Two late goals from substitute Nick Proschwitz saw Hull City come from behind to beat the Blues 2-1 at the KC Stadium. Town had led at half-time through Jay Emmanuel-Thomas but the home side had been the better team throughout.
Town boss Paul Jewell handed debuts to Stephen Henderson and Nigel Reo-Coker, with Scott Loach and Andy Drury dropping to the bench, alongside Michael Chopra, who was back in the squad after being left out for the Cardiff game.
As expected, midfielder Massimo Luongo was the domestic loanee omitted from the 18 with only five of the six allowed in the 18.
The home side started the stronger and on six they threatened to take an early lead from a corner when Paul McShane saw a shot blocked, then Abdoulaye Faye saw his effort forced away. Soon after, Sone Aluko’s strike also hit a Blues defender.
In the 10th minute Faye headed an Aluko freekick well wide with the home side having the better of it.
However, a minute later Town threatened for the first time. Carlos Edwards crossed from the right towards Daryl Murphy but former Blues loanee Liam Rosenior got ahead of the Irishman to head the ball behind, referee David Coote erroneously awarding a goalkick.
Tigers midfielder Seyi Olofinjana was close to opening the scoring in the 12th minute when he diverted the ball over the bar from close range, Aaron Cresswell having miscued Ahmed Elmohamady’s cross into the Nigerian’s path.
Two minutes later, Aluko was played in one-on-one with Henderson by Jay Simpson but the debutant was out quickly to save well and skipper Carlos Edwards cleared danger.
Hull had another opportunity to take the lead in the 17th minute when Danny Higginbotham completely missed the ball when clearing, allowing Aluko a chance inside the box. The former Rangers man took the ball past Luke Chambers before lashing over. It was a bad miss with Higginbotham acknowledging his error.
Paul McKenna saw a 23rd minute strike deflect wide from distance with the game largely one-way traffic with the Town midfield unable to impose themselves on the game.
But just as has been the case for the Blues on plenty of occasions, the Tigers were hit by a sucker punch as Town scored with their first shot of the game.
Cresswell took a freekick on the left awarded for a foul on Murphy and played it short to Jay Emmanuel-Thomas, now in the role behind lone striker DJ Campbell having swapped with Lee Martin.
The ex-Arsenal man jinked past two defenders as he broke into the box, then hit a low shot from a tight angle across Ben Amos and into the net for his first goal of the season. It was a fine solo goal and a lead which had come completely against the run of play.
Murphy was booked for a foul on Rosenior, then McKenna saw a shot deflect wide as the home side — on top in everything but goals — went looking for an unexpected equaliser.
In the 34th minute Simpson shot wide after good work from Stephen Quinn, the brother of ex-Blue Alan, then the Tigers appealed for a penalty when the ball was struck against Richie Wellens following a corner.
On 38 the Blues appealed for a penalty of their own as the ball hit Olofinjana but either award would have been harsh had referee Coote given them.
Town were getting into more dangerous areas having gone ahead and in the final minute of normal time, Murphy headed an Edwards cross from the right over.
At the whistle, the Blues could count themselves very fortunate to be ahead after a half which had been dominated for the most part by the home side, who had had more than enough opportunities to go in front before Jay Emmanuel-Thomas’s excellent strike.
Aluko in particular had been profligate when gifted a chance, while Olofinjana will feel he should have done better with his opportunity. Debutant Henderson had made one sharp save from Aluko and had dealt with everything into the box tidily.
Town’s other debutant Reo-Coker had looked off the pace for the most part, although he and Wellens had started to get into the game more towards the break.
The home side almost netted an equaliser four minutes into the second half when McKenna crossed from the right and Faye looped a header which seemed destined to dip into the net until Henderson’s hand superbly diverted it on to the top of the bar.
Dawson shot over as the Tigers started the second period much as they had ended the first. Town’s first chance of the second half came in the 52nd minute when Wellens found Murphy on the left. His cross beat Campbell, but reached Martin, whose shot from a tight angle was well saved by Amos.
Chambers’s header from a Wellens corner was blocked on 56 with the Blues making more headway than they had during much of the first half. A minute later, Reo-Coker failed to find Campbell with a pass after McShane had surrendered possession midway inside his own half.
Seconds later, the on-loan QPR man almost played in Emmanuel-Thomas, then Martin saw a strike blocked and Reo-Coker’s low effort was claimed by Amos with the Blues enjoying their best spell of the game.
Simpson shot well wide on 62 before former Grays and Peterborough man Aaron Mclean replaced Rosenior for the Tigers.
Olofinjana hit a low shot through to Henderson, who claimed at the second attempt in the 64th minute, before Campbell came within inches of adding to Town’s lead. Emmanuel-Thomas played the striker in on goal but with Faye putting him under pressure and Amos coming off his line, Campbell stabbed wide.
Simpson and Quinn both headed wide for the Tigers within a minute with chances by now coming at both ends.
Mclean should have netted an equaliser for the home side in the 69th minute but Henderson again did well to block. Soon after, the striker struck a low effort across the Blues’ six-yard area which Simpson just couldn’t reach as he slid in.
The warning signs were there and in the 74th minute the equaliser came. Elmohamady tricked his way past Murphy down the right and whipped over a cross which sub Nick Proschwitz, who had only been on the field for three minutes, slammed into the net from six yards.
There were calls from the Hull players for a penalty soon after the goal when Campbell and Aluko tangled. Referee Coote waved the protests away.
Mohsni hammered just over from 25 yards on 76 but it was mainly Hull who were threatening, Edwards doing well to crowd out Simpson after he had been found by a deep cross from the right.
Wellens was booked for a foul on McKenna, then soon after Quinn headed wide from another Elmohamady cross.
Moments later, the former Sheffield United man hammered a shot against Henderson’s left post, then forced the keeper to save a curling effort away to his left.
Mohsni threw himself in front of a Mclean strike from a corner with the screw being turned and Town defending desperately.
It was mainly Hull but on 89 Emmanuel-Thomas almost played in Chopra with a brilliant 50-yard ball, McShane just doing enough to cut it out.
In injury time Simpson hit a freekick which Mohsni blocked on the edge of his six-yard box but the on-loan Southend man was only able to divert the ball into the path of Mclean and Proschwitz, who got in one another’s way and the former belted the ball miles over the bar when he should have scored. Henderson was booked for timewasting as he prepared to take the goalkick.
But the home side weren’t to be denied the victory. Man of the match Elmohamady crossed from deep on the right and super-sub Proschwitz headed powerfully beyond Henderson.
There was just time for Town sub Andy Drury to pick up a booking before the referee blew his final whistle.
Overall, the Blues can have few complaints about the result. The Tigers were much the better side in the first half with the goal coming very much against the run of play.
After the break, Town improved and should have sealed it when Campbell was through on goal, but the more the second half wore on the more pressure the Blues were under and it seemed only a matter of time before one of the excellent Elmohamady’s crosses led to a goal, and eventually a second.
Town were rarely in control with Reo-Coker looking very much like a player who hadn’t played a game since last season. In goal, Henderson was probably the Blues’ top performer, making a number of impressive saves.
Paul Jewell won’t need to be reminded that the game was the fourth in a row that his side has led without running out winners and that the Blues have now gone 10 games without a victory.
At least one win from this week’s home games against Jewell’s former clubs Derby County and Sheffield Wednesday looks increasingly important.
Town: Henderson, Edwards, Chambers, Higginbotham, Cresswell, Emmanuel-Thomas, Wellens, Reo-Coker, Martin (Mohsni 71), Murphy (Drury 80), Campbell (Chopra ). Unused: Loach, Smith, Hyam, Scotland.
Hull City: Amos, Rosenior (Mclean 62), Dawson, McShane, Faye (Chester 71), McKenna, Olofinjana (Proschwitz 71), Elmohamady, Quinn, Aluko, Simpson. Unused: Oxley, Cooper, Townsend, Evans. Referee: David Coote (Nottingham). Att: 15, 983.