Hull City Home Lost 1 – 2 (we never win after a light show)
After such a positive performance at West Brom, Hull at home shouldn’t have presented much of a problem but the team selection didn’t look right. Mara started both games but didn’t do an awful lot in either while Charles failed to keep his place despite being the obvious replacement for injured Downes, and both moves left us short on ball-winning and ball-retention. Everything might have been OK had Rothwell taken advantage when the visitors were caught in possession but his attempt to ‘nutmeg’ keeper Alsopp failed, and that was about it from Saints as an attacking threat until much needed changes at half time. By then Zaroury had given Hull an early lead by punishing Bazunu’s save that pushed Carvalho’s shot back into his path, and then Rothwell gave the ball away and failed to react in time to stop Carvalho bearing down on goal, and he was able to execute his nutmeg on the goalkeeper successfully. Even that unexpected tale of woe doesn’t tell the whole story as the Tigers had plenty of opportunities to extend the lead and,indeed, gallop out of sight. On came Aribo, Adams and Brooks in an attempt to turn things round and all did enough to make fans, and, no doubt, management wish they’d started. What we needed was a goal to set the place alight but somehow it wasn’t to be despite several promising openings – also, had the match officialreferee seen fit to award a penalty for blatant handball instead of a Hull free kick for a dodgy push just before the break, it could have been different. Fraser was the fourth of our wish-he’d-started subs but very well organised opponents worked hard to deny clear shots at Alsopp while there was every chance that we might concede again at the other end. Finally there was some reward for the home attack in the 88th minute when Adams had the presence of mind to set up Aribo to score. It’s always the hope that kills and there was to be no comeback for a suddenly beatable squad.
Three LSSC Man of the Match candidates for you to choose from:
9. Joe Aribo, who only played for 45 minutes – that sort of goes for many who were at least on the pitch for 90.
10. Che Adams, another half-match hero. You can understand why he was dropped after some indifferent performances, but maybe he shouldn’t have been?
35. Jan Bednarek, SFC’s choice for MotM.
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