QPR loss harsh on spirited Tigers
QPR fans and players celebrate at the MKM Stadium. Picture by Hull City
Hull City 0 - 3 Queens Park Rangers
Sky Bet Championship
By Sam Hawcroft, Hull City correspondent
The table-topping Tigers were brought firmly back down to earth after an entertaining match whose scoreline didn’t quite reflect their spirited efforts.
The last time City fans watched a home league match was February 29, 2020, when 16,000 saw Leeds United thump City 4-0 on their way to the Premier League, while the Tigers were headed firmly in the other direction – and, well, we know the rest.
There had been friendlies and an underwhelming Carabao Cup exit – but at last, 533 days later, we arrived at the real deal.
The grey skies and drizzle couldn’t dampen the buzz – or the five sets of flamethrowers – in an almost-full East Stand in good voice, and the Tigers seemed to respond as they put on the early pressure.
City boss Grant McCann had made a couple of changes from the 4-1 season opener at Preston, with Callum Elder replacing Josh Emmanuel and Brighton loanee Ryan Longman making his first competitive start.
Ex-Tigers Moses Odubajo and Jordy de Wijs were among the Rs’ line-up, and both were the target of a few boos from the East Stand. The latter attracted the more vocal opprobrium, but still – I’ve never understood why fans boo ex-players, unless they are seriously villainous. It’s football, not panto.
Seven minutes in, Keane Lewis-Potter headed over from a lovely pass by Lewie Coyle on the right, and three minutes later George Moncur came even closer, shooting just over after being played in by Greg Docherty.
But in the 16th minute, it was the Tigers who found themselves conceding the first goal for the third time in a week.
A crunching tackle from Richie Smallwood on Stefan Johansen resulted in a free kick about 25 yards out on the right, and City were undone by a set-piece straight off the training ground, but impressive all the same.
Keane Lewis-Potter shows his frustration. Picture by Hull City
Ilias Chair swiped the ball left to Chris Willock, who was hanging about in space behind the central defence, and, unmarked, shadowed to the right to bobble a low shot past Matt Ingram and in off the left post.
Just 10 minutes before half-time, Longman’s debut was cut short as he limped off the field and was replaced by Matt Smith. McCann said after the game that he had a groin twinge so took him off as a precaution, but added that he'd know more in the next day or so.
There were chances at either end in the dying minutes of the half, with Magennis heading just over from a great cross by Lewis-Potter, but QPR were just about shading it in what was looking like a close contest between two sides widely tipped to do well this year.
The MKM was roaring at last as a spell of good pressure early in the second half saw Coyle force an acrobatic save from Seny Timothy Dieng with a long-range cross-cum-shot, and Lewis-Potter had a shot blocked.
Then, on the 58th minute, Matt Smith found himself through on goal, and managed to get his shot under Dieng, but a brilliant last-ditch clearance by Rob Dickie thwarted what looked like a nailed-on equaliser.
There were two penalty shouts within 30 seconds of each other at either end, both waved away by referee Matthew Donohue, as the tempo increased.
But how quickly fortunes change in football. On 64 minutes, Matt Ingram’s outstretched left leg denied Lyndon Dykes, who’d slipped away from Alfie Jones to be clean through on goal – and four minutes later, Dykes did find the net with a low shot that crept into the bottom left-hand corner.
That’s where it all started to unravel for City, whose efforts to get on the scoresheet fizzled out almost completely after Moncur was shown a straight red card for a high tackle on Yoann Barbet in the 71st minute, and neither he nor the fans had any complaints.
And then three minutes later QPR well and truly rained on the Tigers’ homecoming parade when goal-line hero Dickie casually flicked the ball home from a byline cross by Lee Wallace.
QPR were looking likely to bag a fourth when the referee mercifully blew for full-time.
Post-match press conference with Grant McCann:
Grant McCann said of the 10,720 crowd: “Our fans were outstanding. It just felt great to have them back supporting us today, and hopefully they can see over these last two games what a good group of players we’ve got here.”
Asked what he would have done differently, McCann said: “I would have made sure all our concentration levels are better at set-plays, and that’s something we need to be good at in this division. We were the best defensively in the league last year so we have got it in our locker.”
On the penalty shout for City when QPR were 3-0 up, McCann said: “It’s a blatant penalty. Why the referee hasn't given that is beyond me.
“It’s frustrating because we've seen them go against us over the last 12 months where the defenders have put their hands up and it’s a penalty. It’s just so inconsistent. It’s either handball or it’s not."