Purrfect Tigers maul Bluebirds to roar into fifth
CELEBRATION: Fans and players show their delight as Hull City hammer Cardiff at the MKM Stadium today. Pictures courtesy of Hull City
Hull City 3 - 0 Cardiff City
Sky Bet Championship
MKM Stadium
Attendance: 20,352
By Sam Hawcroft, Hull City Correspondent
Any fears that Hull City would crumble without Jaden Philogene were well and truly laid to rest after the Tigers put three past Cardiff in a commanding performance that barely gave the visitors a look-in.
After the news that Philogene was to be out for up to six weeks, many predicted a slide down the table – but two back-to-back wins would seem to suggest the Tigers are not built around one player.
Ozan Tufan, for instance, earned a place in today’s starting line-up after his winning strike at Middlesbrough on Wednesday, and Scott Twine finally lived up to his “dead-ball specialist” billing with a sublime hit to double the Tigers’ lead this afternoon. As Liam Rosenior said afterwards, “We aren’t a one-man team – we are a team.”
The Tigers demonstrated their attacking intent from the off, and in just the second minute, Aaron Connolly was through on goal, but a crucial interception diverted his goal-bound effort.
City were then awarded, in fairly quick succession, two free kicks in dangerous positions just outside the area. After the first was taken, Tufan was tripped in the area, but the offside flag rose and snuffed out any potential penalty appeals. The second free kick was struck by Twine, whose effort went just shy of the right post. Clearly getting his eye in...
The first 15 minutes was practically all City, the Tigers routinely exploiting Cardiff’s tendency to surrender possession in midfield, but in the 17th minute, out of nowhere Ruben Colwill was allowed to fire over the bar from inside the area. He could and should have hit the target, and it was a let-off for City who have gone behind a fair few times this season against the run of play. Had that gone in, who knows what the final outcome would have been.
But that was the last sniff of goal the Bluebirds would get for quite some time. In the 23rd minute, another foul brought another free kick for the Tigers about 25 yards on the left. Twine stepped up and lofted it into the area, but keeper Jak Alnwick claimed it comfortably before anyone in black and amber could connect with it.
It was good, solid pressure, and you could sense a goal was coming. Just after the half-hour, Tufan shot wide from about 25 yards – a meaty hit not unlike his match-winner at Middlesbrough on Wednesday night – and moments later the Tigers did make the breakthrough.
They pressed forward again, and Liam Delap fizzed a cross in from the right. He found Connolly waiting on the goal-line, and it was the easiest of tap-ins for him to put City ahead.
As the final minutes of the half ticked down, the North Stand urged club owner Acun Ilicali to give them a wave – and he obliged. He would undoubtedly have been happy to watch his Tigers continuing to dominate possession and control proceedings without looking like they were breaking into much of a sweat.
In the 44th minute, a clever touch from Connolly played in Tufan, whose shot was charged down for a corner. Twine lofted it towards the back post, but Alnwick plucked it from the air.
A couple of minutes into the second half, the Tigers came very close to doubling their lead after Delap found Connolly in the area, and he had tried to run it into the goal. The danger wasn’t over for Cardiff, though, as a goalmouth scramble culminated in another effort by Connolly with the keeper well off his line, but it was skewed well over.
Cardiff had a very brief foray in the Tigers’ half, but it was soon back up the other end. As Connolly was shaping up to shoot just outside the area, he was felled by Jamilu Collins, who earned a booking and conceded a free kick in probably the most dangerous position so far.
And how dangerous! Twine stepped up, and his hit was quite simply textbook. It curled beautifully into the top left-hand corner, giving Alnwick no chance. It had been a bit of a long time coming, given the hype around his free kick-taking, but it was well worth the wait.
Cardiff were still reeling when the Tigers made it three, just three minutes later. Tyler Morton played a very long, but superbly accurate, ball up top to Tufan, who raced ahead and left defender Dimitrios Goutas for dead.
He held up the ball brilliantly before executing a wonderful chip over Alnwick, who could only stand and watch as it sailed over his head. The Bluebirds keeper then angrily swiped at the air in the direction of his defence, as the home stands went nuts... and out came the “mauled by the Tigers” chants once again.
A rare attempt from the Bluebirds in the 70th minute saw Mark McGuinness head over from six yards after a 25-yard free kick into the box by Perry Ng. Six minutes later, a shot from Cardiff substitute Kion Etete drew a brilliant save from Ryan Allsop diving to his left. Shades of the failure to keep a clean sheet in the mauling of Rotherham, as the visitors mounted a bit of pressure, but it was all a bit too little, too late, and this time Allsop’s defences would remain unbreached.
Connolly left the field to a standing ovation in the 80th minute, replaced by Harry Vaughan – who was soon in the action, reminding fans how exciting he can be down the left wing. In the 83rd minute the 19-year-old – who hadn’t started a match since the opener at Norwich before being out through injury – powered forward and got a shot away inside the area. It was a tame one that Alnwick easily saved, but it drew warm applause and chanting of his name from the home fans.
Another loud standing ovation followed on the 90 minutes, this time for Tufan, who was replaced by Tyrell Sellars-Fleming.
Vaughan had another go deep into the six minutes of injury time after an impressive run into the area by Jacob Greaves – celebrating his 150th league appearance for the Tigers.
The victory – easily the most convincing home performance of the season so far – puts City up to fifth after favourable results elsewhere. The last home match before Christmas certainly delivered the perfect early gift.