Football
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Mark Noble, Curtis Davies hail new signings after West Ham, Hull draw

Rival captains Mark Noble and Curtis Davies hailed their club's new signings after Hull and West Ham shared an exciting Premier League draw.

Hull twice led through debutants Abel Hernandez and Mohamed Diame, the latter against his former club, but Enner Valencia's ferocious first goal in English football and Davies' own goal gave the Hammers a 2-2 draw.

Hernandez looked particularly lively for Hull, having only joined his teammates in training on Sunday having finally received a visa to complete his move.

The Uruguayan headed the opener and twice went close from long range, and Davies told Sky Sports 1: "It's early days, you usually say they need to get up to the pace but from the finishing point of view it doesn't look like a problem.

"He maybe needs to get up to the physical side of it but he had another good effort in the second half, Adrian's made a good save. I hope he can carry on like that and get us double figures."

Even Hernandez's efforts, though, were overshadowed by Ecuador striker Valencia's 25-yard rocket, while Diafra Sakho's shot led to Davies' unfortunate decisive leveller.

"[Valencia] does that all the time in training -- he's got no backlift, just pure power. I didn't even see it go in but that's what he brings," Noble said.

"I was over the moon to see them both get goals, I don't know if it'll get credited to Sakho but hopefully it does."

After the bad news was broken to the pair, though, Davies said: "It is disappointing, as a defender you try to do the right thing but it's just come off Gregsy's fingertips and gone in off me."

Hammers boss Sam Allardyce was pleased with his side's character -- and they could even have won the game late on, with Valencia's header chested brilliantly onto the top of the bar by Hull defender Michael Dawson.

"The one thing I have to be disappointed with is the way we gave the second goal away," Allardyce said. "We gifted it to Mo -- of all people, when he's just joined them.

"McGregor pulled off a brilliant save from Sakho [in the first half] but what a goal, I think everybody's seen why we bought Enner Valencia with that goal.

"In the end, I was up and ready to start dancing -- which is not a pleasing sight -- but had the one gone in at the death I'd have been absolutely delighted. But we respect the point away from home, because we've come back from behind twice."

Opposite number Steve Bruce had mixed feelings and said: "I think Sam will be exactly the same, they've gifted us the second goal and Curtis has got in a bit of a tangle and we've gifted them a goal back.

"The two goals before that, especially the one from their new signing, you have to hold your hands up and say it's a wonder goal.

"It's a good point gained, it was a great game -- I'm sure me and Sam will have a beer together and think 'we don't play like that usually,' it's normally a tight game."

On the inclusion of Hernandez, he added: "He's been away two weeks [with Uruguay], then he's been stuck in Rome for four days waiting for his passport but he was full of life in training yesterday so that made my mind up to throw him in."

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