Traore and Darlow make the difference for City against Millwall
Pictures courtesy of Hull City
Hull City 1 - 0 Millwall
Sky Bet Championship
MKM Stadium
Attendance: 20,069
By Sam Hawcroft, Hull City Correspondent
A super strike from super-sub Adama Traore and man-of-the-match performance from Karl Darlow were the difference between Hull City and Millwall, whose grip on a play-off place has weakened after this Easter Monday defeat.
The Lions squandered numerous chances and were ultimately frustrated by the Tigers, who had made just one change to the 11 that started Good Friday’s hugely entertaining 4-4 draw at Sunderland – Malcolm Ebiowei coming in ahead of Traore.
City’s best chance of the first half came just after five minutes, when Ebiowei floated a great ball from the right of the box to Ozan Tufan at the left post, but he headed just over.
After that, though, the Tigers had to ride wave after wave of Millwall pressure. A couple of minutes later, Oliver Burke got his head to the ball at the near post, but didn’t quite connect with it and saw his effort loop well over the bar.
City’s only other notable chance of the half came on 15 minutes, when Regan Slater saw his shot blocked before Tufan’s follow-up was easily collected by ex-Tigers keeper George Long.
Four minutes later, a long-range effort from Billy Mitchell fizzed a foot or so above the bar, moments before a mistake by Allahyar Sayyadmanesh, playing the ball back, let in Tom Bradshaw. He advanced towards the area, but shot tamely at Darlow when Zian Flemming had been free to his left.
Millwall had a great chance to open the scoring in the 26th minute when Bradshaw outran the Tigers defence and found Burke a few yards out. He shot straight at Darlow, who nevertheless blocked well.
The visitors came even closer a couple of minutes later when Burke’s powerful 12-yard shot cannoned off the underside of the crossbar – but not over the line, to the relief of everyone in black-and-amber.
The Lions were gaining the upper hand now, as Allahyar gave away a foul a few yards from the byline, and Shaun Hutchinson headed just over from ex-Tiger George Honeyman’s free kick. Three glorious chances had now gone begging in the space of under five minutes.
Towards the end of the half, Burke ran clear of the defence once more and played in Danny McNamara, who shot over from about 10 yards.
Darlow was soon in the thick of it again with some brave blocks in the last minute of the half, as Millwall piled on yet more pressure in City’s box.
Change was clearly needed – and so it came at the start of the second half, as Rosienor brought on Traore, Elder and Longman for Ebiowei, Jacob Greaves and Dimitrios Pelkas.
From the off, the Tigers began to play with more purpose, and for a time it was Millwall’s box that was under siege. In the 54th minute, Longman raced in from the right and curled a lovely effort just wide of the far post.
Five minutes later, the Tigers were pressing well and won two corners in succession – but Millwall’s defence was equal to the task.
Honeyman was replaced by Romain Esse in the 63rd minute, to a baffling mix of applause as well as boos, presumably from people who never saw him play for City. Moments later, another pot-shot from Mitchell flew well over.
Hutchinson was then booked for a body-check on Longman, who remained down on the turf for a few minutes before recovering.
The deadlock was at last broken in the 71st minute – and it came thanks to a brilliant bit of individual skill by Traore, bagging his first goal for City.
Played in by Allayhar, Traore picked up the ball on the edge of the area and struck it beautifully into the bottom left-hand corner. It was one of just two City shots on target in the whole match, against six for Millwall, who were left to rue those earlier misses.
A couple of minutes later, though, the Lions were nearly level through Mitchell, who saw his shot go inches wide of the near post.
Greg Docherty replaced Tufan in the 83rd minute, before Xavier Simons came on for Longman after another stoppage for treatment in almost the exact-same position as before, and he looked visibly upset to be leaving the field.
Darlow did well to bat away an effort from substitute Andreas Voglsammer at the far post in the 89th minute, and then, just after seven minutes of injury time was announced, he pulled off a brilliant flying save to deny Flemming.
As the Tigers battled to run the clock down, Traore tried a carbon-copy hit from just outside the area, but this time could only blaze well over.
Esse had one last chance to grab a point in the 98th minute, but his close-range header from a corner went over the bar – seconds before the whistle finally went, and Tigers fans could breathe again.
The victory lifts City into 16th place, which is really neither here nor there as City’s season effectively ended some weeks ago – but it caps a satisfying Easter for Rosenior and his men. Four points from six, given the injury situation, is something to be applauded. And what a performance by Darlow… let’s hope we can keep him next season.