SkyBet EFL Championship
at the KCOM Stadium
Hull City (1) 2
Jarrod Bowen 23, 60 pen
Birmingham City (0) 0
Attendance: 12,551
Hull City:
David Marshall, Todd Kane, Reece Burke, Jordy de Wijs (Liam Ridgewell 75), Eric Lichaj (Robbie McKenzie 84), Markus Henriksen, Jackson Irvine, Jarrod Bowen, Marc Pugh, Kamil Grosicki, Chris Martin.
Unused subs - George Long, Kevin Stewart, Evandro, Nouha Dicko, David Milinkovic.
Birmingham City:
Lee Camp, Kristian Pedersen, Maxime Colin (Wes Harding 44), Connor Mahoney (Jacques Maghoma 78), Che Adams, Lukas Jutkiewicz, Harlee Dean, Kerim Mrabti, Gary Gardner, David Davis (Craig Gardner 56), Michael Morrison.
Unused subs - Connal Trueman, Maikel Kieftenbeld, Isaac Vassell, Jota.
It barely needs saying that Birmingham's three goals, on such an eventful afternoon, were all scored by Che Adams.
So although the usual mixed bag of Championship results this afternoon, saw Garry Monk's side just about holding on the eighth place, Hull City joined Nottingham Forest, who are now level with Blues on points... and only trailing them on goal difference.
The last time that Blues visited Hull, Sam Gallagher netted a stoppage time goal for a side who had been picked by caretaker manager Lee Carsley (while the club were still in the process of appointing Steve Cotterill into the job, following the departure of Harry Redknapp). But Gallagher's goal didn't make have any impact whatsoever on the final outcome, because the Tigers had already got a six goal cushion to fall back on, after Frazier Campbell (7), David Meyler (11 pen), Jarrod Bowen (26), Kamil
Grosicki (72), Markus Henriksen (76) and Sebastian Larsson (87), had given them an irretrievable advantage. But later in the season: Jota scored twice, with his goals book-ending an audacious strike from Che Adams (AKA an intended cross that found it's way into the goal past Allan McGregor... they all count), to claim a comfortable 3-0 victory, which marked Garry Monk's first win as Blues manager... incidentally, that nice Mr Monk, will have been in charge at St. Andrew's for exactly a year on Monday.
Arriving into Kingston-upon-Hull, via the A63, I' decided to make use of the park and ride service, which allows you leave your car in a secure area all day, transports you straight to a stop outside the ground, and picks you up there and returns you to your vehicle after the game, for an outlay of a mere three new English pounds... and there's no buggering about in traffic jams for those of us who 'live life in the bus lane'.
We passed the site of the Tigers old ground on Boothferry Road, which is now a 'Home Bargains' store, but (for old times sake) it was reassuring to see that the Five ways, Silver Cod and Three Tuns public houses were all still doing business.
In days of old... we'd had 'a small misunderstanding' with a gang of unfriendly locals in the Three Tuns, prior to game at Hull's ground, back in the days when it could be a rough-arsed sort of place for any away fan, who was daft enough to turn up at, and this was certainly one of those occasions. As I recall, the bouncers piled in that day; not necessarily to split the two 'argumentative' factions, but to back their regular clientele up, while giving us a few sly digs, as we were unceremoniously chucked into the street, where we were pointed out to the equally 'welcoming' local police, who barged us towards the visiting supporters turnstiles.
Once inside, we had the option of standing on a low level terrace behind the goal, or watching from a steeper open baking in the corner of the ground, next to a covered terrace full of Hull fans making cut throat gestures through the segregation fence, in between taking turns to indulge in a rights of passage ceremony, that involved running around the front of the fence and charging up the stairs lashing out at any away fan who happened to be in the way.
The 'away seats' were not an option across the other side of the pitch, because they were already occupied by big lumps who obviously lived near by and were hell bent on having a ruck. The constabulary and stewards all found this to be highly amusing... and if truth be told, the former were quite possibly the most evil and lawless mob of all prowling around the ground.
The railway ran alongside the corner where we were standing... and that provided (trespassing) local youths with an inexhaustible supply of stones to throw over the fences at us, non stop... as I looked around the KCOM Stadium today, there were face-painted kids, family groups and more people running around in fluffy mascot costumes than you'd even expect to see at one of those low budget 'holiday haven' camps, where they bus problem families off to every year, for an off season E number and chip fat overdose, in what appears to be a former prisoner of war facility.
But I digress.. when the police were asked to get the little scum-bags to stop 'chucking cobbles' at us, we were informed, that as they were, on railway property, they were under the jurisdiction of the transport police, while 'politely' suggesting that if we didn't like it in Hull, we shouldn't come here again.
There were only a few minutes remaining, so I nipped for a piss, but when I walked out of the Gents, I was manhandled out of the ground by the police, along with two other guys that I'd never seen before in my life... and the exit gates were slammed securely closed behind us, as we looked across the car park towards a welcoming committee of Hull 'lads' who were obviously far happier to see us than we were them. Police dog handlers, with their 'pets' showing us what perfect teeth they had, suggested that we should: "F*ck off out of here, now!"
You instinctively know when you're beaten, eh!? We had three options open to us: Get chewed up by a slavering Alsatian and arrested, charge straight into the Hull fans and take a couple of them down with us before we took a kicking (and then probably get chewed up even more and arrested anyway), or run!
The other two were faster than me and probably overtook most of the traffic on Boothferry Road as they vanished into the distance, while I got away with just a few kicks and a ringing eardrum where some bony knuckled youth had cuffed me.
I waited further up the road, near where my mates car was parked, but when he came into view, he had company with him, namely our suitors from in the Three Tuns earlier... and my instincts told me that they weren't chasing Dave because they wanted to be friends... we were out of breath when we reached his car, but the road was gridlocked and we decided that if we got in, we'd merely be sitting ducks, in a traffic jam... and his car would get trashed to into the bargain. So we kept going, and our wannabe assailants finally gave up the chase and decided to turn their attention to away fans in cars instead.
We kept strolling towards the Five Ways, with the intention of laying low and coming back when the traffic had cleared a bit, or we could take the road behind the pub that doubled back this way and try to find a route back to the car.
The thud of his nose and top set of teeth caving in, and his blood curdling cry of pain, coincided with him letting go and hitting the deck, as I turned to inflict more pain on him (in the name of self defence). and check just how many more of them there were.
But there were no more of them! Just my mate John's wife screaming at me, calling me an animal who should be locked up. I looked down at my victim who was in a proper state.... it was John, her husband. He'd seen the two of us approaching and thought it would be a 'good laugh' to stage a mock ambush on us as a joke.
In retrospect, even though the poor sod still looks a bit like Steve Bruce as a consequence of my actions that day, I'd have to ask: How stupid was he for having pulled a stunt like that? And whose fault was it really that he had to go to hospital? I apologised... and so did he as it happened. For the record, he's not married to the same woman anymore, but she still glowers at me whenever our paths cross.
But either way... the Boothferry Road is a far more tranquil stretch to navigate these days, by bus... and if they'd had a park and ride scheme back in the 1980's it could've saved a lot of bother.
Oh well... I guess that I've put off mentioning today's game for as long as is humanly possible, and I really ought to mention a few of the salient points, pertaining to the matter in hand.
The gist of it is: Blues looked very tired and jaded, lethargic even, and really struggled to get going all afternoon, whereas Nigel Adkins had devised a way of finding time and space on the ball, to damage the visitors rearguard, in areas of the pitch where they are usually as tight as a gnat's chuff-piece, while suffocating the life out of opposition sides, especially away from home.
In fact, there were a couple of times, during the first half in particular, when Mark Pugh, Chris Martin and Jarrod Bowen appeared to have been given a right to roam and the freedom of the KCOM Stadium to exercise their privileges.
Blues made a lively start, when Lukas Jutkiewicz had the first goal-scoring opportunity of the afternoon but he fired wide... and before long the Tigers began to get a foothold and Lee Camp was called upon to make his first save of the afternoon, from Pugh.
It was Pugh who created the opening goal, when he turned on the ball after being picked out with a Chris Martin free-kick and though he lost his footing still managed to nudge the ball forward to Bowen, who slashed the ball into the roof of the net from close range.
Maxime Colin limped out of the game shortly before half time, which was a big blow for Blues, because he had been giving them a few decent options, getting forward down the wing from his defensive berth, and it was from one of his right wing crosses, that Jutkiewicz headed a chance to pull things level wide. Apparently Colin had felt his hamstring tighten up, so hopefully his absence won't be long term.
Kamil Grosicki went close to doubling the Tigers advantage shortly before the interval, but he rolled a good opportunity past the wrong side of the upright.
HT: Tigers 1 v Blues 0
During the interval, there were three announcements in quick succession, asking for the crowd to evacuate the stadium, but as people eventually began to heed the warnings, the all clear was given and a further call over the PA informed us that it had been a false alarm, as the players came back out for the second half.
These things happen and there was no harm done, but the stewards in our section, simultaneously walking down the stairways, while checking along the floor at the end of all the aisles, made for a bit of an uneasy moment, during the opening exchanges of the second half... which consisted of Jutkiewicz directing a header straight into the arms of David Marshall.
Kamil Grosicki went close to doubling the Tigers advantage shortly before the interval, but he rolled a good opportunity past the wrong side of the upright.
HT: Tigers 1 v Blues 0
These things happen and there was no harm done, but the stewards in our section, simultaneously walking down the stairways, while checking along the floor at the end of all the aisles, made for a bit of an uneasy moment, during the opening exchanges of the second half... which consisted of Jutkiewicz directing a header straight into the arms of David Marshall.
Bowen increased the Tigers lead from the penalty spot on the hour, after he'd tangled with Camp and gone to ground. Was it a penalty? Hmm, the use of VAR might've ruled otherwise, after Bowen had let the ball run away from him as he homed in on Blues goal and Camp rushed out to collect it at his feet, whether it was a foul or not, was for the referee to decide, but the lively Hull play-maker had certainly gone to ground in a manner that suggested: 1) his claim was 100% genuine, or 2) had made a meal of it to con-vince the match official that a transgression had occurred. The match official had a better view of things than me... and he booked Camp, and then Craig Gardner, for remonstrating with Bowen over the incident, but regardless of any debate, Bowen shot one way, as Camp dived the other and Hull were two goals to the good.
Minutes after the hosts second goal, the referee, who was once again, better placed than me, missed Gary Gardner shoulder charging an opponent off of the ball inside Blues goal area, so I guess that these things even themselves out in the end.
Reece Burke, who impressed in the middle of the Tigers defence today, had been having a private game of 'me and my shadow' with Blues prolific marksman Che Adams, throughout the game, but the in-form striker got the better of him momentarily, but could only find the side netting, while Connor Mahoney was only a fraction away from pulling a goal back just moments later.
Bowen spurned the chance to claim a hat-trick as he bore down on Camp again, in the closing moments, but Hull saw the game out quite comfortably in the end.
FT: Hull City 2 v Birmingham City 0
Reece Burke, who impressed in the middle of the Tigers defence today, had been having a private game of 'me and my shadow' with Blues prolific marksman Che Adams, throughout the game, but the in-form striker got the better of him momentarily, but could only find the side netting, while Connor Mahoney was only a fraction away from pulling a goal back just moments later.
Bowen spurned the chance to claim a hat-trick as he bore down on Camp again, in the closing moments, but Hull saw the game out quite comfortably in the end.
FT: Hull City 2 v Birmingham City 0
Getting away from the ground was a swift and straight forward process... and the police soon had all of the post match traffic on it's way, with the kind of well oiled organisation that bordered on military precision.
There's no disputing the fact that Hull deserved their win today, nor that Blues looked knackered at times.... and all told, 2-0 was probably a fair result.
Hull City now face back to back away games, at Nottingham Forest and Norwich City, while Blues have the 'Second City Derby'v Aston Villa, to look forward to at St. Andrew's next Sunday, before Millwall head to the West Midlands for a Championship game on the Wednesday after.
