Neil Warnock rues missed chances as Hull City record first win since the opening day of the Championship season

Hull City got back to winning ways with a well earned 2-0 win over Middlesbrough at a sodden MKM Stadium.

Keane Lewis-Potter was the afternoon’s hero with a superb volley that broke the deadlock, with Mallik Wilks finishing off a battling display to pick up City’s second win of the season.

In a bold move to pick up their first home win of the season, Hull manager Grant McCann reshuffled his pack to deploy a 3-4-3 system which saw forward Lewis-Potter feature in a more unaccustomed wing-back role.

With both his left-backs injured, McCann was reliant on the 21-year-old to put in a shift defensively against Marcus Tavernier but still push high up to peg the visitors back. The youngsters’ discipline and ability with the ball ultimately led to him being the match-winner in a spirited performance.

Striker Tom Eaves, who built on his midweek equaliser against Blackpool, put a tireless shift in up top for the home side. While he lacked quality in some vital moments during the game, his desire to lead the press posed the Boro defence with plenty of problems throughout the 90 minutes.

In the opening quarter, Middlesbrough struggled to get to grips with Eaves particularly. His influence was pivotal in City gaining an early foothold in the game as they adapted to a new system.

Sol Bamba’s fellow centre-halves Dael Fry and Lee Peltier were all in a game as Tyler Smith, playing off Eaves, was his usual busy self. Although the pair didn’t receive a great deal of service in terms of quality into the box, they remained committed to the cause, making worthy contributions to the win.

Despite not troubling the Boro defence in terms of penetration, City looked reasonably fluid in their new set-up. All three of their central defenders showed the ability and confidence to carry the ball out from the back.

Both Di’Shon Bernard and Jacob Greaves defended admirably to pick up a much needed clean sheet, and Matt Ingram in the City goal was once again crucial in helping his side get the victory. As Sean McLoughlin replaced the injured Alfie Jones in the first period, City recovered to hold firm.

For Boro boss Neil Warnock, he could only rue a series of missed guilt-edged chances that should have left the away side out of sight long before Hull got their noses in front.

As they grew into proceedings, Andraž Šporar missed two good first half opportunities, one a six-yard tap in that could only hit Ingram, and his second saw him through on goal only for him to lose composure and blaze the ball over the bar.

Marcus Tavernier should have hit the target from 18 yards in the second half following good work from Duncan Watmore, and only Šporar will know how he hit the side netting when being put through on goal. Following a superb incisive pass from Matt Crooks to put him clean through, the Slovenian striker only had the onrushing Ingram to beat with the goal at his mercy.

It wasn’t to be Paddy McNair’s afternoon either, as he was twice denied from putting Middlesbrough in front. He came closest to finishing off an excellent Boro move, but as he latched onto Šporar’s one-touch lay-off, the Northern Irishman’s well-struck shot was superbly saved by Ingram, low down to his right-hand side.

Last season’s heroes, Greg Docherty and top scorer Mallik Wilks, came off the bench to provide extra impetus as McCann searched for a winning goal and his substitutions paid dividends, with both players contributing to the win.

There was an air of good fortune about the opener when it came on 81 minutes, but the quality of Lewis-Potter’s volley was goal worthy. As Docherty probed down the left flank, his cut back could only be helped on by Eaves.

Falling to Lewis-Potter on the edge of the box, his right-footed volley cannoned off the post and hit the stranded Joe Lumley before dropping into the Boro net as an own goal.

A nervy finish ensued as the away side threw caution to the wind to get back into the game, and they were controversially denied an equaliser from McNair’s delightful free-kick. With Ingram well beaten, the referee was unhappy with a Boro player in the wall, which Neil Warnock bemoaned as ‘picky’ at full-time.

In injury time, with Boro committing men forward, it was Docherty who won the ball back in his own half to get Wilks racing away on goal, and as the striker checked back inside onto his favoured left foot, he drilled the ball home to give Lumley no chance. It was a clinical finish to open Wilks’ account for the season and secure City’s first home win of the season.

After the final whistle, Neil Warnock couldn’t hide his disappointment and looked astonished in his post-match press conference. He saw his side waste several opportunities, a dubious Paddy McNair free-kick chalked off, and the opening goal, which went in off his keeper, all led to the Boro fans chanting ‘sacked in the morning’ at him after the final whistle. 

Having struggled to name a full bench due to an injury crisis and then losing Dael Fry to injury during the game, Warnock was a frustrated figure.

“We’ve had all those chances, and then the ball hits the goalie on the back of the head. When it’s one of those days, it’s one of those days.

“You’re not going to get any better chances than we had. Apart from running on the field and putting one in myself, I don’t know what we can do.”

When asked about the unhappy chants aimed in his direction from the 3,500 travelling contingent, Warnock quickly brushed the discontent off for a man who has been around the managerial block more than enough times in his 72 years.

“I don’t mind that. If anybody can do better then good luck to them. I don’t mind Sol (Bamba) going up at 1-0. You might as well lose 2-0 at that stage but that just summed it up.

“I’ve had bad periods before in my career. I don’t think the players could give me much more. I just don’t think we’re getting the rub of the green at the moment.

“Everybody knows we should have won the game but we haven’t so it’s hard to take as a manager. We have to be ready next week to sort the mess out with the injured players.

“That’s how football is though. You’ve got to overcome these things. We’re in a great job and there are a lot of people worse off than us.

“I’m gutted tonight. I’m sick as a parrot. But tomorrow morning I’ll be going again. And that’s why I’m still in the game. You can’t dwell on defeats too long.”

In his post-match assessment, Grant McCann, who was measured and realistic, acknowledged that his side had ridden their luck at times but had been due to better reward for their performances this season.

“I can probably tell you four or five games where we’ve played better and lost, for us it’s important to get the three points.

“We wanted to continue from where we were on Tuesday night, getting a very good point against Blackpool who have won again today, so there’s not an easy game in this division.

“Everyone is tough in unique ways, we had to match them, we had to fight and battle to get the three points.”

When pushed on whether his players had lacked belief in recent games, McCann was quick to add that his group of players, despite the run of disappointing defeats, are always motivated to give their all. 

“I told the players to believe in themselves because they’re a match for anyone in this division. I think the belief is always there but sometimes the quality doesn’t come through when you want it to.”

“We just need to take those moments in the game when they come along but the belief and attitude is always there. It’s good when you get the belief and quality both together and that’s what gets you results.”

With McCann facing some criticism from sections of the fan base to change his system, his 3-4-3 formation will undoubtedly give him another option to consider from his more tried and trusted 4-3-3 set-up.

With important players set to return after the international break, and with some new and old faces getting to grips with Championship life and pulling in the right direction, things could be looking up for City as they strive to secure their second-tier status.

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