Belloumi off the bench keeps the MKM unbeaten as Hull draw with Everton
Sunday 11 October 2026 · By Nathan Greaves
Mohamed Belloumi was rested after the international break because of tiredness. On Sunday he came off the bench at the MKM Stadium and, within minutes, scored the equaliser that earned Hull City a 2–2 draw with unbeaten Everton.
It was the Tigers’ biggest test since promotion, and they passed it in their own fashion. After a goalless first half, in which Brennan Johnson had an Everton goal ruled out by VAR for offside, Hull scored on 48 minutes. Sorba Thomas intercepted a poor pass from Ainsley Maitland-Niles, and Joe Gelhardt slipped the ball past Jordan Pickford.
Everton hit back through Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, who headed in Maitland-Niles’ cross on 55 minutes. It was the first goal Hull had conceded at home this season. On 68 minutes, Thomas lost the ball, Dewsbury-Hall played in Thierno Barry, and the visitors led.
Belloumi answered six minutes later, firing low past Pickford from Elliot Stroud’s cut-back. PA noted that it preserved Hull’s unbeaten home record since their return to the top flight. The attendance was 24,458.
Sky counted eight big chances for Everton, so the Tigers rode their luck at times. Konstantinos Tzolakis was busy in goal. But Sergej Jakirović’s side play on fine margins by design, with a deep line, direct balls and danger from transitions.
They did it with a long injury list. Previews had expected Hughes, Morita, Ansah, Butland, Gyabi and Matazo to be out, with Iroegbunam and Targett doubtful.
The BBC noted that a win would have taken Hull into the top four. Instead, they sit eighth on nine points, with only one defeat so far.
That is a remarkable return for a club that spent nearly a decade outside the Premier League, and one achieved without a fully fit squad.
Gelhardt’s goal came from Hull pouncing on a mistake, which is exactly how this side has been built to score. Thomas had a mixed afternoon, creating the opener with his interception and then losing the ball before Everton’s second, but his part in both goals showed how involved he was. Stroud’s cut-back for Belloumi underlined the value of runners from deep. Jakirović will review the defending, but he will also see a team that recovered from going behind without panic.
Next comes a winnable trip. Hull visit Fulham on Saturday 17 October. Álvaro Arbeloa’s side are bottom after a late collapse at Ipswich. Brentford come to the MKM on 25 October, and Ipswich visit on 31 October for a promoted-club derby that is starting to look like a top-half fixture.
Jakirović’s methods are no longer a novelty. Opponents know the long balls are coming. They still cannot stop them, and the MKM is proving a very difficult place to visit.
The MKM Stadium sits in West Park, a short walk west of Hull city centre, and has been Hull City’s home since it opened in 2002. Visiting supporters will find a compact, modern bowl rather than a rambling old ground: one continuous lower tier runs all the way round, with a second tier only on the West Stand. Capacity is 25,586, and because the stands sit close to the pitch there are very few poor views.
If you are in the away end you will almost certainly be in the north-east corner. Hull’s usual visitor allocation is around 1,800 seats, rising towards 2,500 when the tie demands it. That block wraps from the eastern part of the North Stand, behind the north goal, through the corner and into the first few blocks of the Chris Chilton East Stand. You are therefore split between a conventional behind-the-goal view and a more side-on angle along the east touchline. Rail seating is in the away section, so part of the allocation is licensed safe standing. Home supporters fill the rest of the North Stand, the Tigers’ main singing end, so the divide is close and the noise carries straight across.
The South Stand, behind the opposite goal, is the family end. The two-tier West Stand, also known as the Cranswick Stand, is the main stand: dugouts, tunnel, media and hospitality all sit on that side. The East Stand opposite is a single tier named for Chris Chilton, the club’s record goalscorer. Seats are mostly black, with amber bands, and the word Hull is picked out in both end stands.
Hull Paragon is the useful rail station, about twenty minutes on foot through the city centre and across to West Park, or a short bus or taxi if you would rather not walk with a bag. Away coaches are directed to a coach park a short walk from the turnstiles. On-street parking near the ground is tight on a match day, and the Walton Street car park fills early. St Stephen’s shopping centre, just east of the stadium, is the practical landmark: food, toilets and extra parking before you cross the park footpaths to the gates. Allow time. The park paths can bunch up close to kick-off.
Inside, the concourses are straightforward rather than cavernous. Hot food, snacks and beer are sold behind your block, and card payment is the sensible assumption. Do not expect a visitors’ pub pressed against the away gate. The streets between Paragon and the park have the usual city-centre options if you want a drink first. Stewards will point you to the north-east turnstiles, and the away mobility lift is signed from the away gate.
The pitch runs north to south, so the goals sit in front of the North and South Stands, not the side stands. From the away seats you look down the pitch towards the family end. If you are behind the north goal and facing the play, the main West Stand is on your right and the East Stand is on your left. Check the block on your ticket before you travel: N blocks are behind the goal, E blocks are along the east side, and a corner block sits between them. Arrive early if you want the rail seats, keep a backup of a digital ticket, and you should be through without fuss.