Promotion dream alive after Sky Blues stalemate
Hull City 0 - 0 Coventry
Sky Bet Championship
MKM Stadium
Attendance: 22,507
Pictures courtesy of Hull City
By Sam Hawcroft, Hull City Correspondent
Hull City produced one of their most disciplined displays of the season to hold Championship leaders Coventry City to a hard-earned 0-0 draw.
Given Coventry had arrived at the MKM as runaway leaders and by far the division’s top scorers with 84 goals to their name, this was no ordinary clean sheet for a Tigers side whose defensive record has too often undermined their campaign. Having also shut the Sky Blues out on the opening day, City once again found a way to frustrate the most potent attack in the league.
Sergej Jakirović shuffled his pack after the lacklustre Good Friday draw at Oxford. Toby Collyer made his first start for the Tigers, while Ivor Pandur returned in goal. Also back in the starting XI were John Egan, Amir Hadžiahmetović and Liam Millar, with Charlie Hughes, John Lundstram, Mo Belloumi and Kyle Joseph dropping to the bench.
City started brightly. Inside three minutes Oli McBurnie was hauled down off the ball by Liam Kitching near halfway, and although the free kick came to nothing, the Tigers quickly began to find space down the left with the lively Millar causing all sorts of issues.
A couple of minutes later Millar was involved again, first winning a corner and then helping to create the game’s first real opening. He found Lewie Coyle in the area, whose cut-back reached Collyer, and the midfielder laid it off for Cody Drameh – but he blazed over from 20 yards when he really should have hit the target.
Coventry’s first corner came in the 10th minute, but Victor Torp overhit it and the danger was comfortably dealt with. From the clearance City broke quickly, Millar surging away down the left before lofting a superb cross to Joe Gelhardt, who whistled a shot just wide.
Millar continued to cause problems and a few minutes later was cynically halted by what amounted to a rugby tackle from Milan van Ewijk as City kept the pressure on.
The Tigers were on top. After Gelhardt’s long-range free kick caused chaos in the Coventry box, keeper Carl Rushworth came and missed his punch, McBurnie headed wide, before John Egan saw an effort cleared off the line amid the scramble – City’s best chance so far, and indeed of the whole game.
It was good stuff from the hosts, though Coventry served a reminder of their threat when Torp dragged an effort just wide at the other end.
The pace dropped slightly as the half approached the half-hour mark, but City continued to hold the ball well and still looked the more threatening side.
Coventry’s next notable chance came in the 32nd minute when Torp’s low shot from distance was comfortably gathered by Pandur.
Right on the stroke of half-time there was a nervy moment for the Tigers as Matt Grimes’ free kick caused uncertainty in the box. Pandur came for the punch and missed, but the danger was eventually turned behind and the resulting corner was cleared.
The second half began with another warning sign as Coyle was booked for hauling down Tatsuhiro Sakamoto on the edge of the right side of the box. Fortunately for City, Torp once again overhit the set piece and it drifted harmlessly beyond everyone.
At the other end Millar again showed his value, holding the ball up well in the box before finding Gelhardt, but his header lacked the power to seriously trouble Rushworth.
There was growing frustration among the home fans when Hadžiahmetović burst forward from a clever flick by McBurnie and was dragged down by Grimes. The Coventry midfielder escaped with a yellow card, much to the anger of the home support, the ref judging that there was still a covering defender.
The atmosphere was beginning to crackle a bit as the Sky Blues began to get a bit more, well, hands-on in their approach. McBurnie saw another header claimed by Rushworth before City had to defend another dangerous free kick, this time after Egan brought down substitute Jack Rudoni. Once again, they stood firm.
With 20 minutes to go City came close again when McBurnie just failed to connect with a delivery from Collyer.
At the other end there were muted appeals for handball against Coyle after Van Ewik’s effort was gathered by Pandur.
Jakirović turned to his bench in the 74th minute, replacing Collyer with Lewis Koumas, Gelhardt with Lundstram and Millar with Belloumi.
The changes kept City on the front foot. A dangerous corner was followed by a fizzing Belloumi delivery into the six-yard area that Rushworth did well to claim.
A few minutes later at the other end, Ellis Simms blazed over, to the jeers of the home crowd, before Pandur came out bravely in the 80th minute to claim with Simms bearing down.
Crooks was then replaced by Joseph as the game edged towards a tense finale.
Drameh shot over in the 83rd minute, before Belloumi went on a promising run down the right only to scuff his effort straight at Rushworth.
Koumas then burst away down the left, only for the final ball to let him down. Joseph later lifted a ball over the head of McBurnie in another moment where a sharper delivery might have produced a winner.
In the end, though, despite four minutes’ added time, there was no real late drama – and a highly creditable point was secured.
So, one of the toughest fixtures left – on paper, at least – is now out of the way, and the race remains all to play for. With second, third and fourth all locked on 72 points, automatic promotion is not yet beyond the realms of possibility, though of course it could still go the other way.
All eyes now turn to sixth v seventh – Wrexham v Southampton – on Tuesday night, before a huge trip to Sheffield United next Saturday… strap yourselves in!