Sergej Jakirovic said Hull City should be happy with another Premier League point after showing character to recover from gifting Everton two goals.
Strikes from Joe Gelhardt, on his first Premier League start since September 2022, and substitute Mohamed Belloumi bookended goals by Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and Thierno Barry in a 2-2 draw.
Dewsbury-Hall was allowed to run behind Hull's backline to head in an Ainsley Maitland-Niles ball, and Barry's goal came from a sloppy pass by Sorba Thomas.
That said, Thomas was able to capitalise on a poor touch by Maitland-Niles to create Gelhardt's goal.
"I think this is a fair result," commented coach Jakirovic who has seen Hull loose just once in six games back in the Premier League, whilst the Toffees are unbeaten.
"We used one of their mistakes, we scored the goal, but unfortunately we gave them two goals.
"Then we showed a strong mentality because we played more with risk, we wee more happy with the ball. We created a good chance for Nobel (Mendy).
"I was not happy, especially in the first half, with some counter-attacks because we (should have made) better decisions. We were scrappy on the ball.
"But this is a player's decision, you cannot change anything."
On Dewsbury-Hall's equaliser, seven minutes after Gelhardt's opener, Jakirovic said: "I felt it was more a lack of energy.
"We were not so aggressive any more, front footed, chasing them with the ball. That was the reason why we made substitutions.
"I can say a lack of concentration but now it's done. So there is a lot of space to improve.”
Belloumi was part of the triple substitution Jakirovic made in response to Dewsbury-Hall, and Jakiroivc explained he was one of many players not physically up to doing a 90-minute shift.
"Belloumi started from the bench because he felt exhausted and tired," he said. "But what can we do? It's also an opportunity for other players, like Gelhardt.
"Tim (Iroegbunam) also had a small injury, MCL (medial cruciate ligaments), after Newcastle.
"We knew they will play, I don't know, 60 minutes. This was the maximum for Tim and (Hidemasa) Morita. It's a problem.
"We just had a small conversation (with Belloumi) on Friday.
"Belloumi always wants to play. He said to me, maybe it's better to start from the bench so everything is clear there. Because if he goes off 70, he's always moaning."
Everton manager David Moyes was critical of his Everton players' sloppiness.
Barry missed the ball from a couple of yards out when presented with an open goal at 1-1.
"I'm really disappointed that we didn't come away with three points," he said. "I couldn't see them getting a goal when we went 2-1 up.
"I thought we would go on and finish it but it looked really unlike us the way we gave the goals away."
Everton had a goal chalked off for offside at 0-0.
"Subjective offside I think is the phrase," he said. "It may well just be offside Brennan."