Hull City remain top of the Championship table after a
resounding victory over the bookies favourites for promotion – Middlesbrough.
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| www.hulldailymail.co.uk |
I’ve said after several of the recent victories that I
felt there was still quality to come from this team and today we saw that as
they faced their toughest test of the season so far and passed it with flying
colours. From the moment they broke Boro’s resistance – City strolled it.
Tested just once, they out-classed a very good opponent and could have won by
more than the three goals.
City 4-4-2
Allan McGregor
Moses Odubajo –
Michael Dawson – Harry Maguire – Andy Robertson
Ahmed Elmohamady –
Jake Livermore – David Meyler – Sam Clucas
Abel Hernandez – Mo
Diame
The first half an hour was hard-fought and good quality. On
paper, this was two of the best teams in the division going head to head and
the reality didn’t let us down with each attacking but showing respect for the
other’s ability and working hard to get back into shape when they lost the
ball. In typical Championship fashion it was a physical battle as well as a
test of footballing ability. Any doubts over that were ended ten minutes in
when Adam Clayton stuck his studs in Mo Diame’s chest. It was stupid rather
than malicious but it set the tone for a feisty encounter. That the referee
thought it was unworthy of a yellow card was a puzzling to say the least.
Middlesbrough, with their nine men behind the ball out of
possession, were a tough nut to crack and despite some imaginative play from
The Tigers and numerous corners they struggled to penetrate the wall of red.
Boro did start to get some joy on the counter as City committed men into attack
and Diego Fabbrini in particular exploited the space between our defence and
midfield to cause problems. He may have the mullet of a seventies rocker and
spend more time falling over than a WWE wrestler but Fabbrini has a touch of
class and twice played David Nugent in behind with fine passes. The first time
Nugent struck wide of the far post from a tight angle and the second he was
offside but no-one had realised and McGregor denied him with a lightening quick
(and slightly two footed) sliding tackle.
A foul on David Meyler lead to a City free kick 25 yards
out just to the right of goal. Sam Clucas struck it beautifully and was denied
by a flying save from Konstantopoulos. From that point on City took a grip of
the game. Elmohamady should have scored but shot weakly when freed by Clucas
and then Elmo flicked on Clucas’s corner but no-one followed in behind.
Middlesbrough continued to hold a solid defensive shape and worked hard to kick
the ball in midfield with occasional successes but City passed the ball with
conviction and were able to keep creating attacking positions. Sadly a large
percentage of our crosses were over-hit, from both open play and corners, but
the questions continued to be asked.
Elmo and Hernandez contrived to miss the next decent
chance as the former headed Clucas’s corner just beyond the far post with the
latter connecting only with the post when he had the opportunity to knock the
ball in. I tweeted after last week’s game with MK Dons that two thirds of City’s
league goals this season have come in the last fifteen minutes of each half and
after adding to that at Brentford, we did so again today. Middlesbrough had
displayed impressive defensive concentration throughout the half but proved
unable to maintain it with time running out. Fabbrini ran into Livermore in
midfield and threw himself to the ground. The occasionally questionable referee
recognised that the Boro man had initiated the contact (in layman’s terms –
cheated) and waved play-on. City switched the ball to Elmohamady who curled an
absurdly good cross from outside of the area but very central in behind the
back four and Mo Diame arrived unnoticed to volley home with the keeper
stranded [1-0].
Half time: Hull
City 1 Middlesbrough 0
Like many recent games the expected response from the
team trailing didn’t really materialise as City continued to dominate
possession and mixed it up physically when required. Meyler and Livermore controlled
the midfield with Jake in particular impressing with his work when
Middlesbrough had the ball and his quality and composure in all areas of the
pitch when we had it. The fast-improving Robertson cleverly read and picked off
a Stewart Downing pass to launch an attack that saw Elmo just fail to meet
Clucas’s lovely cross and then Robbo slid in to rob Downing of the ball when he
thought he was away down their right.
Diame shot over from distance and then volleyed a good
chance over from inside the box after Livermore and Hernandez had combined
brilliantly to set it up. Dawson headed Clucas’s set piece straight at
Konstantopoulos and then picked up a booking for a pull back on Fabbrini on a
rare Boro break. The defining minute for the contest arrived shortly after.
Downing lifted a ball to the far post from a harmless looking position and
George Friend arrived to volley goalward and force a fine save from the once
maligned McGregor. The applause had barely died down when Odubajo and Livermore
combined to create a shooting opportunity for Meyler. His shot was heading wide
when Clucas diverted it into the bottom corner from twelve yards [2-0].
With the game seemingly safe, Steve Bruce was able to
make use of his outstanding options from the bench and at varying intervals
sent on Akpom, Huddlestone and Hayden for Hernandez, Diame and Meyler. All
three departed to standing ovations as the crowd appreciated the individual efforts
of all of the players in a complete team performance. Hernandez got stuck into
Boro’s defenders from early in the game and made runs wide and in behind to
keep them working and drag City into good positions. Diame showed his class -
which is absolutely top level – and was involved in most of City’s best
moments.
Odubajo made a goal-saving challenge on Albert Adomah,
after the ball had flukily found the Boro winger, for his second brilliant bit
of defending in the game before City wrapped the game up. Just seconds after he
had Akpom’s pass nicked off his toe inside the box, Tom Huddlestone picked up
the ball from Elmo, after a defensive gaffe, and from around the corner of the
penalty area lashed the ball into the far corner with the keeper left standing [3-0]. It was a sensational finish. The
type we all know Tom is well capable of but see far too rarely.
Full Time: Hull
City 3 Middlesbrough 0
The win leaves City at the top of the table going into
the international break – ahead of Brighton on goal difference. The return of
34 points from 16 games is in advance of the two points per game you generally
aim for in a promotion campaign. We’re unbeaten in ten league games and twelve
all together. We’ve not conceded in 450 minutes of league football and have
conceded only four times in the last 1110 minutes in all comps. Allan McGregor
has seven clean sheets in ten league games.
It’s difficult to imagine how the situation could be any
better. The only real negative is that we’ve only just passed the first third
of the season. There’s still a hell of a long way to go. City are now the team
to be shot at. The pressure increases in every game. Rivals and spectators are
taking notice by the game. This team and the management has been questioned
since the start of the season. Did it have the gumption for a season in the
Championship? Did the players have the heart for a fight almost every Tuesday
and Saturday? Did the manager half the balls to recover from the biggest
disappointment of his career?
They’ve risen to all of those challenges. But all they’ve
done is create more. More pressure. More expectation. If today is anything to
go by - that will just drive them to greater heights.
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