This was obviously a very disappointing result and a really lacklustre performance from us. We couldn’t deal with a resolute Hull defence while gifting them the winner through very poor defending.
BEFORE
After the great disappointment of Monday night's late, late defeat we need to get three points today both to lift spirits and to keep our slim hopes of automatic promotion alive. Burnley’s emphatic win last night didn’t exactly warm the cockles so we’ll really have to make an extra effort today. I don't like the prospect of facing sides like Hull, who are currently one place above a relegation spot, as they often end up getting a point off us. Still, I think we're going to win, though it may well not be very pretty. There's been a great deal of criticism of Le Bris' choice of substitutes and it has to be said that ours didn't help us against Leeds while their subs won the game for them. I hope that Mundle will be on from the start today and I'd like to see Mayenda on earlier, though that's probably not going to happen. Should we have Browne in goal? It wouldn't do any harm as competition usually peps players up. I'll be watching the game in the company of members of the SAFCSA London Branch and am looking forward to getting a win and putting Monday night behind us to some extent. Match prediction: 2-0 to us.
I got to the venue just after midday and on checking the team-news it looked like there were no changes from Monday’s starting eleven. Mundle, Moore and Mepham were among the subs.
THE MATCH
I may well have been the only member of the Faithful present as we kicked off but that would be clarified as soon as there was a goal. We did most of the early pressing and won the first corner in the fifth minute. We took it short and a resultant shot from Rigg was blocked. We kept up the pressure but so far the Hull defence were holding firm. It was clear that Hull were hoping to hit us on the break and they had a good chance to score in the eleventh but the crucial pass was fluffed. After ten minutes Hull had fought back into the game and a strong snap-shot from Gelhardt in the fourteenth forced Patto into his first save. We soon won our second corner but it was cleared for a throw-in to us on our left. O’Nien conceded a rather unnecessary corner in the eighteenth from which Hull took the lead. Roberts and Patto collided with each other near our left post and the ball went into the net. BBC Sport had it down as a Patterson own goal. The game was going from end to end and Hull won their second corner in the twenty-third. It was curving into the net before Patto punched it and the ball was hoofed clear.
We had the ball in the net from an O’Nien header following a free-kick on the left touch-line but it was ruled out for offside. At least it showed that there were plenty more of our fans in the bar. Hull were packing their defence and hardly giving us an inch all over the pitch. As we passed the half-hour mark it was difficult to see where we were going to get one goal from let alone two. Barry went off injured about five minutes before the break and was replaced by Lincoln. We won another corner in the forty-fifth and it resulted in a free-kick near the right angle of their box. That led to a Ballard header that Pandur in goal did well to save. That was our best effort so far. We were into six minutes of added-time and soon won another corner but nothing came of that. It remained 0-1 as the half-time whistle went to much booing. Hull had coped comfortably enough with our attacks and we needed some new blood (Mayenda and Mundle hopefully) or new tactics if we wanted to win the game.
As we kicked off again Mundle was on for Le Fee. Ballard was soon on the deck holding his leg following a Hull attack and he managed to walk off the pitch to be replaced by Mepham. In the fifty-sixth we had a chance when a quick ball found Isidor running towards their box but the Hull defenders were wise to it and cleared it easily. Next thing a rare Isidor header went not far wide of their left post. Mayenda came on for Rigg on the hour, earlier than he usually appears, and I was glad to see him on. From a free kick to us Hull quickly broke upfield and had the ball back-heeled into our net but mercifully it was ruled out for handball as that really would have been it. We won a corner in the sixty-seventh but it went out for a throw to us on our left.
Time was ticking away and we hadn’t really looked like scoring this half. In the seventy-first we were awarded a free-kick just outside their box on the left but the resultant shot was blocked again. Just after that Mayenda had a good low shot that wasn’t far wide of their left post and I felt we had a goal in us, but I couldn’t see two.
Our passing had left a lot to be desired. The commentary in the bar was almost inaudible but I could well imagine how the home crowd were reacting. As we approached the eightieth minute we were applying most of the pressure but Hull seemed happy enough to sit back and absorb it. In the eighty-fourth we had a good penalty shout for handball denied but we kept on pressing, though every cross into their box was easily cleared. Five minutes left and it was looking like a draw was the best we could hope for to preserve our unbeaten home record. There was likely to be a good deal of added-time so I lived in hope. Six minutes were duly announced but we didn’t create another chance and it ended 0-1.
