City punished for missed chances against Stoke
Pictures courtesy of Hull City
Hull City 0 - 1 Stoke City
Sky Bet Championship
MKM Stadium
Attendance: 23,152
By Sam Hawcroft, Hull City Correspondent
Hull City opened their 2026 account with a frustrating 1-0 defeat to Stoke City.
Despite hitting the crossbar twice, it was a largely disjointed and lacklustre performance – a big New Year’s Day let down coming so soon a gritty win over promotion-chasing Middlesbrough on Monday night.
The afternoon began with an emotional tribute paid to City supporters lost during 2025. It set a reflective tone before the football took over, though what followed never quite ignited in the way the home crowd hoped.
There were a couple of changes to the starting XI, with Oli McBurnie and Liam Millar both returning, though the absence of Ryan Giles was keenly, sorely felt throughout. City saw plenty of the ball early on, but it was a familiar pattern – territory without real incision.
The first half-chance arrived inside the opening minutes when Kyle Joseph harried a defender into a hurried clearance, McBurnie lurking with intent inside the six-yard box, only for the referee to award Stoke a free kick.
The opening ten minutes were otherwise quiet, City enjoying the bulk of possession but struggling to find much rhythm or tempo. Stoke’s first real warning came in the 18th minute when a City free kick in midfield broke down and the visitors countered sharply. Robert Bozenik let fly from 25 yards, forcing Ivor Pandur into a smart diving save to his left.
City responded with a brief flurry. Joseph had a shot blocked on the right side of the area after good work from McBurnie, and moments later Pandur was again involved at the other end, saving comfortably from Bae Jun-ho’s low effort from distance.
As the half wore on, the contest became increasingly scrappy. Bozenik sent another effort straight at Pandur on 26 minutes, before Millar took a wild swing inside the Stoke area at the other end, prompting loud handball appeals from the South Stand against Tomas Rigo.
City then enjoyed their best spell of the half. Sustained pressure culminated in Millar sliding the ball into Joseph just outside the six-yard area. He turned to set up the shot, but another defensive intervention – and more handball shouts – denied the Tigers. From the resulting corner, the ball almost crept in at the near post, with Tommy Simkin reacting well to claw it away. It fell to Charlie Hughes around ten yards out and his strike cannoned off the crossbar, the closest City had come so far.
That miss would prove costly. In the 39th minute, City failed to clear their lines – once, twice, then a third time – and were punished. Bae Jun-ho was afforded too much space and worked the ball to Bozenik, who made no mistake from close range at the back post. It was a deeply disappointing goal to concede after a period of pressure, and another example of City underachieving against a side with struggles of their own.
Stoke had won just once in seven since the Tigers defeated them on their own patch at the end of November. Yet here they were, as at Hillsborough on Boxing Day, trailing again.
Sergej Jakirovic acted at the break, replacing Joseph with Joel Ndala – a reminder that this head coach is not afraid to change what he thinks isn’t working. But any chance of building momentum was immediately disrupted by a lengthy stoppage.
Goalscorer Bozenik was injured in a collision with John Egan that initially looked innocuous, but he remained on the turf for several minutes.
Eventually, looking visibly in pain and upset, Bozenik was replaced by Sam Gallagher, walking gingerly from the pitch with his left arm supported in a “sling” fashioned out of his own shirt by physios. It made for uncomfortable viewing, and the nine-minute delay did little to help City’s rhythm.
When play resumed, the Tigers were marginally more assertive. Regan Slater saw a free kick just after the hour punched away by Simkin, but the overall performance still lacked sharpness. City were pressing more, but not with enough clarity or conviction.
A golden chance arrived in the 67th minute. Millar delivered an inviting cross from the left that evaded the defender and dropped perfectly for McBurnie in front of goal. Stretching at full length, the striker could not quite control it, the effort going wide.
Stoke were not done. Jun-ho won a corner at the other end, from which Bosun Lawal headed over, before a high boot from Jun-ho caught Lewie Coyle in the head. The City captain was left bloodied and requiring treatment, the Stoke man escaping with only a booking – much to the ire of the home support.
Coyle, made of sterner stuff, eventually returned defiant, echoing Charlie Hughes’ warrior act in the previous home match – and with a bandage to match. During the delay, City made further changes, with Enis Destan and Kasey Palmer coming on for Akin Famewo and Darko Gyabi.
Again, the frequent stoppages did little to help the flow, and Stoke looked the more comfortable side as the clock ticked down. Hughes was forced into a vital challenge on Lamine Cissé in the area in the 77th minute, and moments later produced a stunning goal-line clearance, heading Ashley Phillips’ effort away from a Sorba Thomas free kick. It was becoming painful viewing for City supporters.
With normal time nearly up, Amir Hadžiahmetović and David Akintola replaced Slater and Millar, changes that felt more hopeful than decisive. McBurnie then shot tamely at Simkin, summing up City’s night in front of goal.
Then the anticipated lengthy added time was at last announced – SEVENTEEN minutes! – which did seem to galvanise the Tigers a bit. Matt Crooks headed over from a corner as the noise inside the home stands rose, Stoke’s sizeable following having made themselves heard throughout.
In the 98th minute, Palmer came agonisingly close to equalising, his thunderous 20-yard strike smashing the crossbar and bouncing down on to the line – goal-line technology confirming it had not crossed all the way over. McBurnie then went down in the area under a challenge from Maksym Talovierov, but the referee waved away appeals.
Destan attempted an acrobatic bicycle kick in the dying moments, though it lacked power and drifted wide. By then, many supporters had already headed for the exits.
It was one of those days. Effort without edge, pressure without reward. City hit the woodwork twice, dominated spells, and yet found themselves on the wrong side of a slender scoreline. Stoke did what they needed to do; City did not.
The Tigers have dropped a place to fifth in the Championship, but are still very much in the play-off mix, as just four points separate the five teams below runaway leaders Coventry – so let’s hope Giles can return before long and resume his deadly partnership with McBurnie.