A change in personnel, formation and outcome as the Tigers fight hard for a point against a dangerous Coventry City side.

What an unpleasant man Kevin Kyle is. A Scotch internationalist, this lumbering buffoon is perhaps the modern day epitomy of what an Iain Dowie football team is about - all elbows and headers around the penalty box, extravagant dives and feigned injuries, whingeing at the referee at every conceivable moment, generally being a pain in the arse. It is testament to Dowie's limited viewpoint on football that he starts games with Kyle ahead of Dele Adebola, consistently one of the most dangerous and powerful forwards at this level for several seasons as he again proved yesterday in a ten minute cameo at the end of the game. By that time City were down to ten men after Sam Ricketts received his marching orders for accumulating two yellow cards and Adebola's presence, heading ability and link play immediately rocked the Tigers onto the back foot, from where they defended stoutly to maintain parity in what was an entertaining rain-soaked romp in the West Midlands industrial wastelands.

Last Saturday's horror show had City fans baying (and in some cases braying) for many things, but amongst the more proportionate demands were a return to 4-4-2 and a full revision of our defensive line-up. To his credit Phil Brown delivered on both of those, with Wednesday's Carling Cup back four being retained with the exception of Ricketts in for Doyle, and Windass and Barmby playing as two proper strikers with Garcia filling in on the right. A further surprising change was that the newly contract bedecked Boaz Myhill was reduced to bench duties and Matt Duke - impressive in pre-season and at Gresty Road - got a rare league start. He performed well, although the defence before him was excellent, affording him few opportunities to make saves. Finally Bryan Hughes had a back problem so Stuart Elliott started on the left of the midfield four. City thus emerged:

Duke
Ricketts Turner Brown Delaney
Garcia Ashbee Marney Elliott
Windass Barmby

Coventry began the brightest in their shiny but soulless stadium and after 2 a corner was headed powerfully but directionlessly high by unfeasibly shaggy Ward. From the following corner Duke caught the first of several aerial balls directed his way and released Elliott for a romp down the left but the threat was snuffed out as the Ulsterman reached the Cov penalty box. After 6 Ian Ashbee conceded the first of many of what my notes describe as "Dowie free kicks" - i.e. no foul, player hurls himself to the turf clutching his leg/knee/arm as though letting go would cause the severed limb to drop off, only to spring to his feet once the referee had dished out a warning. This one came to nothing.

The game was open and offering entertainment at both ends and after 9 City had their first good chance. Ricketts' throw-in on the right 30 yards from Cov's goalline fed Ashbee who had advanced into the space between defence and midfield. Ash looked up and lifted a cross to the far post where Elliott's diving header drifted just wide of Konstantopoulos's post.

As the half went on Cov played some neat passing triangles, mostly down the left side involving the very tidy Julian Gray, but they rarely threatened City's defence that was marshalled superbly by league debutant Wayne Brown. City were content to soak up the pressure and use the flicks and touches of Barmby and Windass to play effectively on the break. I can't help thinking that this is City's best way of playing, and suggests that we will be a more effective and entertaining away team than at home, where on the evidence of Plymouth we are tempted to over-complicate things in order to provide a greater attacking spectacle. Anyway, all of this at Coventry was overseen on the touchline not by Phil Brown, who was lurking around the dug-out, but by Brian Horton who was constantly issuing instructions and encouragements to all around him. I like this idea - Brown does the cerebral stuff, perhaps in time from the stand like his odious buddy Sam Allardyce, while Horton plays the sergeant major role.

After 20 Gray released Tabb into space after some neat skills bamboozled Ricketts and the diminutive ex-Brent lifted a cross to the far post where Kyle was advancing with menace. As he and Delaney met the arc of the ball there was a collision and Kyle clattered to the grass claiming a penalty. Would have been harsh - seen 'em given. Thus Kyle whinged with renewed vigour borne out of fake injustice. Moments later Ricketts was booked for an innocuous challenge on half way, an incident that had more to do with the slippery conditions that any felonious intent. It was to contribute to his later downfall.

Kyle had calmed down enough on 29 to nod a free kick into Leon McKenzie's path and Brown's splendid lunge conceded a corner. Duke claimed the subsequent cross and quickly fed Barmby in the Cov half, who held the ball up and combined well with Delaney to craft a deep cross that Windass headed goalwards, forcing the Cov keeper to palm away in a state of some emergency. First effort of the match on target. On 34 some more neat triangles by Cov released Gray who crossed to the back post where Tabb had a free header that he nodded wide of Duke's yawning goal. A let-off. From the resulting goal kick Barmby found space and shot left footed but his effort span across the face of goal and a yard wide of the far post.

The half closed with Cov often in possession and City continuing to spring from deep to alarm Cov's back four. It was an entertaining and evenly matched half in which City tackled powerfully and used Barmby's guile whenever possible. The wet weather provided the conditions tailor made for Ian Ashbee and he was pivotal to much of City's work, while Windass was subdued and Barmby posed the greatest threat.

Into the second half and Cov took off scurrying ex-Palace midfielder Michael Hughes and bought on the taller and more languid Stephen Hughes. Strange one that as Hughes (M) was evidently relishing his battle with our captain. Anyway, Coventry were resurgent and were clearly instructed to launch the ball forward more rapidly. On 50 they got a result as Brown missed a clearing header and Kyle received the ball on the right of City's box. His cross was well struck and picked out the unmarked McKenzie at the far post who headed into the goal via Duke's shins. Cov's raising of the tempo delivered an immediate result, 1-0.

City were visibly rocked by this and for a few minutes Coventry were dominant with Gray spurning the best chance with a shot wide after he exchanged passes with Kyle. A Marney free kick on the right was glanced wide by Turner and this gave the Tigers some encouragement. On 62 Ricketts and Garcia had possession deep in the Cov half by the corner flag and a neat trick by Ricketts wrong-footed the covering Gray and afforded the Welshman some space to cross. This he did in some style, picking out the bonce of Nick Barmby at the near post who outmuscled his taller markers and butted a powerful header into the top corner of the net that Konstantopoulos could only push goalwards with a weak wrist. A bit out of the blue, but 1-1. Garcia had battled for possession by the corner in the first place and deserves praise for his part in the build-up.

Two minutes later Barmby and Marney exchanged passes and Nick ended up unmarked in the vicinity of the penalty box with the ball at his feet. But his low shot was not struck well and gave the keeper a chance to save low. City continued to apply pressure and looked the most likely to take the lead until on 68 disaster struck as Gray went on a mazy dribble on the left wing that was halted just before it took him into the penalty box by a Ricketts lunge. This was deemed a yellow card offence and Ricketts was dismissed. Dawson immediately replaced Elliott and he slotted into the right back berth, while McPhee replaced Windass to play the lone striker role once Livermore had come on for Barmby. The ten minutes over which these substitutes occurred saw City defend robustly and Coventry show little sign of breaking down the Tigers. Indeed on 81 City had perhaps the best untaken chance of the match as right back Osbourne slipped under a deep cross and allowed Marney - now playing left midfield - a free run on Cov's goal. Dean refused the obvious chance of a left foot tap-in under the keeper and instead cut inside the covering defender onto his favoured right foot, which he used to scuff a ten yard shot horribly and head-held-in-handsily wide.

After this miss, the last ten minutes were characterised by chances spurned by the nippy Mifsud, who had replaced Tabb, all of which were attributable to some extent to the strength and craft of Adebola. First on 82 Mifsud steered a far post shot into the side netting after McKenzie had released Gray into space for a low left wing cross. Then he struck a low shot on 90 that was saved by Duke. Finally he again found space after excellent work by Adebola but his shot again screwed wide.

The only other alarm came when Turner was juiced after a clash with McKenzie and he had to leave the pitch to be patched up, leaving City momentarily down to 9 men. However the blood flow was soon staunched and Turner returned to the fray in a plain white T-shirt that had been found at the bottom of the physio's kitbag.

The verdict - well, obviously much better than last Saturday when I thought the 2-3 scoreline flattered City considerably against a distinctly average Plymouth side. Coventry were certainly better than Plymouth, but City were much better too. Turner and Brown look a very decent centre back combination that will let little past them in the air, however there may still be a lurking doubt about what a nippy striker like Cureton or Sibierski (to pluck two names from our next opponents) might do to them. We'll soon see. Elsewhere Barmby was excellent while Windass was quiet, a turnaround from the previous Saturday that suggests that it is up front where new blood will add more consistency to City's play. The midfield looked infinitely more comfortable in an easily understood line of four where roles and responsibilities are clearer and stay with individuals. Of the four Garcia still worries me in defensive mode when he is too apt to waft a lazy foot at a passing player rather than fulfill his defensive duties. Ashbee was as good as he gets at this level, which is pretty effective but not especially pretty.

There is still more work to be done on this squad if we are to do anything other than struggle in the bottom six this season. However we saw today that City can live with a decent opposition side and claim points. A win against Norwich would do much to restore faith amongst supporters and players alike.

HULL CITY (4-4-2): Duke; Ricketts, Turner, Brown, Delaney; Garcia, Ashbee, Marney, Elliott; Barmby, Windass.  Subs: Dawson (for Elliott, 70), McPhee (for Windass, 74), Livermore (for Barmby, 76), Bridges, Myhill.

Goals: Barmby 62

Booked: Marney, Ricketts

Sent Off: Ricketts

COVENTRY CITY: Konstantopoulos, Osbourne, Ward, Hall, Borrowdale, Tabb, Doyle, M Hughes, Gray, Kyle, McKenzie.  Subs: S Hughes (for M Hughes, 46), Adebola (for Kyle, 74), Mifsud (for Tabb, 77), Best, Marshall.

Goals: McKenzie 51

Booked: None

Sent Off: None

REFEREE:  B Knight

ATTENDANCE: 21,059