Hull City 2-0 Town - Half-Time Tuesday, 20th Oct 2015 20:47 Goals from ex-Blue Alex Bruce and Chuba Akpom have given Hull City a 2-0 lead over the Blues at half-time at the KC Stadium. Town boss Mick McCarthy made five changes to the team which drew 0-0 with Huddersfield on Saturday with Giles Coke handed his first league start alongside Jonny Parr, Kevin Bru, Larsen Touré and Daryl Murphy. Cole Skuse (ankle) and David McGoldrick (groin) both missed out due to injury with Freddie Sears, Brett Pitman and Ainsley Maitland-Niles dropping to the bench. Ryan Fraser (knee), Tommy Oar (concussion), Luke Hyam (knee) and Teddy Bishop (hamstring and shin splints) were also unavailable. The Blues lined-up in a 4-3-3/4-5-1 formation with Murphy in the centre of the front three with Parr on the left and Touré on the right, and Coke, Douglas and Bru the midfield trio. Former Town loanee Jake Livermore started in midfield for the Tigers, while ex-Blues defender Bruce and one-time trialist Eldin Jakupović were on the bench. The Blues started on the front foot and first Douglas, playing the Skuse role behind Bru and Coke, and then Touré won freekicks in dangerous areas but Town were unable to create an opening from either. The visitors continued to look the more dangerous side and on nine Coke saw a strike from the edge of the area blocked by Moses Odubajo after a corner had been cleared to him. The home side immediately broke but Andy Robertson shot high and wide. In the 12th minute Ahmed Elmohamady crossed for Abel Hernandez, who headed into the ground straight at Blues keeper Dean Gerken. But the Blues were still having most of the ball and the game was largely being played in the Hull half of the field. Just before the quarter hour, with the Blues enjoying long spells on the ball, Murphy’s backheel found skipper Luke Chambers on the right of the area and his powerful strike was deflected into the side-netting. The home fans were starting to show their frustration with their team when Touré was given the space to shoot a minute later, the Guinean international’s effort hitting a Tigers defender. Moments later Hull were forced into a substitution when defender Curtis Davies was replaced by ex-Blue Bruce. Gerken was off his line quickly to clear from Hernandez in the 19th minute after the Uruguayan striker had been played in by Robertson. In the 25th minute sub Bruce picked up the game’s first yellow card for an ugly challenge on Bru 30 yards out from goal. Full league debutant Coke took the kick and curled a shot just wide of Hull keeper Allan McGregor’s left post. There was a scare for the Blues just before the half hour when Elmohamady out-ran Jonas Knudsen and cut the ball back to Sam Clucas in space but the ex-Chesterfield man scuffed what was a very good chance wide. Two minutes later, Coke got his name in referee Christopher Kavanagh’s book for a foul on David Meyler. The home side were beginning to quieten the Blues down and get on top and in the 34th minute Elmohamady sent over another dangerous cross from the right but Hernandez again headed weakly to Gerken. In the 36th minute the Tigers went in front. Parr and Tommy Smith scrambled the ball away from Bruce after Clucas’s corner from the left had fallen for the defender in the box. But the danger wasn’t gone and Clucas subsequently sent over a deep cross from the byline to the far post and Bruce looped a header over Gerken, under the bar and into the net. Murphy looked to hit back straight away, turning his man and smashing a powerful 30-yard shot, but straight at McGregor. On 40 Tigers skipper Michael Dawson was booked for pulling back Parr midway inside his own half. From the freekick, Christophe Berra scuffed a header wide. Two minutes later, Meyler volleyed not far over from the edge of the box, but a second Hull goal wasn’t too long in coming. Parr lost possession, Odubajo broke down the left and sent over a low cross towards Akpom, who slammed home from close range. Neither side threatened again before referee Kavanagh blew his whistle to signal the end of the half. Town will have been happy enough with their evening’s work up to the final 10 minutes of the period having taken the game to the home side and enjoying a large amount of the ball. However, they had created little in the way of clear-cut chances with Hull keeper McGregor not forced to make any significant saves. For the goals, the Blues made heavy weather of clearing the initial danger then allowed Bruce to win the ball when it was sent back in, while the second came after possession was surrendered in a dangerous area with Hull taking their opportunity clinically. As things stand at half-time, Town have a mountain to climb to take even a point from the game. Hull City: McGregor, Odubajo, Dawson (c), Davies (Bruce 18), Robertson, Meyler, Livermore, Elmohamady, Clucas, Akpom, Hernandez. Subs: Jakupović, Huddlestone, Maguire, Maloney, Diamé, Aluko. Town: Gerken, Chambers (c), Smith, Berra, Knudsen, Coke, Bru, Douglas, Touré, Parr, Murphy. Subs: Bialkowski, Maitland-Niles, Pitman, Sears, Malarczyk, McDonnell, Emmanuel. Referee: Christopher Kavanagh (Lancashire).
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