Would Hull City be “up for the Cup”? With an apathetic fanbase
and a squad lacking in ability and desire in recent weeks, it looked doubtful. The
opposition being a Nottingham Forest side who turned over Arsenal in the last
round and Wolves on their own patch last week backed by 4,000-odd fans in the
North Stand added further doubt.
Nigel Adkins said yesterday that he fancied a Cup run.
And then made 8 changes from his last selection. That could have gone either
way but he was rewarded by a committed performance from players who looked eager
to impress in a well-balanced line-up.
Marshall
Aina – Hector - Mazuch
– Clark
Stewart –
Henriksen
Bowen – Irvine –
Diomande
Dicko
Mazuch was the biggest difference maker. He’s a calm, no-nonsense
defender who doesn’t take chances and doesn’t panic. Hector, who moved to the
right side, looked much better alongside him. Aina was more comfortable on the
right and Max Clark had an excellent game on the left. Going forward, Bowen also
looked much happier on the right, Irvine’s effervescence has been missing and
Diomande worked hard in front of Clark.
Forest weren’t as good as they showed on the telly in the
last round or as they were at the KCOM in the league earlier this season. That
might have changed had Carayol’s effort from distance not gone just wide after
only 3 minutes. City worked their way into the game and Marshall was untested
for the next 70 minutes or so. The ball was worked out of defence far better
than recently with little drama. Aina was a good out ball and Stewart and particularly
Henriksen offered a route into midfield while a big diagonal towards Diomande or
Irvine presented a good alternative.
Henriksen had a low free kick pushed away by Smith and
then Bowen just failed to get onto a Hector pass with the keeper out quickly. Smith
and Worrall then got in a right mess from an Irvine flick on and Bowen instinctively
shot first time towards the empty net but hit the post. Only a minute or two
later, Dicko slid Bowen in on the right, he drove at Mancienne who deflected
his shot onto the top of the post and it dropped over the line [1-0].
City were well on top with Stewart and Henriksen winning
the midfield, Irvine irritating the life out of them and Dicko making
intelligent runs wide to drag defenders around. We didn’t have much to show for
it other than a tame Aina shot until five minutes before half time when Irvine
looped a cross to the back post, Bowen won the header well and nodded it back
for Dicko to beat Mancienne in the air and head it in, off the post again
[2-0].
Other than ref Stuart Attwell being as inconsistent as
ever, there hadn’t been much to worry City. Carayol did miss a good chance before
the break though, running off Aina to head wide but not wide enough for it to
become a tap-in for Brereton. In stoppage time, Diomande missed a golden
opportunity of our own. Bowen slid him in, he turned down a shot with his left
and when he cut inside, everything closed in on him and Mancienne kicked his
effort away easily.
Forest were booed off by their 4,000 fans at half time.
They’d clearly thought it was going to be a cakewalk and showed their anger at
it being anything but. There was a lot of the Sheffield Wednesdays about them.
Half time: Hull City 2 Nottingham Forest 0.
Despite a double change by Aitor Karanka, Forest remained
second best. Dicko was foiled by a good save from Smith after a slick passing
move as City dominated territory but consistently failed to pick the right pass
or cross around the box and turned down numerous shooting opportunities. Dowell
hit the outside of the post with a free kick from nowhere and there was a
goalmouth scramble after Marshall got caught under a corner. Speaking of corners, we saw one of the worst
ever from Dowell who whipped a corner low and hard and it went out of play
almost before it reached the penalty area. It was hilarious.
City introduced Keane for Dicko and then Grosicki for
Diomande. Both got generous applause for an afternoon of hard graft. Within
minutes, Grosicki had found Keane twice but both times Smith saved tame
efforts. Marshall saved superbly from Cash’s backpost header before Grosicki and
Bowen had chances to shoot and made things easy for Smith in their goal. Bowen’s
was a great chance. We could have been five or six up easily at that point but
ended up clinging on after Cash’s superb cross dissected our entire defence and
sub Vellios volleyed in [2-1]. We did so without much drama, in truth.
Full time: Hull City 2 Nottingham Forest 1.
The win was very much deserved and the performance a dramatic
improvement on last week. Hector and Aina both looked different players in a
defence marshalled superbly by Mazuch. That will give Adkins a huge selection
dilemma against Leeds on Tuesday night. It’d be hard to justify any team that
doesn’t have these four in it.
Midfield will also give the manager a headache. Stewart
and Henriksen were mobile, worked well off each other and moved the ball well.
Henriksen couldn’t tackle a crossword in the Beano but this was possibly the
best I’ve seen from him and did a god job of being in the right place at the
right time at both ends of the pitch. Stewart still lacks something. Everything
good he does is followed by something not-so-good. He turned brilliantly on the
edge of their box and then passed to them. He made a superb interception on the
edge of ours and then trod on the ball. It just seems to happen to him. You’d
think Larsson would come back in with him having been our outstanding player in
the last 6 weeks but dropping anyone is harsh.
To complete the set, there are decisions up front too.
Dicko scored and lead the line brilliantly. Diomande protected Clark far better
than Grosicki ever has but Grosicki’s cameo showed he’s a far bigger threat
than Dio. And we just look a better side with Irvine in it.
I can therefore comfortably predict Tuesday’s team will
be: Someone - Someone - Someone - Someone - Someone - Someone - Someone - Someone
- Someone -Bowen – Someone.
Beyond that, we’re still in the Cup and can eagerly await
Monday’s draw (Away to Wigan).
A good day.
