Hull City find greater belief to hold frustrated AFC Bournemouth

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Hull City returned to familiar performance levels as they held AFC Bournemouth to a well earned 0-0 draw at the MKM Stadium.

Despite the visitors having the better of the chances in an entertaining encounter, the home side was unfortunate not to take all three points as they finished the stronger of the two sides.

Pre-match, manager Grant McCann was looking for his side to get on the front foot, and it was a much improved collective effort with City looking more like their old selves. As a collective, the Tigers gave an excellent account of themselves against one of the division’s favourites for promotion.

Going into the game on the back of three defeats and a pre-season full of disruption, the home side were dealt a further blow in preparation, losing target man Josh Magennis to injury on Thursday with a hip problem. Tyler Smith was handed his debut, having only signed on Friday and the 22-year old was an immediate threat to Bournemouth’s defence with his turn of pace and eager running as City started brightly.

With the experienced Tom Huddlestone’s calm influence at the base of the Tigers midfield, his performance oozed class from the get-go. His simple but effective passing to keep the home side’s tempo ticking over ensured that Hull posed a greater threat and kickstarted their momentum when Bournemouth inevitably enjoyed periods of keeping possession.

Huddlestone’s signature long-range passing complemented Matt Smith’s quality on the ball alongside him, and with Greg Docherty also in fine fettle, the hosts looked more potent in trying to remedy their recent lack of goals.

Docherty, who has been getting up to speed having recovered from COVID-19, put in an inspired performance full of hard work and endeavour that set the tone for his teammates. Playing slightly ahead of Huddlestone and Smith in the midfield trio, the Scotsman posed Bournemouth problems with his direct running and was at the heart of everything good about City’s play.

It was Docherty’s driving run on 42 minutes that almost brought the home side’s opening goal. Running deep from midfield into the penalty area, his pull-back fell to Tyler Smith but Jordan Zemura denied the debutant with a superb covering interception.

Docherty was most unfortunate not to have opened the scoring in the 53rd minute with City’s best chance of the game. As Huddlestone switched the play out to Lewie Coyle, his pinpoint cross found Docherty in the box, but the midfielder could only direct his header onto the face of the crossbar.

For Bournemouth manager Scott Parker, it was an afternoon of frustration as despite not being at their fluent best, they had many chances to have won the game. Dominic Solanke was foiled three times in the first half by Hull goalkeeper Matt Ingram, with a point-blank range save from the striker’s header being the pick of the bunch.

Solanke will feel, however, that he should have given Ingram no chance with a turn and spin that got him away from Jacob Greaves on the half-hour mark, only to fire straight at Ingram who did well to parry the ball away.

Given Ingram’s stubbornness in goal, the City shot-stopper almost gifted Solanke a goal on 54 minutes following his sloppy pass from out of goal. Still, the former Liverpool striker failed to capitalise on the opportunity as the goalkeeper recovered to block his shot.

The best chance of the afternoon fell to Emiliano Marcondes, and it was a miss that he will not want to see again in a hurry. Zemura, who had an impressive game at left-back, got in behind the City defence, and the on-rushing Marcondes should have converted his pull-back, but from just eight yards, the former Brentford man inexplicably fired the ball over the bar with the goal at his mercy.

During his post-match conference, Parker looked an irritated figure, rueing his side’s missed chances that cost them victory on the road.

“We huffed and puffed and had big chances. I thought we defended very well. We just didn’t get our noses in front.

“We had massive chances and they should be put away. It just wasn’t meant to be today.”

Despite the guilt-edged missed chances, the home side defended stoutly. Hull defender Greaves, who is finding his feet in the Championship, put in an impressive display at the heart of the home defence alongside Manchester United loanee Di’Shon Bernard.

Given the calibre of striker the pair were up against at Fulham last week and Solanke yesterday, both centre backs made timely interceptions throughout and were composed to play the ball out from defence to get City moving through the lines.

Greaves, in particular, showed his quality of passing in the first half and his searching ball over the top picked out Lewis-Potter in dangerous territory only for Jack Stacey to tug him back when the City forward looked to pull the trigger.

Callum Elder recently called up for Australia, kept David Brooks at relative bay, and skipper Coyle on the opposite flank put in his best performance of the season so far. Picking up the armband in the absence of Richie Smallwood, Hull-born Coyle grew stronger by the game, both defensively in managing the lively Jaidon Anthony and providing the overlapping runs that were a strong feature of City’s forward play in the last campaign. 

The Tigers finished the stronger of the two sides, and with the home crowd sensing victory, they were unfortunate not to pick up all three points at the death as Lewis-Potter couldn’t keep his far post effort down following a superb delivery from Huddlestone.

At full-time, McCann was far the happiest of the two managers and was delighted with his side’s efforts on the afternoon. They now go into the international break following an intensive return to life back in the Championship.

“I thought it was a good game. Our shape and discipline was good and it had to be against one of the better teams in the division.

“I was pleased with the performance particularly defensively. I thought we were strong and limited their chances and probably cost them ourselves in terms of gifting them the ball in certain areas, but you know it’s going to happen. They press well against you.

“I thought we got better as the game went on, we got in control and Tom (Huddlestone) and Matt (Smith) were important in that.

“We will respect the point and, hopefully, now we can get some of our injured players back”

Despite missing a number of key faces in Magennis, Alfie Jones, Mallik Wilks and George Honeyman, City looked a much more cohesive unit and played with greater belief.

With their new faces starting to bed in, there was plenty of evidence to suggest that their understanding is developing in how McCann wants them to play. The majority of City’s passages of play were far more akin to a side that proved too much to handle for many League One defences in the last campaign.

The relatively raw talents of Ryan Longman and Randell Williams, both showed glimpses of what they can add to McCann’s attacking arsenal with their direct running and ability to beat a man. With the anticipated signing of Regan Slater from Sheffield United, who impressed on loan last season, he looks to be another shrewd option for City in the midfield area particularly if Huddlestone cannot play every game.

Hull have come a long way from last season in now pitting their wits against Premier League aspiring opposition.  There is no doubt, they have gotten stronger and the marker has been laid for their return after the international break.

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