Match Report | Hull City 3-0 Cardiff City
Cardiff City were defeated at the MKM Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
Erol Bulut made three changes to the starting lineup, including a return for Jak Alnwick between the sticks for the Bluebirds.
Cardiff City began the match and quickly found themselves under pressure from the hosts. Playing directly from the off, the hosts’ first chance of the match came with less than two minutes played, as Ryan Allsop’s long kick down the middle of the pitch found Aaron Connolly. Breaking into the area, Connolly passed Alnwick before shooting on goal, only for Dimitrios Goutas to put in a terrific sliding block at the very last moment.
Alnwick was again called into action shortly afterwards as he faced shots from Ozan Tufan and Scott Twine, with the hosts having the better of the chances throughout the opening 25 minutes of play.
The Bluebirds were limited to their chances throughout the first half, as the Tigers continued their direct style of play and attempted to dominate possession.
Fashioning opportunities on the counter, City managed to threaten through Rubin Colwill, who was utilised at the visitors’ primary creative output. The forward was presented with City’s first real chance on goal when he turned to shoot from Yakou Méïté’s low cross near the edge of the area, though the effort went over the crossbar. Karlan Grant cut inside and struck five minutes later, but the ball flew into the side netting.
With the hosts on the front foot once again around the half-hour mark, Connolly broke the deadlock, tapping home at the far post from a low cross which evaded Alnwick’s reach. City held fast for the remainder of the first half, working hard to hinder any further chances for the Tigers and ensuring that it was a one-goal difference at the interval.
The Bluebirds were called into action quickly after the break as the hosts sought a second goal of the afternoon, with Connolly and Liam Delap both shooting off target from promising positions around the box.
Hull City doubled the lead after ten minutes, when Twine fired home from a free-kick at the edge of the area. Tufan added another from a direct ball over the top two minutes later, taking a clever touch to bring the ball down before lofting it over Alnwick.
With responding substitutions made, City came close to an answering goal through Mark McGuinness, whose header from Perry Ng’s cross went just wide at the far post. Captain Ng created yet another chance for City as he played through Kion Etete with ten minutes left, though his powerful shot was saved by Allsop.
The Bluebirds will return to action against Sheffield Wednesday on Saturday, December 23rd at Hillsborough – 3pm KO.
FINAL SCORE: HULL CITY 3-0 CARDIFF CITY
Cardiff City: Alnwick, Ng (C), Goutas, McGuinness, Collins, Siopis (Sawyers 65’), Adams, R. Colwill (Robinson 78’), Grant (Tanner 78’), Meite (Etete 65’), Ugbo (Bowler 46’). Subs: Rúnarsson, Romeo, Panzo, Rinomhota.
Hull City: Allsop, Christie, Jones, Greaves, Coyle, Morton (Smith 91’), Seri (Docherty 67’), Delap (Slater 68’), Tufan (Sellars-Fle 91’), Twine, Connolly (Vaughan 81'). Subs: Ingram, McLoughlin, Traore, Jacob.
