Tigers held by Millwall as Walter remains winless but unbeaten
STILL CHASING FIRST WIN: Tim Walter. Pictures courtesy of Hull City
Hull City 0 - 0 Millwall
Sky Bet Championship
MKM Stadium
Attendance: 20,009
By Jack Harrison
Tim Walter’s search for his first victory in charge of Hull City continues after a scoreless draw against Millwall, making it three draws from his opening three games in the Championship.
While they managed to keep their first clean sheet of the season, the Tigers struggled to break down an astute Lions defence and the fans didn’t hesitate in voicing their opinion at full-time.
Despite losing their opening two fixtures, Millwall had already scored five league goals and managed to win the first corner of the game in the second minute. Ex-Tiger George Honeyman – who made over 100 appearances in black and amber – took it but Tom Bradshaw got under the delivery to head over from eight yards out.
City were struggling to get out their own half in the opening ten minutes, with the Londoners pressing effectively and winning multiple corners they looked dangerous from. To highlight their early dominance, central defender Jake Cooper found himself in the six-yard box after staying up from a corner but could only glance his header wide.
Unsurprisingly, the first big chance of the afternoon fell to the visitors in the 19th minute, with talented teenager Romain Esse sliding in George Saville on the edge of the area to stab an effort goalwards with the outside of his left boot. Ivor Pandur was quick off his line to make the block.
Just two minutes later, the Tigers responded with a big chance of their own when skipper Lewie Coyle found the East London-born Mason Burstow in the area who fired one from close range. But his effort was straight at Lukas Jensen, who made an almost identical save to the one that his opposite number made two minutes earlier.
The ball then fell to Regan Slater on the edge of the area, who saw his low strike blocked by the sliding Cooper. Huge shouts for a penalty bellowed around the ground after it seemed to strike the arm of the Millwall captain, but referee David Webb waved away the protests. Replays suggest he got it wrong.
City then found Liam Millar down the left, who danced past his man to win a free-kick on the byline just outside the area. The ball was worked to Coyle on the edge of the area who tried to score for the second game running, but his long-range effort was deflected behind for a corner which came to nothing.
The last real chance of the half fell to the visitors in the 29th minute, and it came from another set piece. Honeyman’s corner was played short to Joe Bryan who swung in a cross from the right towards Cooper at the back post, but he headed straight into the gloves of Pandur.
The remaining 15 minutes of the half were played almost exclusively between the boxes, with both sides struggling to carve out opportunities. Whenever City managed to work it wide and deliver a cross, the ball was met by a Millwall defender.
The first attempt of the second half came in the 53rd minute when Slater chopped inside to send a defender sliding but could only drag his left-foot shot wide of the target.
A few minutes later, the Lions went up the other end with Bryan driving into the area from the left. Pandur got a hand to his cut back which caused a scramble between Sean McLoughlin and Casper De Norre, which thankfully rolled out for a goal kick.
Walter decided it was time to freshen things up and made a triple substitution, introducing Xavier Simons, Will Jarvis and debutant Chris Bedia in place of Óscar Zambrano, Abdus Omur and Burstow.
After the changes, Jensen bravely tried to chest down a long ball over the top but cleared just before Millar arrived to foul him.
Just past the hour mark, Bradshaw found himself with a bit of time in the box but his low strike rolled straight into the hands of Pandur.
Five minutes later, Duncan Watmore tried to find his fourth goal in his third league game of the season but fired wide from just inside the area.
Into the last 15 of normal time, Jarvis showed some nice feet and drew a foul on the right side of the penalty box. Coyle’s delivery was headed back across the face of goal and deflected up into the air. Time seemed to slow down as Bedia shaped up to try an overhead kick, but his acrobatic effort was tipped over by Jensen. It would have been some way to mark his City debut.
As the Tigers pushed for a winner, Millar’s cross was headed out to Coyle who tried a first-time volley which deflected just past the post.
Walter’s men continued to pile on the pressure as Cody Drameh – on to replace Ryan Giles in the 70th minute – sprayed it wide to Slater who cut it back for Simons, but his shot from the edge of the box was high and wide.
The final chance of the game came in the second minute of injury time and fell to Marvin Mehlem about 12 yards out. His effort deflected into the path of Drameh who was tackled before he could pull the trigger, prompting more shouts for a penalty, but the referee again waved them away.
The full-time whistle was met with boos from around the ground which may have been partially aimed at the referee, although fans would have hoped to see more of the attacking football expected from the new boss. He remains unbeaten but without a win in three.
Up next for City is the small matter of a trip to Elland Road.