Crystal Palace 4 – 2 Hull City ~ Tigers Second Best to Phillips and Zaha (not to mention an appalling penalty decision)

 

5^th March 2013 Tuesday 8pm Selhurst Park – Steve Bruce picked the same team which did so well against Birmingham with one change on the bench (Fahti for Cairney). Cairney sustained an injury in training and Corry Evans was listed on the subs part of the team-sheet, but replaced by the Egyptian by 8pm

 

Hull City 3-5-2: Stockdale, Chester, Hobbs, Bruce, Koren, Elmohamady, Quinn, Meyler, Gedo, Brady, Boyd, Substitutes: Jakupovic, McShane, Fathi, Evans, Faye, Simpson, Proschwitz.

 

Crystal Palace 4-3-3: Speroni, Moxey, Delaney, Ramage, Butterfield, Dikgacoi, Jedinak, Williams, K Phillips, Zaha, Murray. Substitutes: Price, Parr, Bolasie, Marrow, Moritz, Dobbie, Wilbraham.

 

Both sides started brightly and there was positive attacking play with no hint of cageyness; both teams set out to win the game. However in the opening 25 minutes City seemed to be giving away far too many free kicks and Palace built up a lot of territorial dominance and had far more shots on goal.

 

On 30 minutes this came to a head when David Meyler was penalised in the box for a push on Jonathan Williams and a penalty was awarded to Palace. David Stockdale made a good save to his right pushing the ball away from a poor Glenn Murray strike and City fans must have thought it was going to be our day.

 

City needed to defend well as Palace got more of the game, Meyler was booked in the 38 minute for a foul on Jonathan Williams and the ref seemed to be using his whistle an awful lot and stopping the flow of the game.

 

Then in stoppage time before the break Palace got the best of an appalling refereeing decision in City’s penalty box. From a Glenn Murray shot Jack Hobbs slid in to clear the ball which somehow shot up between his legs and struck his arm. The game seemed to carry on, no appeals from anyone until David Stockdale noticed the linesman flag. The linesman from 30 odd yards away spotting something no-one else had and this led to the referee blowing for a penalty. The Tigers appealed strongly against this silly award but to no avail, and up stepped Kevin Phillips to beat Stockdale to enable the half time score to stand at 1-0 to the home side; all courtesy of a home team decision by the official’s in the eyes of the Tiger fans.

 

City started the second half ok and looked to be getting into the game but then disaster struck in the 52 minute when Kevin Phillips got his 2nd goal as he found the back of the net with a shot from deep inside the penalty box to the bottom right corner of the net after a pass from the Wilfried Zaha; 2-0 to Crystal Palace; could have been a slight deflection from a defenders foot which gave Stockdale no chance.

 

One minute later City conceded another; it was Kevin Phillips again to give him a hat trick. This goal was from outside the box to the top right hand corner of the net, and another assist with an excellent pass by Wilfried Zaha. The defenders being outnumbered never got near enough to Phillips, who took his time and looped it Stockdale’s left and he could not get to it as it went in at the top corner. City were staring goggle eyed at three away defeats in a row; 3-0 to Crystal Palace.

 

On 69 minutes Bruce took Koren off and introduced Jay Simpson and changed the formation to 4-4-2 and on 73 minutes to everyone’s surprise he got a goal back. Simpson’s goal was scored via a looping header to the back of the net from just 6 yards inside the box after a pass from Elmohamady following a Brady throw in on the right; So 3-1 and a bit of hope.

 

But on 77 min hope turned a bit sour when the gifted Saha made it 4-1 to Palace with a quality goal, putting the ball into the bottom right hand corner of the Tigers net after charging in at speed on the right hand side and slotting it past Stockdale from a tight angle. This guy was a bit too good for us. Crystal Palace 4 – 1 Hull City and time running out.

 

Two minutes into injury time it got a little bit respectable when David Meyler got another one back with a downward header from a free kick; 4-2 to Palace. Gedo went very close a minute later when the ball dribbled just past a post, but that was it. We dropped a place to 3^rd and missed a chance of consolidation.

 

Crystal Palace though are a good team, they were too much for City today on their patch, and Kevin Phillips and Wilfried Zaha were probably the difference. Certainly that penalty for handball was a cruel blow and should never have been given. Referees have a fixation on hand ball in the penalty box, it seems you can manhandle an opponent all you like and push and tug all afternoon and it will be ignored. But let a ball brush a defenders arm and no mercy is shown.

 

Next match is another difficult one as we are away to Burnley. Tigers fans will know that the fact Burnley are not playing well will have no bearing on how they will attack us next Monday night and Bruce must devise a hoodoo beating plan if we are to come away with something. Crap refereeing decisions have never been scarce there in recent years either.

 

Ref: Mr Haywood: Attendance: 16,230

 

 

 

 

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Bolton Wanderers 4 – 1 Hull City ~ Tigers Forget How to Defend

23^rd February 2013 Saturday, Reebock Stadium – After boasting what an outstanding defence Hull City have it was galling to discover once again that nothing in football is a given and everything in football is often turned on its head. Just what odds you could have got on a 3-0 score line in 8 minutes is beyond imagination. We drop one place to 3rd and lose a wonderful chance to get nearer Cardiff. Yes Hull City at their most frustrating.

Steve Bruce called it school boy defending and he is right, let’s hope this never happens again. We have two centre halves injured so maybe the combination on the pitch is not our best, but then again it has served us well before.

The first goal: Chung-Yong Lee cross to Pratley in the box, (defender misses a clearance header), Pratley totally unmarked, no-one near him heads into the goal… 2 minutes expired.

Second goal: Ball given away on City’s right, three Bolton passes, M Davies pass to Ngog (falls over), no proper clearance, ball bounces to M Davies who shoots from the edge of the “D” which beats the diving Stockdale…goal 5 minutes expired. It was a shot along the ground which on most days Stockdale would have stopped.

Third goal: Ball given away on the half way line, Bolton attack a corner won. Corner taken by Spearing to Craig Dawson who heads over the line, hooked away by Robert Koren but then rammed fully home by Martin Sordell…goal 8 minutes, Tigers expired.

Horrible, horrible, this can’t be happening we all say, what’s going on! In that opening 10 minutes Bolton had taken 3 shots at goal and scored 3 goals, and won a corner. City had only troubled the statistics with a foul and 25% of possession.

City “responded” with a shot by Quinn and then Brady but it wasn’t looking good. Then on 20 minutes Sordell has a shot just inside the box for Bolton which bounced off a post. Shell shocked City players continued to be sloppy, ragged and seemed to forget any possession retention techniques and maybe it was just a question of limping to half time so that something could be sorted out. Even Elmo’s trusted crossing skills deserted him and most players looked lost in a similar way.

City eventually got into their passing game with Bolton clearly preferring to hold onto a winning lead and up to half time the Tigers made a game of it; having more and more possession to make it 50%; a goal now would have changed things for the second half, but Gedo had used up all his magic.

HT 3-0

With Steve Bruce no doubt telling them a few home truths the Tigers carried on attempting a comeback, but on 60 minutes with nothing much happening Boyd came on for Koren and Simpson came on for Gedo. And on 68 minutes something happened. City got a free kick from a foul on Meyler, Brady took the kick some 25 yards out and following a deflection the ball completely beat keeper Bogdan and ended in the bottom right hand corner of the net; 3-1 and a little hope.

Hope soon extinguished though. On 69 minutes an inappropriate ball by Chester rebounds off a City player and an 18 yard effort by Darren Pratley needed a save by David Stockdale. Then on 70 minutes bad defending struck again after a corner, at least two clearances were needed but with the ball still not cleared properly a shot from the edge of the box to Craig Dawson who just flicked the ball into the bottom left hand corner of the net, the ball just seemed to dribble in with Stockdale stranded in the middle of the goal; 4-1 then and that was it.

For periods City played ok but it that opening 8 minutes was just too much to recover from and Bolton defended very well.

Hull City: Stockdale, Chester, Hobbs, Bruce, Elmohamady, Evans, Gedo, Quinn, Brady, Meyler, Koren. Bench: Proschwitz, Simpson, Fathi, Boyd, Jakupovic, Cairney, Rosenior.

Bolton: Bogdan, Ricketts, Knight, Dawson, Alonso, M. Davies, Spearing, Pratley, Chung-Yong Lee, Sordell, Ngog. Bench: K. Davies, Lonergan, Medo, C. Davies, Eagles, Wheater, De Ridder.

Referee Mr A Haines (Tyne & Wear).

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Hull City 2 – 0 Blackburn Rovers ~ Tigers in Control

19^th February 2013 Tuesday KC Stadium – City never seemed in danger of losing this game such was the concentration and solid defending. We all expected an exceptionally difficult game but overall the Tigers gave the impression of always being in control. Blackburn only managed one shot on target, an early 25 yard strike from Kazim-Richards on 4 minutes which skidded across the turf towards the waiting palms of David Stockdale. Elsewhere things also came together Cardiff lost (time for wobbly jitters – hope so), and Leicester lost (we can only hope for more of that as well). We are an almost solid second now with 62 points, 5 points behind Cardiff after 33 games (13 to play). We have only lost 2 of the last 15 league games and are becoming a nightmare to play against.

Not a memorable first half in pure footballing terms but City had a handful of chances and eventually after 10 minutes or so got on top of a Blackburn team who seemed to be waiting for something to happen for them. The giant killers of the FA Cup quite frankly could not cope with this eager Hull City side whose solid formation and energy were a handful for anyone.

Gedo got the nod as the main striker with Robbie Koren in support in a 3-5-2 of Stockdale, Chester, Hobbs, Bruce, Elmohamady, Meyler, Evans, Quinn, Brady, Koren, and Gedo. Bench: Proschwitz, Simpson, Fathi, Olofinjana, Jakupovic, Cairney, and Rosenior

Alex Bruce joined the back three and Corry Evans was in midfield.

Blackburn lined up 4-4-2: Kean, Orr, Dann, Hanley, Martin Olsson, Williamson, Lowe, Murphy, Rekik, Rhodes, Kazim-Richards, Usai, Markus Olsson, Campbell, Bentley, Givet, Pedersen, Gomes.

On 36 minutes Kean needed to be on top form to brilliantly save from an excellent Meyler header and 9 times out of 10 the ball would have been in the net.

However the teams came off at half time 0-0 after a half which had seen possession slightly in City’s favour and Blackburn in a somewhat defensive mood. It seems to be common knowledge now that these Tigers are dangerous; give them room and you can be in big trouble. A good attacking team was being neutralised by Bruce’s boys.

A great second half from Hull City as every player played to near full potential, controlling the game and snuffing out Blackburn who played second fiddle to the tigers and didn’t really show a lot in response.

On 52 minutes Gedo got his third City goal in three games, scrambling the ball into the left hand corner of the net from close range after a 6 yard-box melee, following a brilliant cross from Quinn. The KC came to life and the joy from City players spoke buckets in pure team spirit and appreciation for the Egyptian who again had been in the right place and taken his chance.

A certain Dudley Campbell had the misfortune to come onto the pitch on 59 minutes, known to his friends as DJ he must have hoped he could silence the jeers from angry City fans who had witnessed his disgraceful disrespect shown to the Hull City Management during the January window, not to mention branding Steve Bruce a liar; the man who had given Campbell his real chance in football and who had always supported him was dismissed as a story-teller who made up stuff for the hell of it. His search for a sandwich had taken him West to Blackburn…..silly bugger. If he doesn’t do the business for Blackburn he will be left adrift at the season end and that would be a lesson learnt. On this showing he will be looking for another club again by May time.

On 60 minutes City came very close to a goal; Robbie Brady put in an in-swinging corner from the right by-line towards the near post, Jack Hobbs took a solid shot but Kean made a good save.

But then the KC was sent into raptures on 67 minutes and City went 2-0 up. Robbie Brady again assists with a cross from the left this time and at the back post Elmohamady stabbed it in with ease, making it all look so easy, great skill. Throughout the game Elmo was almost unplayable and continues his brilliant form.

City took more control, and by 74 minutes the stats read City 59% possession (10 City corners to 3) (7 City shots on target to 1), that says it all, there seemed no way back for Blackburn now and that’s how it played out. Reputations counted for nothing for those in blue and white; players like goal machine Jordan Rhodes could do nothing. In the closing minutes City just held them at bay and the clock ran out.

Well done Tigers this game could be a critical one and you should believe, because the fans now do; we should fear no-one. If we play with this energy, passing skill, defensive solidity and chance taking we can win the majority of the remaining games.

Everyone was a hero but Brady, Hobbs, Chester, Bruce, Meyler, Evans, Elmo, Koren (getting back to his near best), poacher Gedo, Quinn (great cross)….all stand out, oh that’s everyone! Plus an under worked goal keeper! A night when it all clicked and we know they played against a very good team.

Final Stats: City 54% possession: Shots 8 City to 1 Blackburn (Of which on target where 7 City to 1 Blackburn): Corners 10 City to 3 Blackburn

Referee: Mr T Robinson (West Sussex) Attendance 15981

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Brighton and Hove Albion 1 – 0 Hull City ~ Tigers Concede Late Free Kick Goal

9th February 2013 Saturday at The Falmer Stadium: By any reckoning City should have come away with something from this game, a below par 1st half was more than made up for by a much better 2nd. The result left them in 4th place in the Championship on 53 points from 30 games. They are below Watford (3rd) on 53 points with Leicester in 2nd place also on 53 points. Brighton proved only better than City in one department, that of the ” taking wah chances department”. In fact City should have had a free kick for a foul out wide which was not given, seconds later Mr Atwell gave Brighton a free kick just outside the City box; the wall was ok but as Vincente struck the ball there was a push from a Brighton player which opened up the wall, the ball shot through to the back of the net. Robbed.

(Hull Daily Mail Report) Hull City missed out on the opportunity to reclaim second spot in the Championship as they fell to a cruel 1-0 defeat at Brighton this evening. An 83rd-minute free-kick from substitute Vincente was the fixture’s defining moment and condemned the Tigers to their first away defeat since November 10.

It was a harsh on City after dominating long periods of the second half. Robert Koren, David Meyler and Ahmed Elmohamady all had chances to open the scoring as the Tigers’ profligacy eventually paid a heavy price. Steve Bruce’s men rarely looked like conceding but fell to a late sucker punch when Vincente drove through a wall broken up by a push from a Brighton man.

With automatic promotion rivals Leicester falling to a 2-1 loss to rock-bottom Peterborough earlier in the day, City knew a point at the Amex would be enough to see them reclaim second spot.

Making just one change from the side that had won 1-0 at Millwall seven days ago, with Jack Hobbs replacing the injured Abdoulaye Faye, the Tigers picked up where they had left off with a well-drilled opening.

Containing their pretty hosts and striking on the counter, City were first to threaten at pace. Stephen Quinn’s threaded ball through to Koren brought a glimpse of goal but the covering tackle from Adam El-Abd was exceptional.

Brighton stuck to their passing principles and eventually began to turn the screw on their high-flying guests. A sweetly-struck drive from David Lopez required an acrobatic save from David Stockdale, before the City keeper was called into action again when tipping over from Andrea Orlandi’s free-kick. Leonardo Ulloa headed Bruno’s cross wide of the target just before the break but Brighton’s threats were being kept to a minimum by the resilience of City.

A lack of possession had limited the Tigers’ adventures but improvements after the break began to trouble Brighton. Inside the 61st minute, both Koren and David Meyler had chances to open the scoring. Quinn’s drive into the area ended with a low cross fired over by the stretching Koren, while Meyler could not hit the target when volleying Robbie Brady‘s deep cross wide.

Brighton had an even better chance at the other end. Vincente’s sumptuous pass down the line to Wayne Bride carved open City but when the ball fell to Andrea Orlandi, the midfielder lashed wildly over from 12 yards out.

Bruce responded by introducing both Nick Proschwitz and new signing Gedo but it was Robbie Brady who worked Tomasz Kuszczak with an ambitious drive from 30 yards. The Tigers sensed victory and Ahmed Elmohamady then came close when pressing on down the right. His low shot appeared destined for the bottom corner until Kuszczak pushed wide with an excellent stop.

Only one team looked likely to win it but, against the run of play, it was Brighton who broke the deadlock with seven minutes remaining.

A free-kick on the edge of the box was struck low by Vincente and neither a brittle wall nor Stockdale could keep it out.

City could not find the equaliser their play deserved and must now target a big week with three home games inside eight days.

Brighton: Kuszczak, Bruno  (Buckley – 73′ ), El-Abd( Booked), Upson, Bridge, Hammond  (Vicente – 59′ ), Orlandi, David Lopez, Bridcutt, Mackail-Smith  (Calderon – 86′ ), Ulloa. Bench: Ankergren, Calderon, Vicente, Dicker, LuaLua, Buckley, Hoskins.

Hull City: Stockdale, Chester (Booked), Hobbs, McShane, Bruce  (Evans – 29′), Koren  (Nagy – 71′ ), Elmohamady, Quinn, Meyler, Simpson  (Proschwitz – 71′ ), Brady,  Bench: Jakupovic, Rosenior, Evans, Cairney, Olofinjana, Nagy, Proschwitz.

Ref: Mr Attwell: Attendance: 25,367

Stats : City 49% : Shots Brighton 8 to City 16, (Of which those on target Brighton 5 to City 3) Corners Brighton 4 to City 7.

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David Stockdale Returns on Loan

18th January 2013 Friday – Hull City have agreed a further loan for Fulham Goal Keeper David Stockdale to return to the KC until the end of this season.

His first loan period saw him play 5 games for the Tigers in November/December 2012 but he was then recalled by Fulham when Mark Schwarzer was unfit. He played just three games for Fulham as a replacement and now returns because Schwarzer is announced fit for first team duty.

However should Schwarzer be unavailable for Fulham Stockdale would go back to Craven Cottage again.

This second loan must be a big relief for Steve Bruce and the City back-line after some dodgy performances by Jakupovic.

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Visit to Derby Tomorrow Night

20th December 2012 Thurs – If City can win this game they will go equal on points with table toppers Cardiff, albeit with a game ahead but just the thought of it is exciting. To be up there puts down a real marker, and maybe the Tigers will get noticed for once by the short-sighted press. Is that good or bad?

Anyway we have a very good chance of collecting three points and it will be a disappointment if we don’t. Derby are useful but not as good as City, providing our form holds up. It would ramp up confidence for the tough Xmas/New Year games at the right time. The fact that the opposition change their style to tackle Bruce’s boys is a compliment to the quality in the side and this should be the case tomorrow as well no doubt.

The loss of David Stockdale is a blow; Steve Bruce obviously has lost faith in Ben Amos and by all accounts Jakupovic was very poor in pre-season which is why he hasn’t featured in a fixture so far. So that’s a big one for Steve to ponder on, but providing Amos has something about him he should see this as a great opportunity to show that the mistakes come with lots of time in between. It’s probably best that his come-back is for an away game with less pressure. He is a young player and goal keepers often take a long time to blossom as it’s the mistakes which they learn from most of all. I expect him to start.

City lost the appeal to rescind the Alex Bruce red card handed out against Huddersfield, so we can expect Faye to step in if Paul McShane is still unfit. Nothing more has been heard about David Meyler returning to Sunderland and since it’s usual to give 24 hours notice he should be in the starting line-up.

This will be a good game I have no doubt but I expect the Tigers passing game, chances and pace to win out in the end.

 

 

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Watford 1 – 2 Hull City – Tigers Go Fourth!

8th December 2012 Saturday.

This was a game which told us a lot about Steve Bruce’s squad. Form team Watford had been flying in the league up to today having won 5 of their last 7 Games and no losses in that run.  But that meant nothing to this Hull City team who just got stuck in with skill, speed and energy and were much the better side in the first half. The Tigers are now 4^th on 38 points after 21 games and looking good value to camp in that area of the Championship for some time. A plus point being we have gone above Leicester again!

Jay Simpson replaced Aaron Mclean up top and as expected we had Jack Hobbs on the bench alongside the other returning player Tom Cairney. No Sone Aluko though, he had a reaction after that training session on Thursday and his Achilles gave him trouble on Friday. He has had an injection and will rest up; so it seems we won’t see him for a few weeks. It was the 3-5-1-1 formation again with Koren just behind Jay Simpson otherwise the same as last week.

Paul McShane had to come off after 15 minutes with what looked like a calf problem he couldn’t deny and that let Jack Hobbs into the game; fantastic that we now have this guy back and he was straight into the game as he’d never been away.

David Meyler headed in a rebound from a Corry Evans strike on 41 minutes to give a well-deserved  half time City lead. It was his first ever goal in his senior league career.

Watford had a lot more to say about the game in the 2^nd half but City looked to have settled things from a great Robbie Brady free kick on 73 minutes, a goal which made it made it 0-2 until Troy Deeney got one back in the 92 minute by being first to the ball against slightly reluctant David Stockdale deep into stoppage time. It was touch and go if that goal should have stood though as Deeney went in with studs up along the ground, clattered into Stockdale and forced the ball through to goal; 1-2 to the Tigers at Full time.

A good feeling after the game that we now have an excellent away record and fear no-one in this league, Cardiff do look awesome but who knows what this group of players is capable of in the return revenge fixture in Wales.

Attendance was 12,156 and the referee was Mr M. Hayward.

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Hull City 0 – 0 Crystal Palace ~ Tigers Dominate But Fail to Score

After the goal flood of a few weeks ago the goal drought continues; and this time you begin to wonder about football and how it is possible to get the odd lucky goal from a rebound say and win a game and then experience total domination from previous free-scoring players only to nearly lose a game at the death.

That’s why we love the game, couldn’t happen in other sports maybe, but it is part of this sports experience and many Tigers fans will have gone home with a wry smile on their faces, glad their team showed such enterprise and pleased that good footballing form has returned.

Steve Bruce did make more changes than perhaps he hinted at.  Corry Evans was welcomed back after some strange omissions, David Meyler got his start at last and Paul McShane came straight back in as expected.

The formation was the now norm 3 – 5  at defence and midfield, but up front we got Aluko on his own (Simpson dropped) with Robbie Koren just behind him. That part of the attack didn’t work when it came to goal scoring in spite of the stats (see below)… Koren is not a striker and Aluko cannot be everywhere.

City had some great chances and on another day the footballing fates would have smiled and 2 or 3 would have ended in the net, but not last night for reasons we will never know. Err apart from a very good Eagles defence and some excellent play by a certain Damian Delaney.

In the end Crystal Palace could have nicked it, but football luck and a good block from David Stockdale came to our rescue.

So after 19 games City slip to 6th with 32 points.

Nottingham Forest away next…surely if we keep playing well, the goals will return?

Hull City : Stockdale; Chester, McShane, Bruce; Elmohamady, Meyler, Evans, Quinn, Brady; Koren; Aluko. Bench : Jakupovic, Rosenior, McKenna, Faye, Mclean, Simpson, Proschwitz.

Crystal Palace : Speroni, Ward, Delaney, Ramage, Parr, Bolasie, Dikacoi, Garvan, Jedinak, Zaha, Easter. Bench : Price, Martin, Moxey, Gabbidon, O’Keefe, Wilbraham, Appiah.

Referee Mr. Drysdale.  Attendance 16,656.

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David Stockdale Joins Hull City on Loan

 

Fulham’s Goal Keeper David Stockdale has joined Hull City on a loan deal until 2nd January 2013.

The 27-year-old goalkeeper has made 23 appearances for the Whites but the form of first-choice stopper Mark Schwarzer has limited his chances. He is available to play against Burnley at the KC Stadium on Saturday if selected.

 

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