | Updated: 04:32 EST, 4 December 2014

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EURO STARS NOT SHINING AT HOME

CLICK HERE to read Everton manager Roberto Martinez's comments after the game

Ferocious in Europe, flimsy at home. If Everton’s progress in the Europa League has been without a hitch, uncertainty dogs their domestic form.

A game at home to Hull City, in theory, should have been a straightforward opportunity for Roberto Martinez’s squad to make up lost ground in their pursuit of a top four spot. When Romelu Lukaku gave them a first-half lead, all seemed to be going to plan.

Had this been a contest on a Thursday night, Everton would, in all likelihood, have motored away but there is something about the Barclays Premier League that means their footing is not so sure.

VIDEO Scroll down fro Sportsmail's Big Match Stats: Everton 1-1 Hull City

Substitute Sone Aluko wheels away after equalising with a low shot past Tim Howard (left) to rescue a 1-1 draw for Hull

Toffees striker Romelu Lukaku (centre) stretches to open the scoring for Everton in the first half

Hull team-mates rush to congratulate Aluko as Hull end a winless run of four games in the Premier League

MATCH FACTS, STATS, TABLE AND RATINGS

EVERTON (4-2-3-1): Howard 6: Coleman 6.5, Jagielka 7, Distin 5.5, Baines 6.5: Besic 6.5, Barry 6: Osman 6, Barkley 6, Mirallas 8 (Pienaar 64mins): Lukaku 7.5

UNUSED SUBS: Robles, Hibbert, Eto'o, McGeady, Atsu, Garbutt

HULL (3-5-1-1): McGregor 7; Rosenior 6, Dawson 6.5, Chester 7; Elmohamady 6, Livermore 6.5, Huddlestone 7, Meyler 7, Quinn 6.5; Diame 5.5 (Aluko 52mins); Jelavic 6.5

UNUSED SUBS: Jakupovic, Bruce, Davies, Brady, Sagbo, Robertson

Goals – Lukaku (34), Aluko (59)

Booked – Dawson

Referee – R Madley 6

Attendance – 34,645

MOM – Kevin Mirallas

Player Ratings by DOMINIC KING at Goodison Park

Sone Aluko raced on to Nikica Jelavic's pass to score Hull's equaliser - CLICK HERE for more stats from our brilliant Match Zone

They squandered another lead, this time Sone Aluko profiting from lax defending to secure a 1-1 draw.

Martinez has been eager to embrace Everton’s European adventure, but this was the first occasion when he admitted that, perhaps, the extra demands are having a negative impact.

Running out of energy and ideas in a lacklustre second half, Everton were booed off at the final whistle. ‘I don’t think it was a negative reaction,’ Martinez argued. ‘I think it was the fans seeing that they had three points in the bag but then leaving with one.

‘Our supporters have been magnificent. I think it was more about emotions than a moan. The longer the game went on, the worse it was for us.

‘We had five shots on target, 13 chances. Hull stopped the clock and made it difficult for us to build momentum. I’m not bitter about the way the opposition played.

‘We need to learn from this. Teams are coming here and making it difficult for us. We need to get back to where we are.’

Sportsmail's Big Match Stats: Everton 1-1 Hull City

The pitch is prepared at Goodison Park ahead of the Premier League clash between Everton and Hull

Everton manager Roberto Martinez (left) and his Hull counterpart Steve Bruce give directions as the game gets underway

Toffees defender Seamus Coleman (left) is scythed down by Hull's Stephen Quinn during the opening exchanges

Lukaku (right) appeals for a handball after his effort appears to strike Hull midfielder Liam Rosenior (centre)

Everton playmaker Mirallas (right) take a free-kick, with the Belgian instrumental during the opening half

Everton and England defender Leighton Baines has an argument with Lukaku as the home side push for an opener

Mirallas (left) shrugs off Hull captain Michael Dawson to play in Lukaku for a goalscoring opportunity

Lukaku (right) reacts to Mirallas' pass to fire in the opening goal for Everton on 34 minutes

Everton midfielder Leon Osman (centre) congratulates Lukaku after Everton take the lead against Hull

If Martinez was irritated, his opposite number was in a better frame of mind. Having endured a month of misery, seeing his side plummet into the drop zone on the back of four straight defeats, finally Steve Bruce had some respite.

It had looked as if the barren run Hull have endured was going to continue at Goodison Park, when Lukaku pounced in the 34th minute, but Bruce’s introduction of Aluko for the injured Mo Diame could not have been better timed.

Aluko’s arrival gave Hull an injection of belief and gave purpose to their play. Within five minutes of replacing Mo Diame, he had scored the goal to secure a point for Hull and allow Bruce to relax.

His side have suffered some cruel luck in recent weeks, so this was long overdue. ‘We need a result and we need to give everyone a lift,’ said Bruce. ‘The last month has been difficult. This league is unforgiving.

‘Thankfully we have taken something from the game. If there was going to be a team to win it in the second half, it was going to be us.

‘It has been a frustrating time. The only time we have let ourselves down was at Burnley. We could be four, five six points better off. But others could say that.

‘This is the second season and that is harder. We have to deal with expectation.’

The Belgian striker drops to his knees and points to the sky after breaking the deadlock in the first half

Mirallas raises Lukaku's arm after the Belgium team-mates combine to open the scoring for Everton

Everton team-mates rush to celebrate with Lukaku after the Belgium international's strike

Tigers manager Steve Bruce (right) reacts after seeing his side concede the opening goal

VIDEO Bruce hails vital result

What is beyond question is their appetite for a fight. Teams with brittle confidence would have folded when Everton started passing the ball with purpose, inspired by the surging runs and clever movement of Kevin Mirallas. When Phil Jagielka chipped a pass forward and Lukaku flicked it on, Mirallas scampered down the flank to stretch Hull’s defence. He pulled the ball back for Lukaku, who did the rest, driving in from 10 yards with his left foot. It was his seventh goal of the campaign.

Yet that was as good as it got.

Hull began the second half with purpose, preying on Everton’s lethargy and they got their reward when Aluko drifted beyond a limp challenge from Sylvain Distin before drilling a shot beyond Tim Howard at the near post.

From that point, Hull — who almost won it when a header from former Everton player Nikica Jelavic dropped the wrong side of the post — were comfortable and Everton ran out of ideas.

A point gained for Bruce, two squandered for Martinez.

‘In the second half of the season we have to get back to our way of playing,’ said the Everon manager.

That lesson needs to be heeded otherwise their top four hopes will slip away.