nPower Championship: Hull City

This Yorkshire derby comes at a time when the games hosts are riding high in the table with the very real possibility of promotion back to the Premier League, whilst their opponents are fighting just to stay in the league - a relegation battle. At kick off, Hull are on an 8 league game unbeaten run whilst Wednesday have amassed 10 points out of an available 15 in a recent resurgence. In a surprising tactical decision, Wednesday don't field a striker in the opening formation which looks like a 4-4-1-1 with Michail Antonio leading the line with Jermaine Johnson - the two pacey wingers are known for their ability to beat a man but not for their finishing.

 The game gets underway with Hull and an early break by the Tigers results in a wayward cross by Robert Koren. The first shot of the game comes after only 4mins when Antonio jinks away from 3 defenders and sets up Johnson for a left footed 25yard drive that Eldin Jakupovic does well to tip over the bar. The resulting corner is cleared by the first man and Hull see their break halt with an offside flag. Neither side are able to control the early exchanges with wayward passing and 2 solid midfields but in the 9th minute a neat exchange by Wednesday sees a meaningful break on goal but Jakupovic claims the cross well. Just like the Owls' corner being unable to beat the first man, Hull see a Robbie Brady (recently signed from Manchester Utd for £2m) corner cleared away by Rhys McCabe after Anthony Gardner gifted the corner by running the ball out of play. A controversial moment in the 16th minute has the home fans holding their breath when Abdoulaye Faye loses possession with a heavy touch and then lunges with both feet off the ground at J.Johnson - after a lengthy investigation the referee decides against a red card - not even a yellow and Faye walks away in a huge let off for Hull. A long sweeping ball finds Brady who does well to whip a cross into the box and Miguel Llera heads wide for a corner. Rather disappointingly for the Tigers, Chris Kirkland punches clear with ease and then claims an Ahmed Elmohamady shot that was dropping under the crossbar. In the 23rd minute Sheffield Wednesday take the lead when James Chester fouls the onrushing Jeremy Hélan outside the box and Rhys McCabe's free kick is headed in by Reda Johnson for his 4th of the season through the legs of the keeper. A deserved lead for an impressive Wednesday. Just 2mins later Hull test Kirkland when a cleared corner finds its way to Faye who heads for the top corner only for the keeper to palm away. The Owls defend 3 corners in quick succession well as they cling onto their lead. Hull are determined to restore parity and a neat move in midfield sees ex-Sheff Utd player Stephen Quinn break down the left, after avoiding a Kieran Lee challenge the midfielder is tackled well by Giles Coke but the referee awards a free kick. Brady sends the cross in that's cleared and then his ball back in is claimed by Kirkland. From that Wednesday counter and J.Johnson skips past 2 players and squares for an unmarked Antonio on the penalty spot - but a disastrous first touch lets the ball slip away before he can smash the ball home and the keeper rushes out to concede a corner. Lleras corner is cleared and his return ball is lashed at by Koren, looping the ball high into his own box and R.Johnson flies at the ball with a terrific header that narrowly clears the bar. Excellent near post defending by Llera results in a 30th minute Hull corner which Elmohamady heads over the bar at an acute angle. Ex-Hull defender Gardner puts his body on the line with a block from Quinns goal ward shot a few mins later and as Hull up the pressure Wednesday defend brilliantly. After seeing Hulls attacks come to nothing, the away team break with J.Johnson from deep inside his own half. The Jamaican evades 3 Hull players and ambitiously rifles a 25yard low shot at the near post that a diving Jakupovic tips wide. A lunging R.Johnson foul on Quinn sees a Hull free kick break down and but for a wayward J.Johnson through ball, Antonio would have been 1 on 1. The energetic Quinn has Hulls best chance of the half when a whipped Elmohamady cross is headed inches wide (Wednesday fans have seen Quinn do better against them with an almost exact header!). As half time approaches Hull test Kirkland twice, first a 20yard effort by Sone Aluko is palmed skyward and claimed, then Koren is released onto a 1-on-1 but the keeper comes out and blocks with his legs in a brilliant piece of goalkeeping. After a dangerous Llera free kick breaks down the referee blows for half time.
                                       
HT. Well I wasn't expecting that! A brilliant performance by Wednesday and could have scored more. Hull look dangerous when in possession but surprisingly disjointed off the ball. The Owls front 2 of JJ & Antonio is working better than anyone but Dave Jones imagined - credit where it's due! A half time snack of peanuts and a pint (John Smiths) have me eagerly awaiting the second half!

Wednesday are forced into a substitution before kick-off when McCabe is taken ill with a virus and Jose Semedo takes his place. The Owls are quick to try and build on their lead and a Lee cross has to be cleared by James Chester with J.Johnson arriving. Hull themselves have come out with more vigour and force a corner in the 48th, creating a move which sees Llera switch off and Elmohamady have a free run at goal ... only to smash a shot well over the bar and waste a glorious chance. 53mins in and Faye fouls Antonio for Llera to deliver a free-kick into the box and Antonio heads well wide as Hull's defenders stay grounded. David Meyler (Hulls recent purchase from Sunderland for £1.5m) fouls Antonio near the half way line and Gardner's flights ball into the box is met by Lee who guides it into the path of R.Johnson, only for the Benin international to squirm a shot easily dealt with. On the next attack Wednesday have 300-cap Buxton deliver a free kick into the box and a flick on is prodded in by Coke on his return to the line-up ... only for the referee to disallow the goal stating the ball was under the keepers control (keeper didn't even touch it). As the commentators are in shock and calling "daylight robbery" J.Johnson takes matters into his own hands by dribbling past 3 players before smashing a shot at the keeper for a corner. After an altercation between Elmohamady and Jones on the touchline, the referee finally finds his cards and shows yellow to Brady for a foul on Lee (not a patch on the 1st half Faye challenge). By the hour mark the Owls are firmly in control of the match and the fans chants are going backwards and forwards making a terrific atmosphere. A Brady corner kick is met by a Hull City head but is easily claimed by Kirkland as he proves to be a hard keeper to beat yet again. 71mins in and a wonderful searching cross by Meyler into the box is defended well by Llera just as substitute Jay Simpson is in mid-air going to head goal-ward. The visitors defend it well and attack which results in a clever turn by J.Johnson which flicks the ball up for a right-footed volley which creeps wide. Rather surprisingly, Hull seem devoid of any ideas and the crowd become anxious especially when a Quinn shot is blocked and Wednesday stand firm. The work-rate by the Owls is fantastic and when the work-horse Antonio breaks on the 75th minute, he easily shoulders Chester and is in a good shooting space when the referee calls for a foul to Hull. Not to be too disappointed, the away side then see J.Johnson fashion yet another chance when the brilliant Hélan intercepts a sloppy pass, evades 4 players - passes to JJ only for the #11 to lash wide. Koren has been quiet in the second half but the Slovenian international finds space and charges to meet a through ball in the 79th, upon realising he's outpaced by the ball - he hits the deck in a lame attempt to get a penalty. Kirkland keeps the danger at bay when he claims an Aluko cross but in the next Hull City attack, the keeper is beaten. Elmohamady finds space on the right to whip in the games best cross, bending between the keeper and defence and there is Koren with a fantastic glancing diving header - leaving Kirkland rooted and drawing the Tigers level. A sense of injustice fills the Owls fans after the no-show red card and the wrongly disallowed goal. Quick out of the blocks and Wednesday attack immediately, forcing a corner and J.Johnson is replaced by Mamady Sidibe. Spectacularly Lleras corner is fumbled by the keeper who drops it over the line before taking an accidental knee in the face. As Wednesday celebrate going back in the lead, Jakupovic is replaced by Mark Oxley with a facial injury requiring medical attention. The game restarts after a 9min delay and when the Owls clear another Hull corner, Antonio beats Aluko - shrugs of a Quinn foul, charges on and rounds the keeper to coolly slot home for his 1st in 9 games. Shocked at the 1-3 score line, the Tigers put together a tidy midfield play and a brilliant pass results in a corner which Nick Proschwitz heads harmlessly wide. As the game creeps towards an extended end, the home team are striking their passes without real conviction but a quick attack ends with a penalty awarded for a Hélan foul on Simpson. The impressive Kirkland denies the felled striker with a low save preserving the 2 goal cushion in what becomes the last meaningful moment of the game. Boo's greet the whistle from the home stands as the away end erupts!

FT. Wow - what a superior performance by Wednesday. Dominant over a below-par Hull side. Credit where its due to Dave Jones and his tactics, spot on. It's a long report this week because that game was action packed & I didn't want to do a mis-justice to Hulls play or Wednesdays play. I can still see Hull going up - that was a blip and they have some outstanding young players.
                                                     
Attendance: 16,531
Owls Man of the Match: Llera (also won official man of the match) - but I could have picked any of the men in blue & white. Outstanding.