McBurnie strikes back: City salvage point in second-half revival
Hull City 2 - 2 Preston North End
Sky Bet Championship
MKM Stadium
Attendance: 18,624
A second-half brace from the free-scoring Oli McBurnie salvaged a point for Hull City in a match that was the very definition of a “game of two halves”.
After a woeful first 45 left them 2-0 down to Preston inside ten minutes, the Tigers emerged transformed after the break, and once again it was the talismanic McBurnie who dragged them back from the brink.
The pre-match build-up was especially theatrical, with pianist James Wood entertaining the crowd before the stirring – and slightly unnerving – Duel of the Fates from Star Wars: The Phantom Menace boomed around the MKM, flamethrowers blazing as Roary briefly appeared on the big screen wielding a lightsaber. (Is the City mascot secretly a Jedi? I think we should be told.)
The tone quickly turned solemn. Instead of Steve Jordan’s usual round-the-grounds, all four stands united in applause for Ken Houghton, one of the last of City’s greats of the 1960s, who died this week aged 85.
But there was nothing respectful about Preston’s start. Barely three minutes in, the visitors were ahead. From an early corner the ball pinged around before Lewie Coyle’s half-clearance fell to Thierry Small, who was given too much time to tee up a shot that was drilled low under Ivor Pandur from 12 yards.
Seven minutes later it was even worse. Pandur’s poor clearance landed at the feet of Ben Whiteman, who squared for Michael Smith. Given acres of time, he picked his spot in the bottom-right corner. Pandur, possibly unsighted, stood rooted – a goal that seemed to unfold in slow motion.
By now, the atmosphere was akin to that of a dentist’s waiting room on the Death Star.
It might have been three inside 15 minutes when a deflected shot whistled wide, City’s back line looking at sixes and sevens. At the other end, they couldn’t string two passes together. When Preston fans were chanting “olé” before half-time, you knew how bad things were.
A brief spark came in the 24th minute when Coyle won a free-kick high up on the right, Giles whipping in a dangerous ball that no one could meet. Later, a Palmer free-kick 25 yards out cannoned into the wall – he probably should have left it for Giles. Then Osmajic nearly punished City on the break, picking the wrong pass when Preston might have been celebrating a third.
As the whistle blew, it was hard to recall a worse half at the MKM. The Empire desperately needed to strike back!
Sergej Jakirovic reacted with sweeping half-time changes, withdrawing Palmer, Drameh and Hadžiahmetović for Regan Slater, Joe Gelhardt and Liam Millar. The effect was instant.
Kyle Joseph headed over within minutes of the restart, a clear sign of intent, and moments later McBurnie was there again, finishing smartly in the 48th minute from a brilliant pass by Giles to halve the deficit and send the North Stand into raptures.
Suddenly City were a different team. Joseph was hauled down 25 yards out, Gelhardt – proving a point after being dropped from the starting 11 today – cracked the free-kick on target, and Iversen could only parry. From the resulting corner, the Preston keeper flapped, and it only just missed John Egan lurking at the back post.
Still, though, the Lilywhites always looked threatening. In the 65th minute McBurnie teed up Millar, whose effort was deflected for a corner, only for Giles to put it straight behind. Minutes later at the other end, Alfie Devine should have killed the game at 3-1 but somehow missed from six yards, much to the relief of the home crowd.
That reprieve proved vital. On 73 minutes, Giles delivered perfectly once more, and McBurnie was in the right place to blast in from close range.
Two apiece, deservedly – and the MKM was bouncing once more.
It was end-to-end now. Preston substitute Jebbison curled wide, then Gelhardt tangled with Jordan Storey in the box – Preston furious when appeals for a penalty were waved away. There was definitely a hand on the player, yes, but did Gelhardt haul him down or did Storey milk it a bit?
Straight up the other end, Gelhardt released Millar, who surged clear but blazed his finish high and wide.
As nerves jangled, Giles made way for Famewo. Pandur saved very well from Storey as the clock ticked into five minutes of stoppage time, before Iversen denied John Lundstram with a stunning fingertip save from a thunderous strike. That would have brought the house down, but a precious point it remained – one that had looked utterly impossible at the break.
They may have drifted to the Dark Side in the first half, but by full-time the Force was most certainly with City.