Tigers lift gloom with vital win against Pilgrims
Pictures courtesy of Hull City
Hull City 2 - 0 Plymouth Argyle
Sky Bet Championship
MKM Stadium
Attendance: 18,772
By Sam Hawcroft, Hull City Correspondent
Two second-half strikes ensured the Tigers didn’t fall flat on Pancake Day – registering a crucial victory against relegation rivals Plymouth.
A frustrating first half had fans fearing the worst. As with most recent home matches, the visitors had begun to show signs of growing into the game before the break despite the Tigers enjoying much of the pressure and possession.
But, at long last, luck was on their side and goals by Joe Gelhardt and Abu Kamara changed the script, helping City to their first win at home since December and their first clean sheet since August.
The first half was as could be expected from a meeting between the team with the worst home record and the one with the worst away record – low on quality and, given the two sides’ perilous position, often cagey and anxious, both seemingly terrified of making a mistake.
After a scrappy first few minutes during which Argyle pressed but didn’t manage a shot, City won a free kick in a great central position just a couple of yards outside the box – but Gelhardt’s effort was blocked and out for a corner, which also came to nothing.
In the tenth minute came another corner, but that too was easily cleared. Shortly afterwards a great cross by Kyle Joseph flashed across the goal but evaded everyone, before another excellent ball in from Lewie Coyle was met by the head of Gustavo Puerta about six yards out. It really should have been a goal but, agonisingly, he mistimed his leap and the ball simply glanced off him.
As 20 minutes approached, it was still very much City in terms of possession and intent, but… well, we’d been here before. They desperately needed to make it count.
After a brief scare at the other end dealt with comfortably by Charlie Hughes, Abu Kamara did well to hold on to the ball down the right and win a corner. Keeper Conor Hazard flapped at Gelhardt’s kick, which swung dangerously towards the near post – but again, no one in black and amber could connect with it.
The Tigers kept up the pressure, forcing Hazard to save again from Sean McLoughlin. At this point it was 70/30 in terms of possession.
As the half-hour approached, Plymouth won a corner. It came to nothing, but fans would by now be thinking, is the point where we begin to run out of steam, as we usually do at home? The pattern had become so predictable you could almost set your watch by it.
On 30 minutes, applause rang around the ground in tribute to ardent City fan Danny Bailey, who died suddenly on February 23, aged just 30.
In the 36th minute Hughes was booked for a shirt pull, and Matthew Sorinola’s free kick was whipped in but thankfully spotted by Alfie Jones. Stuck record time for regular readers here – but another salutary reminder that City simply had to make their pressure count.
The MKM was almost deathly silent at times – apart from when the North Stand exploded, having felt Joseph had been fouled in the area after a great mazy run, but the referee was having none of it.
At half-time the fans were glad for a break, many no doubt not relishing returning for the second instalment – but, amazingly, just three minutes in came the breakthrough City so desperately needed.
It was a slice of luck that gifted Gelhardt the chance, not that any Tigers fan would care about that. A ball in from McLoughlin was hit straight at Argyle captain Nikola Katić, and before he could react to clear, it seemed to just go through his legs. Gelhardt was ready and waiting, and it seemed like he couldn’t believe his luck as he looked up to check he was onside before planting it past Hazard from eight yards.
A couple more great chances followed as the clock ticked towards the hour – a ball in from Coyle to Kamara left the Plymouth defence all at sea, and Joseph came closest before they eventually cleared.
However, a minute later, the Tigers were 2-0 up – a scoreline not seen at the MKM Stadium since the 3-0 defeat of QPR almost a year ago, back in April 2024.
Puerta’s brilliant ball in allowed João Pedro to get in behind the defence and, despite having a clear sight of goal, he selflessly squared it to Kamara. With Hazard nowhere, Kamara just needed to slot into an empty net. Admittedly it looked offside when the ball was played – but flag came there none, and for once, it was the visitors who had it all to do.
In the 74th minute, McLoughlin fired just over the bar after another positive bit of pressing from City, who looked in complete control.
With 10 minutes to go, the game once again felt as though it was drifting – but this time, away from the visitors, who didn’t manage to test Ivor Pandur in the City goal. It was painfully clear to see why they had only managed to notch up six goals on their travels this season.
In the 84th minute Kasey Palmer made a welcome return, replacing Kyle Joseph, while Steven Alzate made way for Regan Slater.
With just a few minutes to go, Plymouth pressed and won a corner, but Callum Wright headed over. As the Tigers played out the six added minutes, the only real tension was whether they’d keep the clean sheet – which they duly did.
Those manning the PA box likely had to blow the dust off Status Quo’s Rockin’ All Over the World, which hadn’t been heard at the MKM Stadium in months. Many fans stayed behind to applaud what was in the end an impressive and vital victory – which puts City up to the heady heights of 19th.
Now the Tigers just need to be able to string a few wins together and they’ll be even further from danger.