No dream comeback for Huddlestone
Tom Huddlestone back in action for the Tigers. Picture by Hull City
Hull City 0 - 1 Derby County
Sky Bet Championship
By Sam Hawcroft, Hull City correspondent
There was no dream comeback for Tom Huddlestone as Derby ended their six-month search for an away win at the MKM Stadium.
The name that’s been on everyone’s lips for the past few days started on the bench, while Grant McCann made two changes from last Saturday’s 3-0 home defeat to QPR, bringing Matt Smith and Randell Williams into the starting 11.
So, it had promised to be a cracking night. (There’s something about a night match, isn’t there? Whether it’s the intensifying brilliance of the floodlights as the sun sets, or the memories of classic evening encounters of yore, there’s a special kind of atmosphere – especially if City are playing well, of course – and one we’ve not savoured for ages.)
It also was a bit of a night for the veterans. There was, of course, 36-year-old Huddlestone (whose second spell at Derby ended in July 2020), as well as Tigers legend Curtis Davies, also 36, captaining the Rams; no boos for him tonight - he received a warm round of applause when his name was read out from the teamsheet. Older than both of them, though, was 39-year-old Derby debutant Phil Jagielka.
I must say, in these days when it feels like more and more ex-players’ offspring are taking to the field, it’s nice to watch a few who were a couple of years below me at school, rather than these second-generation types making me feel prehistoric enough to be their mam. Jacob Greaves, son of Mark, wasn’t even born when Jagielka made his debut in 2000.
Anyway, among the nagging doubts going through the minds of many City fans before kick-off was… Derby haven’t won on the road since February. And so it proved that the curse of TypicalCity did indeed strike again.
As on Saturday, City enjoyed the early pressure, but an effort wide from Kamil Jozwiak on 10 minutes was a warning shot across the bows for the Tigers; were those lapses of concentration, which McCann spoke of after the QPR match, creeping in? It looked a little like it, as Louie Sibley had a shot saved, albeit comfortably, by Matt Ingram a few minutes later.
Derby really should have been 1-0 up on 19 minutes, when the Tigers defence were caught napping and Jozwiak hit the right-hand post from just 15 yards out.
It was a difficult night for City. Picture by Hull City
Five minutes later a high curling shot from Ravel Morrison forced Ingram to leap to his right and clutch hold of the ball. By now, Derby were controlling the game, and as the second half approached, another good chance went begging for the Rams; Sam Baldock nipped in behind Alfie Jones and shot at Ingram, who saved at the second attempt.
There was a brief moment at the other end when Davies cleared the ball in the 12-yard area and it didn’t look like he knew much about it; it could have gone anywhere, but sadly for the Tigers, not anywhere near the back of the net. Lewie Coyle was flinging in some dangerous crosses from the right, but City needed a spark, and they needed it badly.
As the second half began, I found myself momentarily distracted by a bat haphazardly fluttering across the top of the West Stand, while the peregrine falcon that has, apparently, taken up roost in the roof of the stand, looked down upon the action impassively from its floodlight perch. City could have done with a bit of its hunting instinct.
But in the 57th minute Derby finally made their pressure count when Baldock – at 32, another of the Rams’ more experienced cohort - pounced on an error from Ingram, who had spilled Buchanan’s shot. Baldock, on his debut, hadn’t scored in more than a year, failing to find the net last season for Reading. Very TypicalCity.
City fans hoped against hope that the spark would be provided by Huddlestone, who was brought into action on the 73rd minute. For what seemed like ages, he waited patiently on the touchline to enter the fray, during which he had to watch Morrison take a free kick given just outside the area, despite Derby’s shouts for a penalty.
Morrison hit it straight at the wall, and at last came the moment every Tigers fan had been waiting for. On came Huddlestone, and the stadium came alive. His first touch, a fairly routine pass to fellow sub Will Jarvis - making his league debut - elicited wild applause.
He may not have had any match experience for eons but sometimes it’s not all about the clinical, or tangible. I did wonder whether he’d have been thrown in so soon had the fans not been in the ground to be fired up by the substitution, and thus fire up the players - but he did make an impact, if only really in the stands.
City pressed a little more in the last 15 minutes or so, with Keane Lewis-Potter having a shot blocked and substitute Tom Eaves shooting well over. Just before the end Jarvis won a corner with a decent deflected effort, but Derby keeper Kelle Roos had barely got his gloves dirty all game.
Huddlestone was never really expected to work miracles, in truth, and it would have been one had he managed to find the net and help City towards a result. City are finding out the hard way that this is going to be a tough slog. But the boo boys at the full-time whistle should cut them some slack; it’s early days yet.