Truly remarkable.  Three nil down and out of it, the Tigers rally to 3-4 and create plenty of chances to see off Premiership Middlesbrough.

In this game I swear time stood still.  Just before the hour Middlesbrough were awarded a dubious penalty as Downing hurled himself to the floor under the challenge of McPhee - who was busy compiling an impressive blade of grass coverage count on a wide Riverside Stadium pitch.  The hopeless Yakubu may be hopeless but he can at least convert a spot kick and it was 3-0.

Twelve minutes later it was 4-3.  It seems like an hour or more had elapsed.  The City fans had moved from audible to tumultuous.  A new terrace piss-take was born - the ludicrous Pigbag jig that Boro fans do after goals was mercilessly aped by 3,000 Tigerish away fans.  That City then went on to carve a number of further chances to equalise was testament to the tremendous fighting spirit now imbued in this squad.  Phil P's negatives have been transformed to Phil B's positives.  By the end it was left to Woodgate to largely take on City alone while Ehiogu fouled anyone that came near him and the rest hid.  Woodgate's a fine player and he repelled us - just.

There were no clues of things to come in the first half.  City carded their attacking 4-3-3 team but it didn't work.  The full backs didn't get forward, the midfield's passing was laboured and two of the front three weren't great - McPhee being the exception.  After Arca drove a low shot onto Myhill's post after 6 minutes the die was cast.  Dawson nearly own-goaled, Viduka had a header deflected inches wide by Turner, Arca won a soft free kick and Downing struck City's wall.  There was precious little in return, City got the ball then gave it back to Boro immediately with alarming regularity.

What was coming came on 32 minutes.  Youthful left back Hines burst out of defence, played a neat one-two and was able to easily wrong-foot Turner with a feint before striking a low shot past Myhill for 1-0.  Thoroughly deserved.  After this Turner again blocked a good effort, this time from Downing, and Viduka headed the resulting corner into the ground and over whilst unburdened by much of a challenge.  1-0 at half time and ugly.

The disfigurement continued.  Boro won a throw in on the left, Downing's shot rattled the post and fell to Viduka's feet 15 yards out.  Viduka is a quite tremendous striker, as reliable finisher as we have seen for a few seasons.  He converted for 2-0.  Straight after there was a glimmer of things to come as Parkin held the ball up before passing to Marney, but his shot skidded wide.  On 56, echoing Boro's second, a Yakubu shot after a powerful run hit the crossbar and Downing's theatrics allowed the Yak to bury City at 3-0.

The unexpected happened.  The City crowd started to make some noise and soon a few City passes were strung together.  McPhee robbed the hapless drug cheat Xavier as he dallied on the ball and fed Marney wide left.  Marney?  Wide left?  His cross was met centrally by Dawson, who glanced a fine header into the far side netting of Schwarzer's goal.  Dawson?  Centre forward?  Madness.

Surely a consolation eh?  Nope.  Three minutes later Parkin on halfway played a delightful ball down the inside left channel that wrong footed Xavier and found McPhee with space to gallop into.  This he did until the retreating Xavier clattered him crudely on the edge of the box, possibly inches outside.  Referee Styles (superb throughout I should say) had two choices - red card Xavier or reward City the other way with a penalty.  He did the latter, only booked Xavier and Parkin drilled a low shot towards Birmingham as Schwarzer dived off towards Holland.  Unbelievably, it was now 3-2 and game on.

Within a minute Boro attacked down City's right and a dangerous ball into the box designed to find Yakubu's feet was toe-ended by Ashbee into Viduka's path.  The Aussie may have been lucky to get the ball, but what happened next was pure class as he took a quick touch and fizzed a shot into Myhill's goal before the keeper had time to move.  4-2 - surely the Tigers lie down now, yes?

No.  Forster - superb in the second half - received the ball with his back to goal just left of centre and received a pointless clattering from the wobbling right back Davies.  France came on for Livermore as Dawson eyed a shot, and what a keen eye he showed as his pinpoint free kick looped over the wall, hit the underside of the crossbar and dropped in.  Schwarzer remained static and, I fancy, rather in awe.  4-3.  Pandemonium.

It didn't end there.  Boro barely created an attack at all for 15 minutes as City surged forward.  Xavier was replaced by Ehiogu - last seen by City fans looking barely adequate in the Leeds back four - and he came on with a mission to foul our front 3 at every available opportunity.  They weren't put off though.  Parkin raided down the right before striking a powerful cross-shot from the side of the penalty box that Schwarzer clawed away.  Then Parkin was fouled crudely by Ehiogu and Dawson nearly completed his hat-trick - his effort was on target but more central and Schwarzer tipped it over.  With 5 to go some superb passing out of defence transferred the ball the full length of the field and France struck a shot wastefully over the bar.  Woodgate fouled Forster 25 yards out and Elliott came on for McPhee to smite a shot past the wall and into Cattermole's head 12 yards from goal, dropping the young midfielder - along with Woodgate and Viduka the pick of the Boro side - to the ground.  Then the final act on 90 as France found himself with a glorious chance to shoot with Schwarzer out of position, only a desperate last ditch lunge by Cattermole prevented France from converting from 12 yards out.

We lost but it felt like we'd won.  Boro won but Southgate admitted when interviewed that it felt like they'd lost.  Lost?  No way.  Your lot were battered Gareth.

If this is the way City will play from now on, then thoughts of relegation can be replaced by unlikely aspirations of sneaking a play-off place.  Remember Dowie's Palace side the other year?  It's been done before from a similar starting position.  Oh come on, we almost certainly won't repeat that feat this season - but we'll entertain, that's for sure.  I like Phil Brown.    

HULL CITY (4-3-3): Myhill; Ricketts, Turner, Delaney, Dawson; Marney, Ashbee, Livermore; McPhee, Parkin, Forster.  Subs: France (for Livermore, 68), Elliott (for McPhee, 88), Duffy, Coles, Duke.

Goals: Dawson 59, 69; Parkin 63 (pen)

Booked: None

Sent Off: None

MIDDLESBROUGH: Schwarzer, Davies, Xavier, Woodgate, Hines, Morrison, Cattermole, Arca, Downing, Yakubu, Viduka.  Subs: Ehiogu (for Xavier, 71), Christie (for Yakubu, 89), Johnson, Euell, Jones.

Goals: Hines 32; Viduka 49, 64; Yakubu 57 (pen)

Booked: Xavier

Sent Off: None

REFEREE:  R Styles

ATTENDANCE: 16,702