‘Will the MKM Stadium gloom never lift?’: Tigers blow lead to go down against Potters

Pictures courtesy of Hull City

Hull City 1 - 2 Stoke City

Sky Bet Championship

MKM Stadium

Attendance: 21,709

By Sam Hawcroft, Hull City Correspondent

Hull City surrendered an early lead to gift the points to their relegation rivals – in yet another home defeat that, had it been a film script, it would have been rejected for being too predictable.

On one level, it was all the more disappointing and surprising, given the manner of the Tigers’ previous match, a 3-0 victory away at Sheffield United, which had seemed like something of a turning point. Surely that should have given them the biggest of confidence boosts to be able to kick on and continue climbing up the table.

But it came as no shock to those who subscribe to the theory of #TypicalCity. Following up a quite brilliant win against the second-placed side with a limp reverse against Stoke at home is exactly what you’d expect City to do. It’s what they’ve done since the dawn of time.

However, it didn’t look like it would pan out this way at the beginning of today’s match, as the Tigers went ahead just six minutes in. Maybe today was the day we’d finally end our home hoodoo? It’s the hope that kills you, etc, etc. (Hey, if City can be mind-numbingly predictable, then we can be allowed to use the odd cliché, too!)

City won their first corner after Regan Slater saw a shot blocked at the near post. It was played short to Steven Alzate, who lofted it towards Sean McLoughlin at the far post. He headed it across goal, and Alfie Jones appeared to get a touch before Eliot Matazo, making his home debut, popped up at the near post to poke it in.

At the other end, Ali Al-Hamadi put a free header wide a couple of minutes later, but the Tigers were, by and large, playing good football and enjoying the bulk of the pressure.

In the 20th minute, a brilliant ball over the top landed at the feet of João Pedro, who cut it back to Matazo in a great position, but he shot straight at the keeper. Viktor Johansson was there again to block Pedro at the near post after great work down the wing by Abu Kamara. As a spectacle, at this point it was better than anything the home fans had seen in some time and the atmosphere was a bit livelier as a result.

It did dip after the half-hour, though, as Stoke had a spell of possession – but still nothing much to speak of in the way of attacking opportunities.

In the 37th minute, a shot from Joe Gelhardt was blocked and went out for a corner, which got the fans in the North Stand going again. From the set piece, McLoughlin headed well wide.

A minute later, Tatsuki Seko shot well over from a good position about 18 yards out, and thumped the ground in frustration as he knew he should have done much better. The Tigers were looking reasonably in control, but this was, as ever, a reminder that their lead was slender.

And so it proved, as this lead was indeed wiped out a minute before the half-time break.

A cheaply conceded corner was followed by a cross into the Tigers’ box that wasn’t dealt with before it fell to the feet of Al-Hamadi. Despite Cody Drameh standing right next to him, Al-Hamadi was nevertheless able to get the shot away and bag his debut goal for the Potters. Drameh held his head in his hands in despair.

A few minutes into the second half, it was so very nearly 2-1 to Stoke after chaos in the Tigers’ six-yard area, but Drameh went some way to redeeming himself by making a brilliant block on the line to deny Josh Wilson-Esbrand.

In the 51st minute, a wonderful couple of touches from Kamara played in Pedro, whose powerful 18-yard shot was brilliantly put behind by Johannson. Seconds later, Matazo shot just wide.

Kamara did well again to hold up the ball on the edge of the area. His ball in was blocked and it came out to Alzate, who fired over the bar.

Then came the first substitutions – among them Aston Villa loanee Louie Barry, making his City debut and replacing Kamara. Lewie Coyle came on for Drameh, while Pedro made way for Kyle Joseph.

Barry was instantly involved as he jinked into the area and forced a penalty appeal – mostly from the fans in the South Stand – as he was crowded off the ball.

In the 62nd minute, a close-range header by McLoughlin was tipped over the bar by Johansson who, it has to be said, was having a stonking game.

With 20 minutes to go, Matt Crooks – who scored the opener in that fantastic win at Bramall Lane – replaced Matazo. This match needed something urgently – it felt as though it was drifting away from City, with the constant nagging fear that Stoke could nick this.

Ivor Pandur had to make a save soon after, tipping a looping header by Nathan Lowe over the bar. And thus, as night follows day, as sure as the sun rises in the east, as certain as death and taxes… Stoke took the lead from the resulting corner.

It was taken short, and Enda Stevens’ cross to the far post found substitute Lewis Koumas, whose ball back across goal evaded everyone in black and amber and found fellow sub Andrew Moran.

Despite being surrounded by a pack of Tigers defenders, Moran fired a shot through them all and into the back of the net. It was another desperately poor goal to concede, and another promising start completely wiped out.

The visiting fans struck up the taunt, “How **** must you be, we’re winning away” – for Stoke’s away record had up to now been poor, only winning twice on the road all season. Of course, City were there to oblige… And then came the Potters’ anthem, Delilah, annoyingly, aggravatingly, loud and clear, and it was all that could be heard ringing around the ground.

Nordin Amrabat, last seen making an enjoyable cameo in the victory at Millwall, replaced Gelhardt in the 83rd minute, but as in the QPR match, time was running out and it all became a little desperate.

Despite a sustained period of late pressure by City, Stoke were able to break and Pandur got his fingertips to a low-angled shot by Koumas, which was heading for the bottom corner – and that certainly would have been game over.

With a minute to go, Crooks saw a 12-yard shot blocked, before the Tigers began one final last-ditch bombardment, but the superb Johansson was equal to everything, again saving from McLoughlin before Slater’s shot was deflected just wide, and Barry hit the side netting with 90 seconds left.

It’s all getting a bit déjà vu, isn’t it… at the end of the last home match we said it was a case of one step forward, one back. And here we are again. When are we ever going to lift the gloom that seems to pervade the MKM Stadium?