More home frustration for the Tigers as Canaries claim point
Pictures courtesy of Hull City
Hull City 1 - 1 Norwich City
Sky Bet Championship
MKM Stadium
Attendance: 22,141
By Sam Hawcroft, Hull City Correspondent
Hull City’s winless run at home continued as they were held by Norwich – and while the result did little for the Tigers’ survival hopes, in isolation it was a decent point against a side who dominated proceedings after cancelling out Matt Crooks’ first goal at the MKM Stadium.
The match was also notable for the appearance of a squirrel which put in a mazy run down the right wing seconds before the Canaries’ equaliser and is now believed to be in transfer talks with several Championship clubs.
Tigers boss Rubén Sellés made three changes from the midweek defeat by Burnley, with Louie Barry making his first start, and João Pedro and Regan Slater back in ahead of Eliot Matazo and Kyle Joseph.
As they tend to do, City started brightly before losing their momentum towards the end of the first half – and in the fourth minute Joe Gelhardt forced a save from Angus Gunn, who got his fingertips to the angled 18-yard shot. There came a corner, and then another, as City put on a bit of good pressure.
In the ninth minute, Steven Alzate skewed a shot wide from a great setup by Barry. Alzate’s reaction, holding his head in his gloved hands, demonstrated just how off-target it was.
Gelhardt was on target again a couple of minutes later, with another curling shot from the edge of the area, but it was straight at Gunn who claimed it comfortably.
In the 14th minute, the Tigers made this early pressure count.
It was Lewie Coyle – much-maligned by fans on social media for his part in Burnley’s first goal last Wednesday – who provided a brilliant ball in from the right near the byline. Crooks latched on to it in the six-yard area and swept it into the back of the net. What a great start!
At the other end, Jacob Wright shot wide from a good position, but at this stage the Tigers looked quite comfortable and, dare it be said, even a bit exciting on the attack.
In the 24th minute a brilliant cross-field ball from Gelhardt reached Barry, whose shot took a big deflection but was dealt with by Gunn. The latter was the recipient of a smattering of boos from the South Stand, having been the perceived villain in recent previous encounters with the Canaries.
Just after the half-hour, the Tigers conceded a free kick about 25 yards out on the right. It was taken by Jacob Sørensen and floated into the box – and met by the head of Shane Duffy, who leapt well but put it wide of the near post. This was a let-off, and yet another reminder that we’d been here before…
This seemed to spur Norwich into a spell of pressure of their own, and the fans in the North Stand, keenly aware of the need for the Tigers to put an end to it sharpish, responded with a hearty cry of “Come on City…”
But the visitors began to turn the screw and, moments later, Matej Jurasek got past Sean McLoughlin on the right of the area and was able to put in a cross – it whizzed across the face of goal but there were no Canaries (in fetching magnolia today, rather than their trademark yellow) to meet it. Phew. That would have been a poor goal to concede… another for the collection!
Borja Sainz then had a shot saved at the near post, as those familiar doubts started creeping in. Norwich finished the half by far the stronger; City needed to come back out and put the match to bed.
However, those doubts would have been proven right less than two minutes into the second half.
As Sainz played in Kellen Fisher on the right, the aforementioned squirrel decided that now was the time to make its Championship debut. It entered the pitch and pelted down the right, keeping pace with Sainz.
Whether the Tigers were distracted by this is unclear, but with the rascally rodent still on the field of play, Fisher put in a great cross that was met by Josh Sargent – goalside of his marker, Alfie Jones – just two or three yards out.
Sargent’s glancing header gave Pandur no chance. The weary sigh of the 20,000-ish home fans could probably have been heard in Grimsby.
The squirrel was still on the pitch as the Canaries celebrated, before it was eventually chased to the touchline by a steward.
As the half wore on, it was Norwich who had much more of a firm grip on the game and Gunn, now much closer to the boo-boys in the North Stand, was rarely tested.
Just before the hour, Mason Burstow came on for Barry, and it wasn’t long before Burstow was in with a chance, from a great setup by Slater – but he angled it well wide. A few minutes later, Burstow had a shot blocked in the area.
In the 69th minute, the Tigers looked at sixes and sevens at the back before Wright shot straight at Pandur from the edge of the box – yet another let-off.
A couple of minutes later, Slater played in Gelhardt, who made a great run before putting it wide of the post. Had it been on target, the pace on the shot would certainly have caused Gunn problems.
If the home fans’ anxiety had been internalised thus far, it was very much vocalised in the 76th minute as the Tigers’ goal led a seriously charmed life – Sainz hit the post amid an almighty goalmouth scramble and a follow-up shot trickled inches wide.
With just over 10 minutes to go, Crooks was replaced by Abu Kamara (late of Norwich, of course, which the fans in the North East corner reminded him about every time he touched the ball), while Matazo also came on for Alzate.
In the 80th minute, a shot by Burstow was deflected out for a corner, which prompted a roar from the home fans, but the set-piece chance was wasted.
Four minutes later, Burstow headed over, before Slater pounced on a defensive error by Callum Doyle – but his 20-yard shot, though strong, was held by Gunn.
As four minutes of added time was announced, it was backs to the wall for City, and the tension was palpable – but they hung on to claim the point.
At least the Tigers halted their losing run at the MKM Stadium, but every point dropped keeps us very much in the mire. And it’s all very well fans talking gleefully about League One ground ticks – but relegation would be nothing short of disastrous for this club, and time is not on our side.
It’s a while before City’s next home match (thankfully, cry the beleaguered fans!), so let’s hope they can pick up some vital points on the road before then.