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MANCHESTER // It would be an exaggeration to say a revenge mission was successfully executed but there was an aptness to the outcome. Damaging draws, especially at Eastlands, were a feature of Mark Hughes's final few weeks at Manchester City.
Fourteen months after his departure, Hughes's capacity to claim a point at his former ground remained both intact and a source of frustration to City. Any lingering hopes of winning the title probably disappeared as they were denied an eighth successive home win.
Fulham merited their draw and Hughes, who harbours feelings of injustice about his exit, is entitled to believe he proved his point on his first return to Eastlands.
However, a fractiousness characterises his relationship with his old club and the Welshman felt Roberto Mancini, his successor, showed a lack of respect in the post-match handshake. But, as the Italian argued: "The result is more important. He did a job against us."
By the end, Fulham were the likelier winners, allying efficient organisation with the levels of flair that few sides in the lower half of the table possess.
Damien Duff augmented a well-taken equaliser with a display of wing skills and Moussa Dembele is re-establishing Hughes's reputation for finding bargains.
In the broader scheme of things, Hughes's parameters have changed since his sacking: fresh and focused, Fulham benefited from a week's preparation.
In contrast, as Mancini admitted, there was a flatness to City. "In the second half we were so tired," he said. "When you play every three days, you have a few players who are injured." With a knee problem sidelining David Silva, invention was missed.
In his absence, they nevertheless led. Mario Balotelli turned in a typically mercurial display, a man who can both infuriate and exhilarate supplying a wonderful goal.
The flamboyance and overreactions of an explosive talent can conceal a subtlety sometimes shown on the ball (though rarely off it).
So it proved when a deft shuffle to deceive Danny Murphy was followed by a shot of minimal backlift that nonetheless contained curl and power, nestling in the bottom corner of the visitors' goal.
Fulham levelled immediately after the interval with a swift raid that caught City unawares. After a right-wing break, Andrew Johnson's low cross was driven in at pace. Duff arrived at the far post to apply a finish of similar velocity that defeated Joe Hart. "A fantastic goal," Hughes said.
Thereafter, Mark Schwarzer was a full stretch to claw a low shot from Carlos Tevez away and then to tip Aleksandar Kolarov's dipping volley over the bar.
But, as Hughes said: "We restricted very good players to very few opportunities." It enabled the returning manager to say: "I've no regrets." Not yesterday, anyway.
