Tigers up to fifth after five-goal thriller secures fifth home win

Pictures courtesy of Hull City

Hull City 3 - 2 Portsmouth

Sky Bet Championship

MKM Stadium

Attendance: 23,205

By Sam Hawcroft, Hull City Correspondent

Hull City were made to work hard by struggling Portsmouth, eventually edging a lively 3–2 contest at the MKM to move up to fifth in the table.

It was end-to-end and pretty open before half-time, much tighter after it, but City found the goals they needed and the resilience to see it out.
This was the club’s Remembrance fixture, and the silence beforehand was impeccably observed, the majority of fans having heeded the club’s pleas to get there early. 

Then the place came alive, helped by the biggest crowd of the season so far and a sizeable Pompey following, many of whom had left home at the crack of dawn for this 12.30pm kick-off (thanks to Sky TV for its ingenious scheduling, which has already ensured the Tigers’ return trip in February will be just as awkward).

With Oli McBurnie still on the sidelines, Enis Destan was handed his first City start, and the Tigers began brightly.

Within five minutes Joe Gelhardt slid in Kyle Joseph, whose low effort was blocked well by keeper Josef Bursik. Three minutes later, a low shot from Gelhardt in the area went inches wide.

Two great chances not taken… and then, just after the quarter-hour, City were punished for it as Portsmouth led with their first real attack – and it was another slice of rotten luck after Tuesday night’s calamity at Derby.

Conor Chaplin hoisted a ball into the box, Joseph swung and half-cleared, and the loose ball sat up for Terry Devlin. His shot took a looping deflection off Joseph and wrongfooted Ivor Pandur.

For a short period, Pompey’s tails were up, and Andre Dozzell hit one straight at Pandur in the 23rd minute.

City didn’t panic, though, and just over 10 minutes later they were level. Lewie Coyle delivered a superb cross from deep on the right. It evaded Joseph, but Destan was there to sweep home brilliantly from six yards. First start, first goal – once again justifying Sergej Jakirovic’s team selection.

The Tigers then began to build some momentum. In the 34th minute Gelhardt found Joseph, leaping up at the back post, but he headed wide.

Then, in the 43rd minute, Joseph would get another go – and this time he did hit the target. From a Gelhardt corner, he rose highest at the back post and nodded City ahead.

But City’s habit of conceding at inopportune moments persists. Right before the interval, two minutes into the three added, Josh Murphy whipped a brilliant cross from the left towards the back post, and Devlin was all alone to guide it in for his second. Portsmouth hadn’t scored two away since the end of last season, and Devlin not for two years! Which rather has something of the #TypicalCity about it, doesn’t it… So, it was a soft one to give away and the timing a sucker punch. Joseph even had another headed chance seconds later, but couldn’t direct it on target.

It felt like this could turn into a real goalfest, but the second half failed to live up to the first in terms of entertainment, being somewhat more cagey – it was the sort of contest where the next moment of quality would probably win it.

Early in the second half there was a brief pause as Devlin took a ball full in the face from Giles. The Portsmouth man went down instantly, and Giles was straight over to apologise before helping him back to his feet.

City continued to probe, and in the 63rd minute Giles delivered another inviting ball from the left. Regan Slater threw himself at it with a brave diving header, but couldn’t quite keep it down – had it found the target, it would have been some goal.

The Tigers’ winner came with 11 minutes of normal time left. Charlie Hughes put a brilliant long ball over the top, and Gelhardt took it beautifully in his stride before lifting it over the advancing Bursik. Joffy's seventh goal of the season, and one of his coolest.

A couple of minutes later, substitute Joel Ndala hit the side netting from about eight yards from a clever free kick from Matt Crooks. From some angles, it looked like he’d smashed it into the top corner - alas, no.

But City never do things the easy way, do they! It was now do-or-die for Portsmouth in the closing 10 minutes, and they threw bodies forward, crosses raining in on the Tigers’ area – and then eight minutes of added time were announced. The volume lifted, nervous and defiant.

Then a dangerous ball flashed across goal and Hughes flung himself at it, a full-length diving header to clear off the line. Pandur ran over to thank him, giving him several pats on the back; the fans roared “Huuuuuuuughes!” A proper centre-half’s moment.

Pandur was shown a card for timewasting – the very definition of taking one for the team – before Pompey won a corner at the death.
Bursik went up for it, and the ball fell to him. What a story if the keeper could save it at the death for the visitors!

But he blazed it into the South Stand.

And, at last, after nearly 100 minutes, the whistle went and the Tigers could celebrate their fifth home win this season. As a reminder, should anyone need it, it took them the whole of last season to notch up this many victories at the MKM…