Robert Koren’s superb 25-yard second half strike was enough to give Hull City a 1-0 win at the KC Stadium and consign the Blues to their third successive defeat. The Tigers hit the woodwork twice within a minute in the first half of what was a drab game with neither side creating much in front of goal during the entire 90 minutes.
Town boss Roy Keane sprung a surprise by recalling Brian Murphy for Márton Fülöp in goal, although the Hungarian had made one or two weak punches during the 3-1 defeat to Barnsley last week.
Darren O’Dea was considered fit enough to play at left-back having returned from Ireland duty with a tight hamstring, while skipper David Norris made his comeback after his ankle injury in midfield as the Blues switched back to 4-5-1. Jason Scotland took the loan striker’s role with Tamás Priskin and Connor Wickham on the bench.
Town started the brighter of the two sides and forced the first save from on-loan Arsenal keeper Vito Mannone in only the third minute. A deflected Jake Livermore pass found Jack Colback inside the Hull area, the ball eventually falling to Jason Scotland, whose close range shot was blocked by the advancing keeper.
There were some early chants of "there’s only one Keano” from the Town support before on-loan Spurs midfielder John Bostock lashed Hull’s first strike of the game well over in the seventh minute.
The home side started to get the better of a largely lacklustre game, but Robert Koren’s low shot through to Murphy in the 25th minute was the nearest thing to penalty area action.
On the half hour, as heavy rain started to fall, Mannone was out swiftly to punch away ahead of Colback, who had run on to a Livermore pass which the keeper initially appeared to have misjudged.
The game finally came alive in the 42nd minute when the home side hit the bar twice in a minute. First Kevin Kilbane’s header looped over Murphy before striking the frame and bouncing out, then Ian Ashbee’s 20-yard strike clipped the bar before going over.
Until Hull’s late flurry it had been a generally forgettable half, much of it a midfield struggle for possession with neither side particularly getting the upper hand. Jason Scotland’s early chance aside, the Blues hadn’t created in front of goal and Roy Keane was probably happy to go in level after the two late woodwork strikes.
The Blues were gifted an opportunity in the opening moments of the second period, Scotland seizing on some lax passing on the right of the Hull area but as defenders retreated, the Trinidadian weakly scuffed wide.
At the other end, Koren saw and effort blocked with the Blues repeatedly failing to clear their lines, Tommy Smith eventually taking charge and putting the ball out of play.
On 52 a Carlos Edwards long throw caused similar panic in the Hull area, Kilbane heading out for a corner.
As the game approached the hour mark, with the home side having all the possession but creating nothing, Nigel Pearson swapped Kevin Kilbane and John Bostock for Mark Cullen and Nick Barmby, then moments later the Blues, who causing the Tigers one or two problems on the break, switched Jason Scotland for the more mobile Tamás Priskin.
Town felt they ought to have been awarded a penalty in the 68th minute when former Blues loanee Liam Rosenior man-handled Tommy Smith as a freekick came into the box. Referee Andy Haines waved away the protests. Hull swapped Nolberto Solano for Richard Garcia and Jaime Peters took over from the ever-willing but not always effective Livermore.
Boos rang around the KC Stadium in the 75th minute as a Hull corner routine came to nothing, the home crowd clearly frustrated by their side’s lack of creativity in and around the area.
But two minutes later they were in front. Solano played a crossfield pass to Koren 25 yards out and the Slovenian was allowed the time and space to bring the ball forward and hit a superb strike which skidded off the turf and beat Murphy to his left.
Connor Wickham was thrown on for the final 10 minutes alongside Priskin. The Hungarian was almost gifted a chance in the 84th minute when a lazy Andy Dawson backpass sold Mannone short. Fortunately for Hull, the Italian keeper was out quickly to beat Priskin to the ball.
Priskin looked to match Koren’s stunning effort in the 87th minute with a powerful shot from the right but failed to hit the target. With a minute left, Ashbee picked up the game’s first yellow card for a foul on Colback.
As the match moved into its final minute Town again claimed a penalty when Ashbee pulled Wickham back as he prepared to shoot. Again Mr Haines was uninterested.
Smith blocked from Mark Cullen as the game entered injury time with the Blues getting caught pushing numbers up and with Eastman appearing to have picked up an injury.
Barmby failed to seriously test Murphy with a low shot to his left after being played through by Cullen, before O’Dea got his name in referee Haines’s book for a clash with Harper after colliding with Mannone as the keeper claimed a freekick sent in from deep.
Haines’s whistle went moments later to consign the Blues to their third successive loss. Koren’s goal was the highlight of a poor game between two mid-table Championship teams who were unable to create too much of interest in front of goal throughout the 90 minutes.
The home side probably deserved the victory having had the more significant chances, although for much of the match there was little between two teams who will probably have to show greater quality if they are going to compete for play-off places come May.
The defeat is likely to do little to lessen the pressure on Roy Keane with an increasingly crucial-looking East Anglian derby at Norwich City next Sunday.
Town: Murphy, Eastman, O’Dea, Delaney, Smith, Leadbitter, Norris (Wickham 80), Livermore (Peters 68), Edwards, Colback, Scotland (Priskin 59). Unused: Fülöp, Wickham, Priskin, Townsend, Brown, Murray.
Hull City: Mannone, Rosenior, Zayatte, Dawson, Gerrard, Ashbee (c), Harper, Koren, Kilbane (Cullen 57), Bostock (Barmby 57), Garcia (Solano 68). Unused: Duke, Cairney, Cooper, Devitt. Referee: Andy Haines (Tyne and Wear). Att: 20,535.