x

Hull City 1-0 Ipswich Town - Half-Time - Ipswich Town News

Jarrod Bowen’s third-minute goal has given Hull City a 1-0 lead over the Blues at half-time at the KCOM Stadium.

Flynn Downes returned to the Blues starting line-up in midfield alongside Cole Skuse with Jon Nolan taking the more advanced central role behind Jon Walters, who was the lone striker.

Kayden Jackson dropped to the bench where Danny Rowe was included for the first time in the Championship this season. Janoi Donacien was again the loanee to miss out on a place in the 18.

In front of a very sparse KCOM Stadium crowd Hull took the lead from the first attack of the game in the third minute.

Downes dawdled and was caught in possession by Fraizer Campbell midway inside the Town half and the former Crystal Palace man played in Jarrod Bowen on the right of the box from where he dinked the ball over Dean Gerken with Matthew Pennington unable to clear off the line. It was Bowen’s third goal in three games against Town and his first of this season.

After the shock of conceding the early goal it took the Blues a little while to threaten. However, they briefly began to make some headway and on 13 Gwion Edwards worked space to cross from the right and Jordan Graham was just prevented from getting in a shot from the edge of the box.

Town came close to claiming an equaliser in the 16th minute from a well-worked corner. Graham’s deep flag-kick from the right was nodded back across the area by Skuse and Nolan headed wide at the near post when he will feel he ought to have done better.

However, almost immediately the Tigers came close to doubling their lead. Campbell again sent Bowen away, this time down the middle, and only a well-timed challenge from skipper Luke Chambers prevented the former Hereford forward from getting in a shot at goal.

The Blues were unable to get the ball away from their area and on 19 a cross from the left reached Campbell who failed to make contact with an acrobatic attempt at a volley.

Hull continued to put Town under pressure winning a number of corners, one of which Evandro flicked not too far over at the near post.

The Tigers continued to control the game but without creating further chances until the 33rd minute when Campbell headed over from a Todd Kane corner.

Town had made no impact at the other end since Nolan’s header but in the 34th minute Walters won a freekick midway inside the Hull half but Graham’s set piece towards the striker was too long.

The Blues were starting to make more of an impression, however, and a minute later Nolan played the ball into the box from the right to Walters, who turned it on to Graham on the left, from where the on-loan Wolves man curled a shot not too far wide.

Then, on 40, Graham’s cross from the left was poorly cleared by Stephen Kingsley to the edge of the box and Nolan struck a difficult half-volley over the bar. Soon after, Hull were forced to swap the injured Daniel Batty for Kevin Stewart.

Town continued to threaten and on 44 Knudsen’s very deep cross from the left reached Edwards rushing in at the back of the box and the Welshman volleyed powerfully against Kingsley.

Although the Blues had ended the half on top, they had been very much second best for most of the period and were fortunate to be only a goal behind.

The early goal inevitably gave the home side - without a win at home in their previous four games this season - a boost, while the Blues struggled to make an impact aside from the brief spell in which Nolan went close.

However, they might well have grabbed a leveller from their spell just before the break and will hope to start the second half in the same manner as they continue to look for their first win under Paul Hurst.

Hull City: Marshall, De Wijs, Burke, Evandro, Kane, Batty (Stewart 41), Bowen, Henriksen (c), Kingsley, Campbell, Elphick. Subs: Long, Dicko, Grosicki, Irvine, McKenzie, Martin.

Town: Gerken, Spence, Chambers (c), Pennington, Knudsen, Skuse, Downes, Edwards, Nolan, Graham, Walters. Subs: Bialkowski, Chalobah, Jackson, Harrison, Rowe, Ward, Edun. Referee: Tony Harrington (Cleveland).

What to read next:

Davis: We're Going to Have to Do Everything We Can to Keep Vardy Quiet
Leif Davis says he is expecting another intense meeting with Leicester City this weekend, the Blues having drawn each of the last three meetings with the Foxes.
Davis: I Felt Like I Let My Teammates Down
Town defender Leif Davis has admitted he feels he let his teammates down following his sending off against Arsenal last month.
Rangers Linked With Burgess
Scottish giants Rangers are reportedly interested in out-of-contract Blues central defender Cameron Burgess.
Sheeran Call Me Ted Poster Unveiled
Call Me Ted’s final poster of the season by Blues sponsor and minority shareholder Ed Sheeran has been unveiled.
McKenna: Finishing Above Leicester the Motivation
Town boss Kieran McKenna says the motivation when the Blues travel to face Leicester City at the King Power Stadium on Sunday is finishing above the Foxes in the Premier League table.
Humphreys: I'm Gutted Now, But It's Been a Really Good Season
Blues midfielder Cameron Humphreys is gutted that his loan side Wycombe Wanderers were beaten 1-0 by Charlton Athletic in the League One play-off semi-final last night but says he will look back on the spell positively once the dust settled.
McKenna: Delap Young Player Nomination Well Deserved
Town manager Kieran McKenna says Liam Delap fully deserves his nomination for the Premier League Young Player of the Year award and was pleased to that the Blues striker isn’t the only one he has coached on the shortlist.
McKenna: Brentford Game Another in Which We Were Competitive
Blues manager Kieran McKenna felt last week’s 1-0 defeat at home to Brentford was typical of many of Town’s matches this season.
McKenna: Burley All-Clear Fantastic News
Town boss Kieran McKenna is delighted to learn that George Burley, the previous Blues manager to take charge of the club in the Premier League, has been given the all-clear following his cancer treatment.
McKenna: Phillips Unlikely to Return Before End of Season
Town boss Kieran McKenna says it’s unlikely Kalvin Phillips will play for the Blues again this season with the on-loan Manchester City man still struggling with an achilles issue.