Jaden tames Lions as Tigers climb to sixth
MATCH-WINNER: Jaden Philogene. Pictures courtesy of Hull City
Hull City 1 - 0 Millwall
Sky Bet Championship
MKM Stadium
Attendance: 21,486
By Sam Hawcroft, Hull City Correspondent
An early goal by the returning Jaden Philogene was enough for City to overcome Millwall and jump back into the play-off places.
After what had been hailed as the best January transfer window ever for the Tigers, the starting 11 included two debutants – Ryan Giles and Anass Zaroury, on loan from Luton and Burnley respectively, plus three more on the bench – Croatian keeper Ivor Pandur and Turkish international Abdülkadir Ömür, both on three-and-a-half-year deals, and striker Noah Ohio on loan from Belgian outfit Standard Liège.
The match started explosively, and it took all of five minutes for City to take the lead.
A thundering shot by Zaroury cannoned off the bar, with Millwall keeper Matija Sarkic beaten. Philogene was on the edge of the area to meet the rebound – he took a couple of deft touches to control the ball before swinging in a low left-footed shot that crept past the diving Sarkic just inside the right post.
The Tigers kept up the pace in the early stages of the match, and in the 16th minute Regan Slater shot high and wide after Japhet Tanganga had spooned the ball out for a corner. Shortly afterwards, the City fans in the North Stand expressed their displeasure when the referee didn’t award a free kick for Wes Harding’s strong block on Zaroury.
After Casper de Norre surrendered possession midway into his own half, a great ball from Jacob Greaves found Philogene, who did well to keep the ball under challenge and win a corner.
Another corner followed in the 20th minute, and it was punched away by Sarkic as City kept up their fairly relentless pressure.
Millwall weren’t getting much of a look-in, and when Brooke Norton-Cuffy raced down the right in the 24th minute, all he could do was float a cross over the goal and out of play.
The pace slackened considerably as the half-hour mark approached, and both sets of fans had by now gone quiet, but the Tigers looked well in control.
In the 38th minute, Millwall attempted a long ball forward. Greaves and Zian Flemming got into a tangle on the edge of the area, and the resulting free kick went the Tigers’ way.
Just before half-time, Philogene was booked for a foul which gave Millwall an opportunity to punt a long ball into the area, but it was easily dealt with.
Soon after the restart, Philogene was brought down on the edge of the area – but the dangerous free kick opportunity was squandered. A few minutes later, Philogene managed to wriggle free of the defence yet again and appeared to be brought down near the byline, but despite the South Stand being up in arms, appeals for a penalty were in vain. It looked as though it would have been a fairly soft one, though.
Just before the half-hour, ex-Tiger George Honeyman entered the field for Millwall, as the visitors began to enjoy a few minutes of pressure. Although they had yet to register a shot on target, there was always the fear that one goal might not be enough – City really needed the second to put the game out of sight.
The Lions nearly did level matters in the 68th minute, when Flemming latched on to a loose ball about 25 yards out and attempted to chip Ryan Allsop – but after a nervous second or two it landed on the roof of the net.
Then substitute Tom Bradshaw attempted to backheel in the direction of the goal and, luckily for City, there were no more Lions anywhere near to follow it up before Lewie Coyle could clear.
The contingent of Millwall fans were suddenly vocal, sensing that there was a real opportunity for a smash and grab given the Tigers’ slender lead.
In the 73rd minute, Ozan Tufan attempted to barge his way into the area, but he knocked Jake Cooper over in the process and conceded the foul – just before the Tigers’ third debutant of the afternoon made his appearance.
Zaroury made way for Ohio, City’s new number nine, as the clock ticked down… and the home and away fans in the North East corner kept themselves busy by antagonising each other. At one point there was a bit of minor aggro among the Millwall fans, resulting in one or more of them appearing to be thrown out by the stewards – which is only to be expected… almost obligatory, really. It’s in their contract as the self-styled east London hardcases.
With a little over five minutes to go, Millwall were awarded a free kick deep in City’s half, but it ended up in the arms of the under-employed Allsop.
In the 86th minute, Matty Jacob replaced Tufan, who left to a warm ovation, and three minutes later Philogene made a bit of a meal of being challenged in the box, dramatically falling to the ground under challenge by three defenders – but the referee wasn’t having any of that. Now, that would have been a soft penalty.
In added time, Carvalho was the final substitute, replaced by Greg Docherty, as the Tigers sought to close out the match. There was just time for a last-ditch heart-in-mouth moment in the 95th minute as Bradshaw shot from the middle of the box straight at Allsop, and he should have done better.
So, this one won’t really last long in the memory – despite the brilliant start, the atmosphere was largely flat, especially in the second half, and the second goal that would have sealed the deal never came. The new additions clearly need time to gel. But the three points never really looked in doubt and it was for the most part a calm, controlled display. Back in the top six – it’s all good!