Early Christmas gift for City fans as Sellés off the mark with win against Swans
YOU BEAUTY: Players celebrate João Pedro’s opener. Pictures courtesy of Hull City
Hull City 2 - 1 Swansea City
Sky Bet Championship
MKM Stadium
Attendance: 20,024
By Sam Hawcroft, Hull City Correspondent
Hull City delivered the perfect Christmas gift to their fans (yes, it’s a cliché; no, we don’t care) by bagging their first three points at home since the beginning of October.
In new boss Rubén Sellés’s third game in charge, the Tigers finally came good. Despite swiftly surrendering their 34th-minute lead, they managed to hold on to it a second time. Ahead of the 3pm kick-offs, the result lifted City out of the bottom three.
Sellés made a couple of changes, with Gustavo Puerta coming in for the injured Kasey Palmer, while Alfie Jones returned to the defence at the expense of Sean McLoughlin.
It was a very quiet opening period both on the pitch – and in the stands. No doubt quite a few in the crowd were still a bit delicate at the start of this early kick-off right after “Mad Friday”.
There were a couple of good moves just after the 10-minute mark, one by Regan Slater surging down the middle, and then Kamara headed wide.
But the Tigers spurned a golden chance to take the lead in the 17th minute when a cross from the left by Ryan Giles whizzed in front of goal. It just came too fast for Regan Slater to properly control it, and he skewed it wide.
‘PURE CLASS’: Mason Burstow bagged the winner
Just after the half-hour, another chance went begging – Gustavo Puerta danced around the box, beat the keeper and… fired a shot at the left post. We keep saying time and again about your luck being out when you’re rock bottom, but this was getting a bit ridiculous. When and where are we going to catch a break?
In the 34th minute, that’s when. At last, City made their pressure count. Steven Alzate, near the left-hand corner of the area, played in João Pedro and his shot deflected off Ben Cabango and under keeper Lawrence Vigouroux. That woke the slumbering crowd up a bit!
However, less than 10 minutes later, Swansea were level. Josh Tymon – once of Hull City, of course – floated in a great long-range cross from the left and it met the head of Harry Darling, who planted it past Ivor Pandur. Excellent goal from a Swansea perspective but, yet again, a bit of a soft one for City to concede as there was no one challenging him.
HEAVEN SENT: João Pedro gives thanks for his goal
It was the same old story at the break, then – good pressure, possession, control… but leaky defence cancelling out all the good work. Frustrating, but at least we weren’t behind.
The second half started in similarly sluggish fashion. In the 54th minute the ball was threaded through to Pedro inside the area but he couldn’t get a shot away.
There was more frustration four minutes later, after a defensive error gifted Pedro the ball about 20 yards out with just the keeper to beat, but Vigouroux forced him out wide and the chance was snuffed out.
'GETTING STUCK IN: The Swansea ‘keeper gets caught up with Ryan Longman
Shortly after, Xavier Simons and Mason Burstow replaced Alzate and Kamara, ahead of a somewhat controversial free kick near the halfway line for City, the fans clearly feeling the referee should have played the advantage.
Burstow had a shot on target moments later, heading into the arms of Vigouroux from a cross by Ryan Longman.
This was better from City, more cohesive, more positive – but still, their defensive frailties were frequently evident. In the 67th minute, a handball in their own box prevented any further peril.
Three minutes later, Swansea very nearly took the lead, Cabango putting a powerful close-range header against the bar before Myles Peart-Harris blazed the rebound over.
After that let-off, Lewie Coyle was replaced by Cody Drameh.
WINNING FEELING: Rubén Sellés gives a message to Cody Drameh
In the 74th minute, Matt Grimes was booked for a foul right outside the area. A clutch of City players stood around the ball on the edge of the D before Pedro shaped up to take the free kick. However, it was Giles who took it on, but he could only hit the wall and the danger was soon cleared.
Four minutes later, Slater left his marker for dead as he raced down the right and flung in a cross, but it evaded everyone in the box, much to the City fans’ audible anguish.
They would go from anguish to elation ten minutes from time, as the Tigers regained their lead – just reward for all their pressure.
It was certainly one for the Swans keeper to forget, as his goal kick went straight to Burstow, who blasted it back past him from 20 yards. It may have taken a bit of luck for it to land at his feet, but there was nothing lucky about that shot – pure class.
A couple of minutes later, Longman nearly put the victory beyond all doubt, hitting the left post from about 18 yards.
What followed would be a tense last few minutes as, of course, the Tigers have surrendered leads way too many times. Could they hold on to this one?
“Come on, now, lads, no silly stuff, and we’ve got this,” was surely the thought swirling around most fans’ heads. For the most part, there was no silly stuff – the Tigers got men behind the ball and saw out the remaining minutes with little drama. There was a bit of chaos in the box during the four minutes’ added time (there’s always chaos in the box in added time, isn’t there?), but it was dealt with well and that was it.
What a great feeling to head into Christmas with a win. There is such a long road ahead next year, and the odds are still stacked against the Tigers, but the improvement under Sellés after just a short time is clear to see. More of the same, please!
Wishing you all a very merry Christmas, and a happy new year.