Town’s run of five games unbeaten without conceding a goal came to an end as Premier League-bound Hull City left Portman Road with a 2-1 victory. The Tigers were on top in the first half and went ahead from the spot through Robbie Brady after Guirane N’Daw had fouled David Meyler. Town were the better team after the break, sub Anthony Wordsworth grabbing his first goal for the Blues but Robert Koren headed a late winner for the visitors.
Mick McCarthy made two changes from the side which started last Saturday’s 1-0 win at Derby with Michael Chopra replacing the unavailable David McGoldrick up front and N’Daw coming in for Andy Drury in central midfield.
Hull included ex-Blues loanee David Stockdale in goal, while another former Town loan man Liam Rosenior was on the bench, alongside keeper Eldin Jakupovic, who spent time on trial at Playford Road last summer.
The first chance of the game, which was watched by 21,988, Town’s biggest gate of the season, fell to the second-placed visitors when George Boyd, who almost joined the Blues from Peterborough early in the season, flicked on a corner from the left to Jack Hobbs, who shot over when he might well have done better.
Boyd, playing just off main Hull striker Jay Simpson, chipped high and wide in the seventh minute after getting behind the Town defence on the left with the Tigers starting the stronger and having the vast majority of the possession.
The Blues appeared to match the visitors’ three-man backline, with Richard Stearman and Tommy Smith either side of Luke Chambers, at least when attacking with Aaron Cresswell moving back into a more orthodox left-back role when Hull were in possession.
There was a scare for the Blues in the 19th minute when Ahmed Elmohamady, who had been Town’s main tormentor at the KC Stadium earlier in the season, crossed from the right and Richard Stearman chested the ball to Scott Loach, but too far to the keeper’s left, the ex-Watford man doing well to get down to save.
Town began to get more into the game and in the 24th minute Cresswell crossed from the left and Daryl Murphy nodded it down but Chopra scuffed his shot and Hobbs cleared.
On 28 the visitors were awarded a penalty when N’Daw made a needless challenge on Meyler on the right of the Blues’ area, stepping across the former Sunderland man and sending him to ground. Referee Oliver Langford pointed straight to the spot despite protests both from Town players and supporters.
Brady rolled the spotkick to Loach’s right to halt Town’s run of clean sheets at a record-equalling five.
Referee Langford quickly became the subject of most of the chants from the Sir Bobby Robson Stand and showing Chopra a yellow card for a run of the mill mistimed challenge midway inside the Town half — worse earlier fouls had gone unpunished - soon after hardly helped his cause.
Simpson might have made it 2-0 in the 32nd minute after an error by N’Daw but scraped his effort well wide from 12 yards. At the other end, Cresswell hit a freekick into the Hull wall, then saw his second strike deflect wide.
Loach made a superb save at point blank from Meyler’s header on 34, although with the linesman’s flag having already been raised.
Corry Evans joined Chopra in referee Langford’s book in the 38th minute for a wild lunge on Jay Tabb, which left the on-loan Reading man needing lengthy treatment. The ex-Manchester United man was probably fortunate merely to receive a caution.
The former Irish U21 international continued despite his knock and had a chance soon after but couldn’t get any direction on a header in the box. However, he was eventually forced to make way just before half-time, Wordsworth making his first appearance since suffering a back injury in February.
Brady threatened to make it 2-0 with a shot from the edge of the area which Loach did well to block down to his left as the half entered injury time, Boyd heading a subsequent effort through to the Blues keeper.
Just before the break, Hobbs headed over from a corner on the left, prior to referee Langford leaving the field on the receiving end of boos.
While the only goal might have come from the penalty when N’Daw had no need to make a challenge, the visitors had been on top for most of the first half and had had most of the chances. The Blues had got better as the half wore on but with Stockdale yet to be really tested.
After Evans had been lucky to escape a second yellow card after catching N’Daw with an arm, Town got back on terms with the first serious chance of the second half. Luke Chambers crossed from the right and sub Wordsworth headed home his first goal for the Blues at the far post getting ahead of the sleeping James Chester.
The Blues had started the second period well and the home crowd found their voice after the goal. On the hour mark Murphy headed Wordsworth’s freekick from the left over when he will feel he should have hit the target with the substitute having taken all the set pieces since coming on.
On 67 Brady hit Hull’s first shot of the second half across the face of goal but the winger, like the rest of his side, had been less impressive after the break with the Blues allowing them little time to settle on the ball.
Chopra and Murphy exchanged passes just outside the Hull box in the 72nd minute, the Irishman hitting a low shot past Stockdale’s right post.
The Blues continued to look the more threatening team and on 76 Chopra played in Murphy on the left of the area from where he hit a low shot that Stockdale save well down to his left, Abdoulaye Faye clearing the loose ball.
Two minutes later, Chopra was just unable to touch the ball past Stockdale as he chased it down the middle with the keeper advancing. Murphy and Edwards were similarly unable to make anything of subsequent chances with the on-loan Fulham man out of his goal. Moments later, Chopra made way for Frank Nouble to applause.
Hull regained the lead against the run of play in the 83rd minute when Wordsworth failed to clear a corner from the left, allowing Brady to send in a second cross, which an unmarked Robert Koren nodded past Loach from a few yards.
Jay Emmanuel-Thomas came on for Murphy for the final three minutes of normal time with the home crowd now more muted.
Town failed to put the Tigers under any significant pressure in the remaining scheduled minutes or in injury time and the referee’s final whistle signalled ecstatic celebrations in the away section with third-placed Watford losing at Peterborough.
The Blues can count themselves unfortunate to have lost the game after a second half in which they were the better side. Hull had been well on top for much of the first and a draw would probably have been a fairer reflection of the game overall.
The result sees the Blues drop to 17th in the table, four points from the relegation zone with four matches to play.
Town: Loach, Stearman, Chambers, Smith, Cresswell, Edwards, Hyam, N'Daw, Tabb (Wordsworth 45), Chopra (Nouble 79), Murphy (Emmanuel-Thomas 87). Unused: Lee-Barrett, Hewitt, Kisnorbo, Drury.
Hull City: Stockdale, Chester, Hobbs, Faye, Evans (Fathi 69), Quinn, Meyler, Elmohamady, Brady, Boyd (Fryatt 98), Simpson (Koren 74). Unused: Jakupovic, Rosenior, Cairney, Proschwitz. Referee: Oliver Langford (West Midlands). Att: 21,988 (Hull: 1,028).