By Sam Lyon
**Hull City produced a manful performance to hold Chelsea to a shock draw as the title hopefuls missed the chance to take their league lead to four points.**The Londoners were lacklustre all night to say the least, but that was down in no small part by Hull’s brave approach.
It was the hosts, in fact, who took the lead when Steven Mouyokolo headed home.
Didier Drogba marked his return from African Cup of Nations duty with the equaliser from a free-kick, but Hull comfortably held on to a precious draw.
It was no less than the hosts deserved from an all-action display and even though the result was not enough to see them out of the bottom three, it could provide a welcome fillip as they enter the crucial stages of their battle against relegation.
Chelsea, meanwhile, can comfort themselves with the knowledge they go two points clear of Manchester United and six of Arsenal at the top of the table, but boss Carlo Ancelotti will surely consider this a missed opportunity, especially with a home match against the Gunners to come on Sunday.
On paper, it looked a potential cakewalk for Chelsea. Six wins in succession in which they have scored 21 goals and conceded just four marked them out as clear favourites against a Hull side without a win in nine.
But the hosts’ disciplined and forceful approach, typified - as so often - by Stephen Hunt, stultified a Chelsea side who were far from their best.
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The title chasers did have two good efforts in the first half hour; Frank Lampard forced a smart stop from Boaz Myhill with a dipping 20-yarder, while Michael Ballack tamely headed Branislav Ivanovic’s superb cross from the right straight at the keeper.
However, they were only the briefest glimpses of the visitors’ quality as they failed to get out of first gear in the face of Hull’s high-tempo tactics.
It was testament to the hosts’ first-half play that it was no great surprise when they took the lead, and even less so that it was from a set piece.
Of the 19 league goals Chelsea have conceded this season before the game, 14 had come from set pieces, and the visitors struggled to deal with Hull’s dead-ball situations all evening.
And Mouyokolo took full advantage on the half hour as he headed home Hunt’s corner unmarked from six yards out.
It served only to prompt a response from Chelsea, though, as they finally snapped out of their malaise long enough to equalise through Drogba’s pin-point free-kick from the edge of the box.
Any expectations that Hull would sink into their shell were wide of the mark, though, and they continued to threaten from set plays, Anthony Gardner and Jozy Altidore both guilty of profligacy in front of goal from well directed Hunt deliveries.
Myhill kept the scores level at the other end, sprawling one way and then the other to stop headers from Drogba and John Terry in quick succession.
And that meant, with 15 minutes left, the match was finely in the balance.
However, a grand assault from the visitors never looked like coming, their final ball and incision in front of goal - as it had been all night - sadly absent.
With the away fans streaming for the exits there was at least a fine effort from substitute Daniel Sturridge, his left-footed effort tipped round the post by Myhill.
But it was too little, too late from Chelsea, and they go into the match with Arsenal knowing another off-kilter performance could guarantee that this season’s title race remains very much a three-horse race.