Jonjo Shelvey assessed as City unearth talent in latest win

A CLOSER LOOK AT DRAMATIC LATE WIN

- By BARRY COOPER

A CLINICAL near-post equaliser from Kyle Joseph and a terrific run and shot from Pharrell Brown sealed a fine 2-1 win against Istanbulspor for Hull City in their outing since arriving in Turkey.

Sergej Jakirovic operated with almost two different teams with a mixture of senior professionals and academy players but got a positive result, despite seeing his side fall a goal behind on the stroke of halftime.

The only negative from a promising afternoon in the Riva sunshine was an injury to Lewie Coyle, who limped out early in the second half with what appeared to be a hamstring injury.

Two from two

It's only preseason, I hear you cry. It's only Grimsby Town and Istanbulspor, you rightly point out. But this time, 12 months ago, City were beaten all over the shop. Not once did they ever look like winning a game of football, and that desperate form continued into what was a hapless season.

Winning breeds confidence. It makes everybody feel better, lifts the mood, and helps players buy into a new ethos. Given the stuff going on around the club regarding its finances and the transfer restrictions, only victories will lift spirits.