Dominant City drop points as Blues bag late leveller
Pictures courtesy of Hull City
Hull City 1 - 1 Birmingham City
Sky Bet Championship
MKM Stadium
Attendance: 20,398
By Sam Hawcroft, Hull City Correspondent
Hull City passed up a huge chance to cement their place in the top six after failing to get the job done against a Birmingham side that they dominated in every department – apart from goals.
Where the previous two stalemates against West Brom and Preston were points gained against well-drilled, well-matched sides – this was most definitely two dropped. And, what’s worse – you could see it coming a mile off.
The Tigers had started the match at a blistering pace, and inside the first couple of minutes, they won a corner after a dangerous cross by Jaden Philogene was poked behind. Then a punt from the right by Lewie Coyle found its way to Abdüș Ömür on the left; he fizzed a ball across the face of goal – but no one could connect with it.
In the seventh minute, Jean Michaël Seri tested John Ruddy with a 20-yard shot straight at the Blues keeper. The Blues had still hardly got out of their own half by this point, and when they just about looked like making a break, it was easily dealt with, Ryan Allsop coming about 20 yards out of his area to calmly clear.
Things weren’t so calm a couple of minutes later, though, as Birmingham did mount an attack, and Jacob Greaves was inches – nay, millimetres, surely – away from toe-poking a cross into his own net. What a calamity that would have been after such a confident start.
The pace slackened off a fair bit into the middle of the half, and so began the creeping feeling that City hadn’t capitalised on their initial aggression.
There was some nice passing and skill on the ball… especially on the part of Philogene, who at one point trapped the ball to rob it from Juninho Bacuna near the halfway line in front of the West Stand (Bacuna, then, to be fair, did a nice little backheel of his own after regaining possession). A succession of City players each took their turn to get the ball around the edge of the penalty area, prompting cries of “Shooooooot” from the fans in the North Stand, but the shot never came.
Somewhat fittingly, it was a bundled-in goal from a set-piece – and a controversial one at that – which would put the Tigers ahead moments later.
Fabio Carvalho’s 26th-minute corner kick initially found the head of the leaping Greaves with his back to goal, and it deflected off him and on to Ozan Tufan, who might not want to admit not knowing much about the eventual touch that diverted it goalwards. As they say, they all count – though a number of Blues players appealed for handball, and replays suggested that it had indeed gone in off Tufan’s arm. Still, though, the goal stood, and it was all that City had deserved for their dominance.
The warning signs that they needed to sharpen up were still there, though, as the Blues’ Tyler Roberts had a goal disallowed for offside in the 38th minute.
But a minute later, only the woodwork stood between Tufan and his second goal, as his 20-yard shot, which had people cheering what looked like an almost certain 2-0, thundered off the near upright.
Right before half-time, Roberts had a couple more chances – a firm signal that the job was most definitely not yet done.
The Tigers began the second half in the same way as they started the first, by soon forcing a corner. It was nodded away by Ethan Laird at the near post, before falling to Carvalho – but he blazed well over.
The Tigers continued to press, Philogene causing problems down the left – and after he attempted to cut it back from the byline, Ruddy intercepted. However, his long throw only handed possession back to City, and Philogene managed to win a corner.
Birmingham weren’t getting much respite at all, and the North Stand kept up a constant rendition of I’m Into Something Good in response – but while the score remained 1-0 the Blues still had hope, and just before the hour they made a trio of substitutions which would ultimately prove effective.
In the 61st minute, Ryan Giles saw a shot deflected out for a corner as the North Stand launched into a lusty rendition of I Can’t Help Falling in Love With You, before urging the South Stand to give them a song… which they did. Well, it was a brief chant of “City!” at any rate. Perhaps it was the floodlights, perhaps it was the Tigers’ positive play – perhaps a bit of both, but the atmosphere was notably livelier than the previous home match.
Of course, a Birmingham goal would have killed it stone dead, and in the 64th minute, the Blues contingent in the North Stand had their chance to cheer a corner at their end – but it was easily cleared. Moments later most in the ground were on their feet to applaud Tufan, who was replaced by Anass Zaroury, while Regan Slater came on for Seri.
After Ivan Šunjić tangled with Ömür in the 71st minute, City opted not to punt the free kick into the area, and the threat eventually became a Birmingham attack, as substitute George Hall found himself being chased down by a pack of defenders – he went down, but to his and the Birmingham fans’ anger, there was no free kick forthcoming.
Moments later, Carvalho had his head in his hands after shooting well over yet again from a great setup by Philogene.
In the 78th minute, Noah Ohio replaced Ömür as the home fans implored City on to get the goal that would put the game out of sight. Seconds later, with his first touch he looked like he was set to go through on goal with only Ruddy to beat – but the referee ruled that the ball had hit his arm. He saw that one!
And then came the moment everyone had been dreading.
For all City’s domination – 64 per cent possession, 22 shots to the Blues’ eight, 10 corners to their two… they equalised.
The move started about 10 yards inside City’s half, and the Tigers failed to clear before the ball fell to substitute Alex Pritchard. He lofted the perfect cross to fellow sub Lukas Jutkiewicz – who had only come on two minutes previously – and he rose above Coyle and Jones either side of him to plant an unstoppable header past Allsop. The very definition of a sickener to the Tigers fans right behind it.
Seconds later, City won yet another corner. The home fans were roaring them on, but nothing came of it. Then, in the 85th minute, Ohio spooned it over from about eight yards.
And that was that. The boos were audible on the final whistle as fans voiced their frustration – but there is another way of looking at things: we’re six games unbeaten and still, just, in the top six.
Next up: table-toppers Leicester, who obviously present a far tougher prospect. The laws of TypicalCity would suggest we’ll breeze past them 3-0. We can but hope…
