Ice-cool Óscar bags point to get Walter era off to solid start
THE LATE SHOW: Striker Óscar Estupiñán takes the plaudits after his stoppage-time penalty earns a point in new boss Tim Walter’s first game in charge. Pictures courtesy of Hull City
Hull City 1 - 1 Bristol City
Sky Bet Championship
MKM Stadium
Attendance: 21,011
By Jack Harrison
Hull City took a valuable point from Tim Walter’s first game in charge as a stoppage-time penalty from Óscar Estupiñán earned a 1-1 draw with Bristol City.
Things looked bleak for the Tigers after the visitors went ahead in the 84th minute, but they were back on level terms seven minutes later when Óscar held his nerve to drive hard and low into the bottom right-hand corner.
That followed a clear foul on new signing Marvin Mehlem, one of a number of City players handed their debut today.
After a summer of turnover and a new man in the dugout, only three players remained in the starting lineup from the final game of last season at Plymouth.
The new-look Tigers were keen to show their intent early on after a turgid pre-season and the first chance of the game came in the third minute when Abdüş Ömür forced Robins goalkeeper Max O’Leary into a poor clearance which fell to Regan Slater, whose near-post effort was turned behind for a corner.
Just two minutes later, the visitors created their first chance of the new season after Max Bird’s low cross from the right-hand side was met with a miskick from new Robins signing Sinclair Armstrong, who really should have done better.
The first booking came in the 11th minute when Joe Williams brought down Ömür about 35 yards out. His free-kick somehow squirmed through a crowd of bodies to Matthew Jacob at the back post who was denied his first Tigers goal by a fine save.
O’Leary was called into action again shortly after when a wicked cross by Ryan Giles was met by Óscar, who fired straight at the Bristol stopper. Anywhere else on target was 1-0.
Nonetheless, the visitors escaped with the scores level and looked to press on at the other end.
As the Tigers looked to play out from a goal kick, Captain Lewie Coyle skewed a pass to Max Bird who dragged his shot well wide.
Soon after, Cameron Pring found himself in acres of space on the left and played a low cross towards Anis Mehmeti whose low effort was saved easily by Ivor Pandur.
The next chance came in the 25th minute when Xavier Simons pounced on a loose ball and played in Óscar who was off balance and forced O’Leary into his most comfortable save of the afternoon so far.
A minute later the Tigers worked the ball into a good area, but within three passes the ball found itself back at Pandur’s feet – reminiscent of last season and unsurprisingly met with about 20,000 groans.
Ten minutes later City attacked with purpose again – as promised by the new boss – and found Giles who was playing in a more advanced left-wing role. He cut it back to Ömür who tried a deft flick towards the path of Óscar, but it was intercepted and the Robins won a foul.
Shortly after, Armstrong – who was proving to be a real handful for the visitors – fought off multiple defenders and drove from the halfway line towards goal. He had options left and right and chose the latter, playing in Mark Sykes who checked back onto his left foot and curled one wide of the far post.
In the 42nd minute, the Tigers were again caught out by Bristol’s high press as Sean McLoughlin gave the ball to Jason Knight who headed straight for the six-yard box. Thankfully, Pandur was out quickly to close the angle and save from close range.
On the stroke of half-time, Coyle found some space about 35 yards out and floated a cross towards an unmarked Óscar but it was too high for the Colombian.
After an even first half, the sides went in goalless at the break with all to play for.
The visitors flew out the blocks after the break, creating a flurry of chances.
The first came when Sykes found space on the right and rolled it along the ground to Anis Mehmeti in the middle of the penalty area. Pandur could only stand and watch the ball sail over his head as the Albanian’s deflected effort clipped the top of the crossbar and went out for a corner which came to nothing.
The next Bristol corner, however, fell to Knight at the back post, but his effort hit the side-netting.
From the resulting goal kick, the Robins won the ball back in the City half (which was becoming a theme of the afternoon) and found Mehmeti in the box again. He was tackled and the ball fell to Armstrong, but Pandur was again out quickly to smother him.
It was another bit of impressive goalkeeping from the Croatian stopper who was making his Championship debut despite signing in January.
The visitors continued to dominate proceedings in the second half and Sykes’ cross was parried away by Pandur. The ball then fell to Pring who knocked it down for Bird who fired well over.
Soon after, the dangerous Mehmeti received it on the left and sent a curling ball towards the far post which was turned behind by Pandur.
At this point, Walter decided enough was enough and introduced new signing Liam Millar and Will Jarvis for Giles and Slater.
City now lined up with Jarvis on the right, Omur in the middle and Millar on the left and instantly looked more threatening.
Jarvis, recently returned from a loan spell at Shelbourne, cut inside and won a free kick on the edge of the area. Ömür stepped up to take it and after hitting the wall curled the rebound one into the keeper’s arms.
The Tigers were clearly looking to get the fresh wide men into the game as Coyle sprayed a cross-field ball to Millar who cut inside and whipped a lovely in-swinging cross which flew agonisingly past the out-stretched leg of Óscar.
The substitutes had added real impetus to the City attack, with Jarvis playing a give-and-go with Ömür, beating a man in the area and cutting it back, only for Mehlem to lift his finish well over from the edge of the box.
A couple of minutes later Jarvis again found himself with the ball in the area, but he took too long to shoot on his right and fired straight into O’Leary’s arms from a tight angle.
The momentum of the game then shifted back towards the visitors. Substitute Nahki Wells won the ball on the halfway line creating a two-v-one with only Alfie Jones back in a black and amber shirt. But the Bristol-born defender did superbly to steal the ball off Wells.
Another Robins substitute Sam Bell then found himself with time in the box but skied a left-footed finish when hitting the target was easier.
Just three minutes later, the visitors were ahead. McLoughlin swung a boot at the ball on the edge of his own area but failed to catch any of it. It fell to Armstrong’s replacement Fally Mayulu, who finished beautifully into the bottom left corner on his Championship debut.
As Walter tried to preserve his 100 per cent winning record in opening games of the season as a manager, he brought on Tyrell Sellars-Fleming for Jacob.
The Tigers fought back, with Millar winning a foul on the corner of the box, but his woeful free kick floated over everyone into the stands.
It looked like that would sum up City’s afternoon, but on 91 minutes, Mehlem was completely wiped out in the penalty area and the referee pointed to the spot.
After spending last season on loan in France and Brazil, Óscar was clearly relishing his return and stepped up to bury the spot kick. The Walter era was up and running.
After winning the penalty, Mehlem was replaced by another debutant in Manchester City loanee Fin Burns.
The final action of the game was a Tigers corner which came to nothing, and the full-time whistle was met with handbags between Óscar and O’Leary.
The Tigers began the Walter era with a draw and a decent performance, and with new signings to bed in and perhaps more on the way, there are plenty of positives to take from that.
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