Barclay’s English Premiership
Saturday 6 February, 15:00 KO
City: Given, Zabaleta, Bridge (Petrov 85), Touré (c), Boyata, de Jong, Barry, Ireland (A. Johnson 56), Bellamy (Vieira 61), Tevez, Adebayor
Unused: Taylor, Onuoha, Sylvinho, Wright-Phillips
Goals: Adebayor (59)
Booked: Touré, Boyata, Zabaleta, Vieira
Referee: Phil Dowd
Man of the Match: Nigel de Jong
Hull started the game the stronger, dominating the possession inside City’s half, without really causing the visitors any problems. Though a mix-up in the defence did leave Touré playing everyone onside and he had to give away a foul just outside the area to rescue the situation, earning him a yellow card after just 3 minutes.
With 13 minutes gone, City began to find their feet. Bellamy and Barry looked to combine down the left wing, but, after some nice passing from the away side, Barry didn’t make the run and Bellamy’s excellent ball inside was left to go out of play for a goal kick.
Boyata then picked up a yellow card for a tangle with Altidore, before Vennegoor of Hesselink dragged a first time left footed volley wide of Given’s post, under pressure from Touré.
With 28 minutes on the clock, Hull made their domination pay. The ball was knocked into the feet of Vennegoor of Hesselink and he held off Boyata to tee up Altidore. The Hull man’s first time shot wasn’t blocked by Touré’s challenge and it curled around Given.
Ireland and Fagan exchanged ideas after a tangle by the corner flag, just after Bridge had lost a boot making a clearance under pressure from Hunt. With five minutes to go to the half, City were beginning to see more of the ball.
First Bridge had an effort charged down by Hunt from about 35 yards, before Bellamy skied a shot from round about the same distance. Some patient play in stoppage time forged City’s best chance of the half, as Barry, Bellamy and Bridge combined to find Ireland, who slotted the ball past Tevez and back into the path of City’s left back, who had continued his run. His shot, though, was parried by Myhill and Adebayor skied the rebound.
Ten minutes into the second half and Altidore hit the deck in the box under pressure from de Jong and Zabaleta, but the referee ruled it was a fair tackle and awarded the corner. From the kick, Boyata cleared as far as Boateng on the edge of the box and he lashed the ball back, straight past Given and into the net.
City had a mountain to climb and, with Myhill still yet to make a save, it looked like it would end badly for the visitors. But, just five minutes later, City were back within a goal of their hosts. Touré and Adebayor tried to force the ball into the net from City’s first corner of the day and it fell to the big Togo forward, who gave Myhill no chance.
With 69 minutes on the clock, Tevez had a go from the edge of the box, but it was well over, before Vieira tried to find Adebayor’s run into the area, as City pressed for the equaliser.
Despite City’s pressure, they couldn’t force another chance until a minute to go, when substitute Adam Johnson curled a cross into the box from the right wing and Myhill let it slip through his hands, nearly dropping into the net. The resulting corner came to nothing.
A minute later, an excellent move involving Touré and Barry found Tevez in the box, but he scuffed his side-footed effort and it fell straight to Myhill. Given joined the attack for a corner, but City, via Adebayor, could only prod a very tame shot at the Hull goal and a dreadful performance from the visitors got them exactly what it deserved.
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